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: Tequila/Mescal
Restaurant: Caswell Restaurant Group, Newburyport, MA
Creator: Brett Henderson
Inspiration: “I wanted to give a little bit of everything you taste and feel—tart, sweet, smoky, savory, effervescent, sour—on your tongue. Shrubs can really elevate how drinkers experience these senses.”
Key Ingredients: Milagro Silver, Aperol, smoked strawberry/rhubarb shrub, fresh squeezed lemon, thyme simple syrup and Pol Roger Champagne.
Price: $12
What the Judges Said: Here’s another cocktail where the creator—Henderson—took great care and time to produce something special. In this case, the special comes from the shrub, which provides a sweet, sour and smoky kick. Not many would take the time to smoke the rhubarb, macerate it for two days and then store it a refrigerator for a week after it’s been combined with champagne vinegar. A similar process is done for the strawberries, minus the smoke. This kind of attention to detail—including a Champagne topper—takes us back to the Raymond Chandler quote on the opening page; it’s a wonderful feeling when a bartender cares enough to take his or her time.
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