Four local bartenders share their favorite pour of the moment.
WHERE: The Chastain, @thechastainatl
COCKTAIL NAME: Pick a Daisy
We call the cocktail Pick a Daisy because it is a cocktail in the Daisy category, and we offer the option of picking your base spirit: bourbon, mezcal, cognac or rum. The one pictured is made with mezcal.
SERVED BY: Beverage manager Juan Fernando Cortés
INGREDIENTS:
1 ounce mezcal— we use Sombra, an organic mezcal that’s lightly smoky and has plenty of agave character
1 ounce Pierre Ferrand dry Curaçao;
¾ ounce lime juice
½ ounce simple syrup
¾ ounce aquafaba (vegan egg white substitute).
Shake with ice in a cocktail shaker, then pour into a coupe.
TIPPLE TIP: “Drink it fast, while it’s laughing at you! Enjoy with The Chastain’s jumbo lump crab fritters!”
WHERE: Baffi, @baffi_ atlanta
COCKTAIL NAME: Oakland
SERVED BY: Beverage and service director Don Pirone
INGREDIENTS: The Oakland features housemade whiskey dashi, El Buho mezcal—an especially smoky expression—Cynar, poblano pepper and nori. The dashi is made by sous vide cooking nori and chanterelle, porcini and morel mushrooms with whiskey.
TIPPLE TIP: “It’s best served over a large ice cube, like we do at Baffi, and it pairs wonderfully with heartier dishes that can hold up to the weight and smoke of this drink. My personal favorite pairings are our bruschetta featuring ricotta, wild mushrooms, focaccia and herbs; our salumi board featuring bresaola, prosciutto, Vidalia onion jam, caponata, honey pecans and focaccia; and our woodgrilled hanger steak.”
WHERE: Marcel, @marcelatlanta
COCKTAIL NAME: Shakespeare & Co.
SERVED BY: Beverage manager James Letendre
INGREDIENTS: Extra-dry white rum, rhum agricole blanc (French Caribbean sugar cane rum), Alsatian Kirsch (French cherry brandy), crème de cassis, grapefruit juice and lime juice
TIPPLE TIP: This is our interpretation of a Hemingway daiquiri—the author’s rugged version of the classic rum cocktail. We have continued this progression by creating a cocktail rich in robust fruit, bolstered by a brawny combo of rums and dry to finish. The name is in reference to the bookstore where Hemingway spent his time reading and writing during his Parisian residence. We feel it’s best enjoyed to begin an evening at Marcel, paired with our hors d’oeuvres of steak tartare and escargots.
WHERE: Le Colonial, @lecolonialatlanta
COCKTAIL NAME: Smoke & Fig
SERVED BY: Beverage director Etienne Penny
INGREDIENTS:
1 ½ ounces Woodford Reserve rye
½ ounce Fernet-Branca
¼ ounce Giffard orgeat
1 ounce smoked simple syrup
¾ ounce fresh lemon juice.
Combine all ingredients into a shaker tin with ice.
Shake for 20 to 30 seconds and strain over fresh ice. Garnish with a fresh fig.
TIPPLE TIP: This cocktail was created by bar manager Jordan Romine and pairs well with a variety of dishes at Le Colonial, from our chicken dumplings, crispy pork and shrimp spring rolls, and shaking beef to even our roasted salmon. The rye bourbon has a sweetness that pairs well with more savory dishes, while the fresh lemon juice adds a nice citrusy touch to seafood and beef dishes.
Photography by: BY MICHAEL THOMPSON; COURTESY OF LE COLONIAL ATLANTA
