Alluring Elderflower Cocktails
Boston mix masters spring forward with these fruity, floral creations and stir up must-taste sips.
BLONDE SIDECAR $10, Beehive
A crisp and light surprise, this is bartender Frank Reardon's experiment gone right. Taking off from the traditional sidecar recipe, he deleted triple sec and substituted St. Germain elderflower liqueur, with its soft litchi and rose flavors and honeyed sweetness. Then Reardon mixed in cognac, syrup, and squeezes of fresh orange and lemon. Served straight up in a martini glass rimmed with raw sugar, the drink is lighter in color than a traditional sidecar, and more refreshing. Bottom line An instant bestseller. Even after you've ordered the second, you'll ponder its lush and fruity finish.
TANGERMAINE $12, Great Bay Restaurant
Bar manager Jonathan Henson says that he wanted to create a cocktail that "knocked my socks off." He began by soaking tangerines in tart and fruity New Amsterdam Straight Gin for four or five weeks, until the fruit softened. He found his muse when he stirred in St. Germain and dry vermouth, then added fresh-squeezed tangerine juice. The recipe has an invigorating bite, one that goes well with seviche and other seafood. Expect a surprisingly stiff drink despite the floral start, with a haunting citrus flavor that lingers. Bottom line It's Henson's favorite, and one of ours.
ONE NIGHT IN BANGKOK $12, Persephone
Tasting like a modified margarita, bar manager Chris Graeff's drink combines the aromatic and the floral. St. Germain is mixed with tequila and a Thai basil-lime puree. Graeff then laces the drink with a touch of Cointreau and a splash of orange juice, and serves the savory sip in a lime-garnished martini glass. Bottom line "One night in Bangkok, and the world's your oyster."
Beehive
541 Tremont Street, Boston, 617-423-0069, beehiveboston.com
Great Bay Restaurant
Hotel Commonwealth, 500 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, 617-532-5300, gbayrestaurant.com
Persephone
283 Summer Street, Boston, 617-695-2257, achilles-project.com
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