Decatur restaurant’s new cocktail menu offers summer garden in a glass

On a day when Decatur restaurant Kindred is typically closed, beverage manager Erik Ramirez walked me literally and figuratively through his process. He started by taking inventory, a crucial step in cocktail menu development. He considers what is on the shelf, including what is profitable, and any new samples distributor reps have shared.

“It really starts there,” Ramirez said. “The minute they show me something they are really excited about — not necessarily wanting to push, but something they enjoy — I take notice.”

Ingredients from the kitchen where chef Marquise Allen develops a seasonal lineup of dishes are also a considerable source of inspiration for launching new cocktails. “And in the summertime, the garden,” said Ramirez, who is known for showcasing fresh, seasonal ingredients in his cocktails.

Peaches would be a familiar go-to ingredient for summer drinks, along with blackberries, blueberries or watermelon. But the fresh local produce coming into Kindred’s kitchen grabbed his attention, and three savory (but still bright and thirst-quenching) cocktails stand tall on the new summer menu, complementing the new dishes as well.

Credit: Angela Hansberger

Credit: Angela Hansberger

The Olo cocktail is named for a new color of supersaturated blue-green discovered by scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, this year. It’s not a color readily seen in the real world, but that didn’t stop Ramirez from dreaming up how it would taste. The Olo encompasses gin, tarragon, a kiwi cordial, lime and a cucumber seaweed foam.

Wanting a savory drink, Ramirez was drawn to the eucalyptus notes in Vietnamese Song Cai gin.

“Marquise was tinkering with tarragon in the kitchen, something I hadn’t used before, and I really fell in love with it,” he said. “The kiwi, I feel like (it) is a great summer fruit,” Ramirez said, “and I made a cordial out of it that I can use for nonalcoholic cocktails.”

The cocktail is topped with a cucumber seaweed foam, which Ramirez accomplished through trial and error. A stabilizer made from sunflower powder is added, while a fish tank air pump provides the lift needed to achieve a bubbly head atop the glass that lasted the entirety of our interview.

Credit: Angela Hansberger

Credit: Angela Hansberger

After a few instances of seeing tomatoes in cocktails and serving up a classic corpse reviver No. 2 to a guest, the Caprese Reviver came to life.

With the customary base of gin, he substituted quinquina (a type of aperitif wine) in place of Lillet Blanc and infused it with fresh tomatoes. Ramirez wanted an explosion of garden flavor.

“Garden everywhere!” he said. “So I included Aquavit, which brings a distinctive fennel flavor.”

The drink was designed to evoke a caprese salad, with the tomato and quinquina flavors carrying it through every sip. A garnish of tiny mozzarella balls and fresh basil ties it all together.

Credit: Angela Hansberger

Credit: Angela Hansberger

Spore, Spice & Spirit is an old-fashioned-style sipping cocktail created around mushrooms.

While Allen developed a mushroom stock for the food menu, Ramirez experimented with dehydrated mushrooms for the bar. He ended up with a mix of chanterelle and porcini mushrooms, which he browns in butter and incorporates into naturally earthy reposado tequila.

To this he adds Amass, a super-intense mushroom reserve gin, Mexican vanilla and bitters. The garnish is an edible, dried wood ear mushroom.

“I am putting out cocktails that I am passionate about, that I would be drinking,” Ramirez said about his savory concoctions that are certain to find kindred spirits among bar patrons.

Kindred. 2751 Lavista Road, Decatur. 404-975-3542, kindreddecatur.com.

Sign up for the AJC Food and Dining Newsletter

Read more stories like this by liking Atlanta Restaurant Scene on Facebook and following @ATLDiningNews on X and @ajcdining on Instagram.