DRINK CULTURE
VEGGIE COCKTAILS SPROUT UP
Flavor exploration took a hit during the pandemic , according to a Mintel Menu Insights report . Lingering uncertainty affected consumers ’ food and drink decision-making , plus many operators dramatically reduced their menu offerings to simplify operations .
Mintel found that the percentage change in alcoholic beverage menu items plummeted across the top range of flavors in 2020 . But there were some areas of opportunity and innovation in 2021 : Fruit , vegetable , lime and mint and floral flavors had all dropped significantly in 2020 , but experienced strong increases in menu incidence in 2021 .
Vegetable cocktails on menus fell 41 % from the second quarter of 2019 to the same quarter of 2020 , but shot up 76 % in the second quarter 2021 . Veggie tales been cropping up on menus this year , as consumers are ready to experiment more , perhaps seeking flavors , ingredients or techniques that they ’ re not going to have or try at home .
For example , Apothecary , an avant-garde cocktail in Dallas , included a drink called The Pea-Cocktail on its spring menu . The cocktail combines vodka , pea stock , house tonic , lemon-ginger cordial and grapefruit .
The spring menu at Forsythia restaurant and bar in Philadelphia included two vegetable cocktails . The Snow Tiger mixed rum , snow pea-fennel tincture crafted with Menthe-Pastille , Luxardo Maraschino and lime ; and The Smoking Carrot used mezcal , lemon , carrot and ginger cordial .
Bar Julian in Savannah offers a zero-proof beverage called The Lowcountry , made with Ritual Zero Proof tequila , yellow bell pepper , lemon , honey and basil .
Katie Tobin at The Aquifer at New Riff Distilling in Newport , KY , created a mocktail called Beet It . Made with beet juice , lime juice , vanilla simple syrup and ginger beer , the drink can be amped up with the distillery ’ s bourbon or gin .
Max Stampa-Brown , beverage director for The Garret Bars ’ in New York , developed a few vegetable cocktails this year . The Miami Lenny , with tequila , butternut squash , tarragon , poppy seed , cranberry , soda and lemon , was on the winter menu at The Garret East bar . At Bandits , The Sunny Side Up spring cocktail , with pisco ,
Beet it
Smoking Carrot
Sunny Side Up
The 1 Up
butternut squash , tarragon , cara cara orange , ginger , egg white and lemon , was garnished to look like a sunny-side-up egg .
And Urban Farmer Steakhouse embraced the mushroom this year with onsite terrariums , mushroom-centric dishes and cocktails . John Stanton , director of beverage for parent company Sage Restaurant Concepts , created a mushroom drink called The 1 Up .
Named after the Mario Bros . video game icon that gives players an extra life , The 1 Up ( recipe below ) starts with a matsutake-infused pisco base combined with amaro nonino , lemon juice , truffle honey and sea salt .
Alex Barbatsis , head bartender of Chicago bar The Whistler , predicted that bartenders would use more vegetables in drinks this year . Things were already headed that way with taro root cocktails , vegetal liqueurs such as Cynar and Chartreuse , and house-made Bloody Mary mix using fresh tomatoes , Barbatsis says . His Rainmaker cocktail incorporates a few dashes of purple carrot juice , along with bourbon , creme de violet , fresh lemon juice and orgeat .
“ I think vegetables will expand further into cocktails from bartenders using more produce from farmers markets , local microgreen gardens , and more onsite bar and restaurant gardens ,”
Barbatsis notes . “ Some of my favorite veggies to use in cocktails are carrots for flavor and color , fennel tops to make foam and reduce food waste from the kitchen , and beet juice in tropical cocktails .”
THE 1 UP
1 oz . Matsutake-infused pisco base ( one-part pisco and one-part vodka , steeped with matsutake stems ) 1 oz . Amaro nonino ¾ oz . Lemon juice ½ oz . Truffle honey Sea salt
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously to combine . Strain into a coupe glass and garnish with a sprig of baby dill .
John Stanton , director of beverage for Sage Restaurant Concepts , created this recipe .
6 • Fall 2022 www . cheersonline . com