Equal parts sweet and tart, strawberries are one of the first fruits to ripen in the spring and offer a hint of the vibrant days unfolding. This year’s crop in Georgia is especially delicious. Strawberries are popping up all over food menus — and making their way into our cocktail glasses. These establishments offer drinks that capture the fleeting essence of fresh strawberries.
Salted Strawberry Negroni at Kimball House
Miles Macquarrie makes a strawberry cordial and a citrusy olive brine for his Salted Strawberry Negroni. Local Murrell’s Row Tulsi gin plays well with the fruit, while Barolo Chinato (aromatized wine) brings out the jammy qualities of the strawberries. This Negroni is one you want to sip while lounging on the restaurant’s expansive patio surrounded by lush greenery.
Kimball House. 303 E. Howard Ave., Decatur. 404-378-3502, kimball-house.com.
Credit: Heidi Harris
Credit: Heidi Harris
Petals & Juniper at O-Ku
Although it is inspired by sakura (cherry) blossoms and flavored by strawberries, O-Ku’s Petals & Juniper is a clarified clear beverage. The combination of strawberry-infused Roku gin, dry vermouth and black sakura tea syrup is both savory and floral, with subtle hints of strawberry. It’s simple yet sprightly with flavor, much like O-Ku’s renowned sushi.
O-Ku. 1085 Howell Mill Road, Atlanta. 404-500-2383, o-kusushi.com.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Gambit and Rouge at Twisted Soul Cookhouse & Pours
Bartender Derek Fulbright puts a springtime twist on a Vieux Carre in his Gambit and Rouge. Depth unfolds along with a savory-sweet kick when cognac, rye whiskey and vermouth are stirred together with a house-made strawberry-pepper syrup and a dash of bitters.
Twisted Soul Cookhouse & Pours. 1133 Huff Road NW, Atlanta. 404-350-5500, twistedsoulatl.com.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Strawberry Fields Negroni at Palo Santo
“I love reimagining a classic cocktail by adding fresh ingredients that are in season,” said Palo Santo beverage manager Orestes Cruz of his Strawberry Fields Negroni. Strawberry-infused gin is less sweet than expected, and the addition of fennel liqueur rounds out the spirit-forward cocktail with vegetal notes.
Palo Santo. 955 W. Marietta St. NW, Atlanta. 678-944-8783, palosanto.restaurant.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Bad Gurls Klub at Little Bear
“Local strawberries have been magical this season,” noted chef and owner Jarrett Stieber when talking about Little Bear’s Bad Gurls Klub. The coconut gin-based cocktail uses ripe strawberries as well as summer’s sweetest flower — honeysuckle — in this frothy shaken drink.
Little Bear. 71 Georgia Ave. SE, Atlanta. 404-500-5396, littlebearatl.com.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Red at Burle’s Bar
The cocktails are color-coded on the seasonal menu at Burle’s Bar, and Red brings all the fruit to a glass. With a spirit base combining Old Fourth vodka, bright Shigemasu Kasutori shochu and Compass Box whisky with spice from falernum (spiced tropical liqueur), flavors are intriguing and complex. Strawberries, raspberries, pink peppercorn and ginseng dance in the glass and certainly give you something to talk about while hanging out on the Beltline patio.
Burle’s Bar. 505 N. Angier Ave. NE, Atlanta. burlesbar.com.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Strawberry Fields at Minhwa Spirits
Let me take you down … to Minhwa Spirits, the distillery-restaurant in Doraville where strawberries are celebrated in the Strawberry Fields cocktail, containing their signature Korean spirit soju, lemon and lime juices, and white peach tea. On top is a basil foam that lifts strawberry aromas to your nose and adds bright savory notes to the balance of garden flavors.
Minhwa Spirits. 2421 Van Fleet Circle, Doraville. 470-391-2840, minhwaspirits.com.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Across the Universe at Brush Sushi
It might change your world. A split base of rye and strawberry-scented sake stirred with umeshu, a Japanese wine aged with whole plums, is presented under a cloud of cedarwood smoke. You will smell and taste each element alone and then delicately balanced together.
Brush Sushi. 3009 Peachtree Road NE, Atlanta. 404-500-1888, brushatl.com.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Elevated Mule at Tesserae
Imagine a classic mule and swapping vodka for a hint of smoke from Vida mezcal. At Tesserae at the Thompson Atlanta-Buckhead hotel, the elevated mule is infused with strawberry flavor and hints of warm citrus from a strawberry-coriander syrup that gets a zingy hit from ginger beer and lime juice. Goes well with rooftop views.
Tesserae at Thompson Atlanta-Buckhead. 415 E. Paces Ferry Road NE, Atlanta. 470-600-3500, Tesseraeatlanta.com.
Seville Sunset at Gypsy Kitchen
Spritz season is upon us and Gypsy Kitchen is serving up a seasonal sparkler. Seville Sunset brings together Bare Bone vodka, strawberry liqueur, lemon juice and sparkling water. It’s sweet but light and refreshing.
Gypsy Kitchen. 3035 Peachtree Road NE, Atlanta. 404-939-9840, gk-atl.com.
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