Here’s Your Cocktail To-Do List
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Flinders Lane
Moving forward into the new year, it’s always important to set some goals. If cutting-edge cocktails with a health kick rank high on your to-do list, pay attention. Maybe there’s a vacation to Hawaii in the near future and you want to try a Matcha Old Fashioned, or you’re headed to Dallas where a cocktail with the essence of Mexican street corn awaits. Do it up big with these boozy treats.
Flinders Lane
Spiced Carrot Margarita, Flinders Lane (New York, NY)
Try the Spiced Carrot Margarita at a modern Australian restaurant, Flinders Lane, in the East Village. This bright orange creation has just the right amount of zing with tequila, mezcal, chili, fresh carrot juice, cardamom, and lime. The fresh carrot juice is rich in beta-carotene which is chock-full of antioxidants and vitamin A, which can actually improve your vision and promote healthier skin. Not bad for a margarita, right?
Faro
Hot Buttered Rum, Faro (Brooklyn, NY)
The Michelin-starred restaurant Faro, a Bushwick eatery known for its handmade pastas and wood-fired cooking, serves a riff on the classic hot buttered rum. Bartender Jason Mezydlo melts organic butter with brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and star anise, which he then combines with rum and tops off the cocktail with a lavender and citron-infused whipped cream.
Matcha Old Fashioned, Bar Leather Apron (Honolulu, HI)
Bar Leather Apron is an intimate cocktail lounge located in downtown Honolulu. Matcha, the finely ground powder of specially grown and processed green tea leaves, has made its way on to food and drink menus across the country. The Matcha Old Fashioned combines Maker’s 46, Japanese green tea, wasanbon (a finely ground Japanese sugar), and mineral water. The matcha component of the cocktail can help to calm the body and mind, boost your metabolism, and act like a natural detox — minus the alcohol of course.
Elotes, Flora Street Cafe (Dallas, TX)
Restaurateur Stephan Pyles is the man behind the hotspot Flora Street Cafe, right in the heart of downtown Dallas. The cuisine is modern Texan and Southwestern and the restaurant has developed a reputation for its artful culinary presentations. The Elotes cocktail, crafted by bartender Lauren Festa, combines tequila with smoked corn, charred poblanos, red peppers, and a lemongrass-kaffir-cardamon syrup — it’s basically the essence of Mexican street corn in a glass.
Mulled Negroni, LaRina Pastificio & Vino (Brooklyn, NY)
Giulia Pelliccioni — the beverage director and co-owner of LaRina Pastificio & Vino in Fort Greene — has created a winter-friendly spin on her favorite libation, the classic Negroni. The Mulled Negroni features Campari, mirto (an herbal liqueur from Sardinia), aged apple brandy, lemon juice, and a honey-clove syrup.
Coconut Bourbon, The Solo Club (Portland, OR)
The Solo Club, stationed in Portland, is a daytime cafe and evening cocktail bar with a Southeast Asia-meets-Europe design. Within the bi-level space, there’s a towering bar filled with expert amaro and bitters picks by barman and partner Mark Bitterman. You’ll find focused cocktails each driven by the spirit, the amaro, or the vermouth. The Coconut Bourbon cocktail mixes toasted coconut infused bourbon, Amaro Cio Ciaro, Amaro Montenegro, and vermouth. There’s also a menu of small plates by the executive chef Dustin Clark.
Shook Ones PT 1, Mezcaleria Las Flores (Chicago, IL)
A Chicago retreat, Mezcaleria Las Flores, has built a loyal following around its killer margaritas. Jay Shroeder, the bar director and partner, sources his cocktail vessels all the way from Oaxaca to give Mezcaleria Las Flores its undeniable Mexican touch. The Shook Ones PT 1 comes in a clay mug with a housemade salt blend of cacao and toasted sesame seeds around the rim. The drink itself combines fresh lemon, mezcal, coconut rum, and absinthe — a seemingly simple list of ingredients that creates a complex burst of flavor when it mixes with the salted rim.
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