Not only has America’s love for cocktails grown tremendously in recent years, so has the skill of those who prepare them. Restaurant Hospitality’s editorial staff selected 16 top cocktails prepared by mixologists around the country. See all winners >>
November 9, 2015
Category: Vodka
Restaurant: EP & LP, Los Angeles
Creator: Alex Straus
Inspiration: “I wanted to create a new take on boba or bubble tea drinks popular in Asia. It combines Southeast Asian ingredients not typically seen in cocktails. The drink is also named after the ’90s rap duo, Kriss Kross.”
Key Ingredients: Vodka (or gin), kaffir lime cordial, coconut water, fresh lime, cardamom bitters and homemade Indian tonic boba pearls.
Price: $15
What the Judges Said: First of all, it takes some big cajones to serve a $15 drink in a plastic cup, but if you’ve done any traveling to the Far East or even to a local Chinese restaurant, you know that bubble tea is customarily served in a sealed plastic cup. The oversized straw is necessary to hoover the small, chewy tapioca balls (a.k.a. pearls, boba) in the drink. And it’s certainly fitting that the cocktail is served on the roof of the restaurant. All that aside, Straus has created a terrific drink that’s an explosion of sophisticated tropical flavors. Kris Kross easily wins for the most crazy/fun cocktail of 2015.
Next: Seville Rose
Previous: Toasted Old Fashioned
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