Some of my favorite cocktails of 2016 were created by Juan Sanchez, bar manager of popular Hillcrest restaurant Trust. Sanchez’s ever-evolving menu (his signature cocktails are numbered and there have been 13 so far) features consistently delicious, approachable drinks. For Hundred Proof, the new project by the folks behind Trust, Sanchez is using a similar tack.
“Everything’s essentially a shaken, refreshing drink,” he says. “As much as cocktail culture’s progressed, I think people still prefer cocktails like that.”
What to Drink at Hundred Proof
The Old Costa
The lighter cocktails pair well with Hundred Proof’s bar-friendly menu (elevated takes on chicken wings, fish tacos, pizza, mac ’n’ cheese). I particularly liked the Old Costa (Old Forester bourbon, Amaro Nonino, tamarindo, lime), a take on one of my favorites, the Paper Plane, but with tamarind providing some nice tartness.
Sanchez likes the Tuesday Day Shift, a tiki-style drink made with Hamilton rum, banana liqueur, cinnamon, and lime. There’s also a rum-based version of the classic Last Word. Dubbed The Loose Word, it combines Cutwater’s Three Sheets Rum, Green Chartreuse, agave, and lime. Another standout is a Trust staple, the Trust #2 (jalapeño-infused tequila, grapefruit, agave, lime, and firewater bitters). Sanchez says it’s quickly become a hit, outselling other cocktails three-to-one.
The menu also includes three milkshakes you can order with or without booze, and eight boilermakers (beer and a shot). The combos — like Hibiki whiskey paired with Hess Claritas, and Tequila Ocho Blanco paired with Steigl Radler — are favorites of Hundred Proof bartenders, Chef Brad Wise, and one of the restaurant’s owners. They’re also a nod to industry folks who prefer the simplicity of a boilermaker on a night off.
“When I go out, if a bar’s busy, for me a beer and a shot is so much easier,” Sanchez says.
Got an idea for a future post? Email me.
What to Drink at Hundred Proof
Trust’s popular tequila cocktail, Trust #2, is a hit at Hundred Proof.
