Farmers market tomatoes are at their peak summer moment, covering tables with color — deep red, lemon yellow, sunset orange and glossy green. We put them in salads and sauces, in pies and those perfect summer BLTs, but some of the most exciting flavors happen when tomatoes go beyond the plate and into a cocktail glass.
Atlanta bartenders have transformed the sweet, acidic juice into surprisingly refreshing drinks that speak to the season and celebrate the tomato.
Tomato Water Martini at Redacted
Summertime garden splendor is not propaganda, but at Summerhill’s Redacted, the drink parlor celebrating all things conspiracy, they take on the tomato. Make your way down the stairs from the side street door and order a Tomato Water Martini with your choice of gin or vodka. It’s clear and savory, especially with the olive oil drizzle, and it comes with a skewer of mozzarella and a cherry tomato.
63B Georgia Ave. SE, Atlanta. redactedbdp.com.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Caprese Martini at La Tavola Trattoria
La Tavola Trattoria in Virginia-Highland puts a truly Italian spin on the martini, not only with the skewered garnish of tomato, mozzarella and basil, but with the use of Moletto gin. The botanical Italian gin is made from sunny, ripe tomatoes, spring water from the Dolomites and Mediterranean herbs. It has notes of rosemary and basil accompanying juniper berries from the Alps. The martini is the perfect pairing for La Tavola’s annual Tomato Tasting days in August.
992 Virginia Ave. NE, Atlanta. 404-873-5430, latavolatrattoria.com.
Credit: Angela Hansberger
Credit: Angela Hansberger
Heirloom Alaska at Talat Market
The food coming out of Talat’s kitchen uses fresh and simple ingredients to create surprising punches of flavor and texture. Similarly, the drinks served at the bar carry the same creative standards using Georgia produce. In an Alaska, every ingredient is potent on its own. Add heirloom tomato water clarified to crystal clear, and you will want to talk about the complexity. Yellow Chartreuse liquor amplifies its herbaceous spirit. Don’t skip the pickled tomato garnish for a burst of flavor.
112 Ormond St. SE, Atlanta. 404-257-6255, talatmarketatl.com.
Notes on an Heirloom at The Deer and the Dove
Notes on an Heirloom stirs together local gin, Georgia tomatoes, vermouth, basil, cracked black pepper and a house-cured cocktail onion. Savory and briny, it blends the elegance of a classic martini with the vibrant acidity of fresh tomatoes and a hint of spice.
155 Sycamore St., Decatur. 404-748-4617, deerdove.com.
Credit: handout
Credit: handout
Contemporary Disillusion and Tomato + Tonic at Lucky Star
Westside’s Lucky Star has two tomato pleasers on the menu. With sweet and earthy notes, Contemporary Disillusion sips like a garden gimlet. Based on the menu’s Taiwanese tomato salad, the shaken drink is tangy and umami-filled with gin, salted plum, tomato and lime juice, garnering depth from licorice root. For an equally complex cocktail without alcohol, consider Tomato + Tonic. Although clear in the glass, the clarified juice from local tomatoes is redolent of a summer garden. The bracing fizz of Fevertree tonic water balances any inherent sweetness. This one has a savory bite. Like me, you may order two.
1055 Howell Mill Road, Atlanta. 678-994-6016, luckystaratl.com.
Tomato Martini at Cherokee Rose
With all the best flavors of a bloody mary and all the sophistication of a martini, the summer special Tomato Martini at Cherokee Rose magnifies summer’s tangy sweet fruit. House-made tomato water shaken with vodka is seasoned with fresh cracked black pepper, dotted with olive oil and capped with a verdant basil leaf.
975 Main St., Stone Mountain. 470-268-7858, cherokeerosebbqbar.com.
Credit: Angela Hansberger
Credit: Angela Hansberger
Caprese Reviver at Kindred
Summer’s fleshy red fruit infuses quinquina, a wine-based aperitif that provides a savory base for a riff on a classic Corpse Reviver. Gin is the accent in this version, and aquavit adds a dash of herbal fennel. Lemon and black pepper brighten and add spice. With a cheese and basil garnish, it sips like a summer caprese salad.
2751 Lavista Road, Decatur. 404-975-3542, kindreddecatur.com.
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