By local contributor
Chris Malloy
There’s more to the nightlife and local cocktail scene than a desert margarita. Local bartenders are crafting sharp, thoughtful drinks that celebrate flavors in both time-honored and completely new ways. Here are some of the best cocktail bars to experience innovative flavors, fun techniques and all-around great cocktails during your visit to ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ.
In the swank dimness of Society Swan, Sam Fox’s new Parisian-inspired lounge at , martinis anchor a heavy-hitting cocktail list. None hits quite like the magical espresso martini, a standout even now, when restaurants seem to be in an arms race to see who can build the best version. The difference? There are two. First, a salted cold foam, creating a deep creaminess and lush mouthfeel. Second, a small kiss of burnt banana. This adds a richly caramelized undertone without throwing the drink out of balance, taking this classic to another level.
The Fairmont ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ Princess’s high-end Mexican restaurant is known for many things, most of all a deep cellar of agave spirits. You can enjoy these many ways: as single pours, as guided flights, in many margaritas and in creative cocktails. A beverage called “Port” falls into the last camp. Built on a mezcal base and smoked tableside, it embraces the freshness of lime, tropical notes and mild bubbles of ginger beer, and the dark-fruit complexity of port. It’s a rich, just-smoked-enough cousin of the margarita, with a surprising delicacy. Ideal for sipping while you smash through La Hacienda’s excellent freshly fried chips.
This cocktail’s ingredients read like they would clash aggressively: pink peppercorn rye, Jamaican rum, fig, sweet vermouth blend. Amazingly, they result in a refined, harmonious slow-sipper. The split base of rye with just a whisper of pepper pulls a touch of spunk and earthiness from the rum. A housemade fig puree brings out the darker notes in the spirits, and the vermouth blend brings its own mellow sweetness and spicing. It’s all subtle, refined, evocative and just barely sweet – an ideal cocktail to sidekick one of the Fat Ox’s large-format steaks.
Prep & Pastry pours many mimosas, none better than their prickly pear version. It’s a dreamy pink-purple shot through with Prosecco bubbles that amplify the fruity flavor. It’s more complex than your typical OJ mimosa. That’s all thanks to the Sonoran Desert cactus fruit that registers somewhere between strawberry and watermelon, making sips deep and interesting. Grab one at the small bar during a pause in your morning in Old Town or at Fashion Square. They pour generously, close enough to the brim that some may slosh over when you lift your flute.
Speakeasy-style underground drinkery Tell Your Friends boasts plush seating, golden lights, disco balls and live music on select nights. The cocktail list offers a range of concoctions, some lush and elegant (the dark-fruit-forward Crimson Crush) others decadent (the pudding-spiked Lust & Linger). To see what the team can really do, try the Golden Sin, a drink that brings forward the spirit of a mezcal blend, shining a light on its herbaceous, vegetal qualities. This happens thanks to deft yellow bell pepper and corn liqueur additions, creating a subtle sipper that celebrates (rather than hides) the base spirits.
Sure, this ultra-polished upscale restaurant in North ÌÇÐÄÊÓƵ brings food by Michelin-starred talent Alex Stratta and a pleasant, Old-World formality, but the cocktail list adds levity and fun. Attentive mixologists are quick to explain backstories and sensitive to your every need. They mix high-end Old Fashioneds and pour trendy gins. But the move is to go off the map. Cocktails come in smoky treasure chests, on spinning serving ware, crowned with a giant bubble, and in glasses shaped like ice cream cones. Tell your barkeep you want to get adventurous and let them lead the way.