Tequila & Grapefruit
Where: Herb & Wood
What’s in it: Reposado tequila, grapefruit liqueur, Lillet Blanc
Creator: Will VanLeuven
One of lead bartender Will VanLeuven’s favorite cocktails is a Paloma (tequila and grapefruit), so for the drink menu at new Little Italy restaurant Herb & Wood, he came up with a stirred version of the classic. “It has that same brightness and drinkability as a regular Paloma,” VanLeuven says, “with the smoothness of a stirred cocktail.” It’s indeed smooth—a really lovely cocktail that goes down easy. Herb & Wood has a renowned pastry chef, but I’d skip dessert and order this instead. It’s one of the best cocktails I’ve had this year.
Also try: Lavender & Gin (lavender-infused gin, thyme-honey syrup, lemon, and soda)
Trust Cocktail #4
Three New Cocktails to Try
Trust Cocktail #4
Where: Trust
What’s in it: Old Tom gin, apricot purée, elderflower liqueur, lemon, cinnamon syrup, Angostura bitters
Creator: Juan Sanchez
When Trust opened several months ago, lead bartender Juan Sanchez started off with a menu of mostly classics (Penicillin, Old Fashioned, etc.) and then slowly began adding in originals. Each new cocktail gets a number. I’m a big fan of Trust Cocktails #1 and #2. Cocktail #3, new this month, is an easy-drinking tiki cocktail. But #4 offers a flavor you don’t find too often: fresh apricot (Sanchez describes it as a “fruit forward” cocktail). The housemade cinnamon simple syrup is also really nice—at Chef Brad Wise’s suggestion, Sanchez added a couple bay leaves to give the syrup a slightly savory edge. And you can’t go wrong with Old Tom gin. This cocktail will win over folks who swear they’ll never appreciate gin.
Also try: (coming to the menu in June) Trust Cocktail #5 (gin, watermelon, Campari)
La Migra
Three New Cocktails to Try
Coin-Op’s La Migra | Photo by Kelly Davis
Where: Coin-Op
What’s in it: Mezcal, aged rum, Benedictine, orange bitters
Creator: Jamie Pawloski
Amid the beer selection and video games, it’s easy to miss the cocktails at Coin-Op. Please don’t. They’re wonderful. And this one’s particularly nice—well-rounded from start to finish. Bartender Jamie Pawloski said he came up with the La Migra one night when a couple of regulars asked for a mezcal cocktail, but wanted him to tame down the smokiness. “I was obsessed with Del Maguey [mezcal] and El Dorado Rum,” he says, “so the rest sort of fell into place. I knew I had a winner, because whenever they came in, they kept ordering one after another.”
Also try: Book ’Em Dan-O (pineapple-infused rum, Jägermeister Spice, grapefruit, lime, coconut, and passionfruit bitters)
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Three New Cocktails to Try
Herb & Wood’s Tequila & Grapefruit
