While nogs and toddies are the stars of winter cocktails, there’s more to chilly weather drinking. Bartenders use a few tweaks and swaps to transform classic drinks to suit the season. Darker spirits, herbs, spices and rich, bitter liqueurs are part of their arsenal to winterize cocktails.
With a base spirit, citrus and ginger beer/ale in a copper mug, the Moscow mule is a staple of warm weather drinking, but rich, dark black strap rum provides a winter version. At Ponce City Market’s stunning newcomer, Atrium (675 Ponce de Leon Ave. NE, Atlanta. 404-600-3939, atriumatl.com), the mule includes vodka, house-made ginger syrup, fresh lime juice and club soda. Beverage Director Demario Wallace said adding a mala pepper tincture is “our little wintry weapon,” giving the drink “nice, wintry citrus notes, along with its natural warming sensation.”
Credit: hANDOUT
Credit: hANDOUT
The classic Manhattan is brazen and strong, with a solid rye whiskey base, amplified by vermouth. Using a high rye adds a spicy backbone and depth, as tasted in the 6th Sense at Buena Vida Tapas & Sol (385 N. Angier Ave. NE, Atlanta. 404-948-2312, buenavidatapas.com). Lead bartender Alex Lazaridis stirs together Pinhook rye, bianco vermouth and a shrub made from toasted white peppercorns, mushrooms, fig and sugar steeped in Pedro Ximenez vinegar. “The shrub furthers the depth and complexity,” he said.
Credit: Ian Mendelsohn
Credit: Ian Mendelsohn
Adding the warming spice, bitterness and botanicals of an amaro is another technique used to dress up a drink for winter. Director of Beverage Operations Ian Mendelsohn said the Cloak and Dagger at Ecco Buckhead (3586 Peachtree Road NE, Atlanta. 404-347-9558, ecco-atlanta.com) “brings out the best of a modified Old-Fashioned in using the smokiness of mezcal in place of bourbon.” He also adds the richness of a 23-year-aged rum and sweetness from a banana liqueur. An amaro rounds out this fireside companion. “We use the unique botanicals in Cynar to add a delicious herbaceousness to the finish,” he said.
Credit: Brandon Amato
Credit: Brandon Amato
A classic Negroni has a balance of bitter and sweet. At Aria (490 E. Paces Ferry Road NE, Atlanta. 404-233-7673, aria-atl.com), Stefano Gandossi takes the template for that drink and dresses it up for winter in his Depth Charge. Gandossi, who likes bitter and herbal flavors, thought of joining the richness of Suze with a touch of mezcal while developing low-alcohol-by-volume apertif cocktails. The combination alone proved too heavy, though. So, he added vermouth blanco, to lift the cocktail slightly with citrus notes, and tonic water provided more acid.
Tiki drinks need not be relegated to summer months. The Quicksand Promised Land at the new Colony Square location of Rumi’s Kitchen (1197 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta. 404-777-9807, rumiskitchen.com) was inspired by post-World War II drinks made in the Midwest. “They couldn’t get their hands on orgeat (a sweet syrup made from almonds, rose petals and orange flower water), so they would sub out créme de noyaux,” Beverage Director Julian Goglia said. He combines the almond-flavored cream liqueur with rum, orgeat, lime juice, Cointreau, mint and advieh, a Persian spice mix with turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom, clove, cumin, ginger and rose petals. It adds depth of flavor to rice dishes, as well as a savory, warming component to an otherwise tropical drink.
Credit: Kevin Bragg
Credit: Kevin Bragg
Winter dinners often end with a rich fortified wine as a digestif. The smoked “port” at Southern Belle (1043 Ponce de Leon Ave. NE, Atlanta. 404-698-3961, southernbelleatlanta.com) proves that a comforting port need not be alcoholic. The drink is one of the restaurant’s zero-proof options, initially created as part of nonalcoholic pairings for one of its Bless Their Hearts dinners. Verjus rouge (acidic juice of unripe grapes), with a touch of vanilla, is used as the base, Beverage Director Kevin Bragg said, then Harmony smoked aperitif (“somewhere between an amaro and mezcal”) is added. The Pathfinder amaro further adds smoke and complexity, for a rounded sip that is warming, and perfectly suited to ward off a winter nip.
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