Dorit Kemsley Breaks Her Silence on the Source of “Carcass Out”
She and Andy Cohen talked carcass on ‘Watch What Happens Live’
Like the carcass, the truth comes out.
Earlier this month, Gawker published an investigation into the source of a term used in Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Dorit Kemsley’s drink order. As you know, that drink order is: Belvedere, soda, (in a short glass), and three lemons — carcass out. Still, the term in question (“carcass out”) remained elusive. Dorit evaded our questioning, and it seemed the rest of the Beverly Hills cast had been intimidated into silence. When asked about “carcass out,” bartenders and cocktail scholars across the northeast did not know what I was talking about.
It seemed we might never know how or why Dorit Kemsley started saying “carcass out” to refer to the process of leaving the lemon wedges out of her drink post-squeeze. It seemed the delicious knowledge of whether she made it up, or heard it somewhere (or if it’s something that anyone other than her says) might never touch our hungry tongue. Well, that was true — until last night.
Last night Dorit Kemsley appeared on Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live, along with her Real Housewives of Beverly Hills co-star Garcelle Beauvais. In a segment near the end of the episode, Andy Cohen took questions from his virtual audience.
“Dorit, Maria from Montreal wants to know if you plan to trademark ‘carcass out,’ and where did the phrase come from?,” he asked. “There was an article online theorizing that you made up the term.”
Yes — indeed there was. Do I wish he had called out Gawker by name? Yes. However he still has time to make it up to us by inviting the entire staff to be the bartender on an upcoming episode (with good guests).
“You know what,” Dorit said, “it started when I was living in Italy in my early 20s. I had heard it from someone, and it stuck. And I just thought it was so cute. And then I’ve just been saying it ever since.”
My god.
Like a deep breath, or a cleansing rain. Like the feeling of climbing into your own bed after a long journey. Like taking a big sip of your vodka soda and knowing that no carcasses are held within. Dorit Kemsley heard someone say “carcass out” while she was in Italy in her early 20s, and she’s been saying it ever since.
Thank you, Maria from Montreal. And thank you, Italy.
