Photo: Chris Emeott
Find cool twists on classic drinks.
The days are longer, and the temperatures are rising. It’s time to make the most of the season with cool drinks and lingering conversations at our local restaurants and coffee shops. Whether you’re meeting up in the morning and need an extra caffeine boost to get you through the day or want to wind down with a special drink, we’ve found some thirst-quenching options.
Tequila Old Fashioned
“You can find a great, traditional Old Fashioned on a lot of menus, but in my opinion, you don’t really see many Old Fashioneds with different spirits, such as tequila, that often,” says Eric Proesch, bar manager at Southern Social, explaining the inspiration behind this drink. “I wanted to include an ingredient from a local distillery, as well. Using locally sourced ingredients—whether it be food or spirits—is a part of our mission statement and is very important to us.” The Tequila Old Fashioned is made with Lunazul reposado tequila, Tattersall toasted coconut aquavit, agave syrup and tiki bitters. With notes of allspice and cinnamon, the tiki bitters blend well with aged tequila, Proesch says. Southern Social, 1940 Rahncliff Court, Eagan; 651.478.7919; southernsocialmn.com
The Be Word
This twist on the Last Word features gin, cassis liqueur (a dark red liqueur made from black currants), wild sage liqueur, lime and mint. It’s light and refreshing and very fruit forward, says bar manager Drew Patty. The Volstead House Whisky Bar and Speakeasy, 1278 Lone Oak Road, Eagan; 651.340.7175; volsteadhouse.com
Habanero Watermelon Margarita
Looking for something spicy, sweet and very refreshing? The Habanero Watermelon Margarita at Charlie’s on Prior hits all those notes. The drink is made with habanero-infused Gran Centenario tequila, house sour mix and watermelon mix to create the perfect pucker. Charlie’s on Prior, 3950 Green Heights Trail SW, Prior Lake; 952.226.5253; charliesonprior.com
Dirty Little Secret
Summer drinks don’t have to be sweet. Sample something a little more savory with The Better Half’s take on a Dirty Martini. The cocktail includes Brovo vodka, olive juice, dry vermouth and peach bitters, garnished with black lava salt, a spicy garlic stuffed olive and a whipped blue cheese olive in addition to a regular olive. The Better Half, 20851 Holyoke Ave., Lakeville; 952.214.7402; thebetterhalfmn.com
Perfect Chemistry
This refreshing martini is on Barley + Vine Kitchen/Bar’s spring and summer menu. With Bombay Sapphire gin, rosemary, blood orange, lemon juice, St. Germaine elderflower liqueur and orange bitters, “it is the perfect combination of juicy, floral and herbaceous, balanced by the dry gin,” says bar manager Dylan Nelson. Barley + Vine Kitchen/Bar, 17516 Dodd Blvd., Lakeville; 952.683.1765; barleyandvinekitchen.com
Photo: Barley + Vine Kitchen/Bar
Nitro Chai
Cream and vanilla syrup mixed with nitro cold brew coffee and chai makes this drink stand out from your typical iced coffee or tea. It’s also special because Tapestry Coffee puts a lot of care into each component of this drink—the chai, nitro cold brew and vanilla syrup are all made in-house. “We didn’t want our syrups to have any preservatives or high fructose syrups, so we decided to make them from scratch,” says Kiley Van Daalen, one of the owners of Tapestry Coffee. “Vanilla, for example, is just vanilla beans, syrup and water. It’s simple but delicious. Our cold brew is a shop staple. We roast all our own beans, so we are able to make cold brew out of our Abstract blend. Our chai is the perfect blend of spicy and sweet with cinnamon and other spices.” Tapestry Coffee, 20788 Holyoke Ave., Lakeville; 952.595.6025; tapestrycoffeemn.com
Spicy Pineapple Margarita
Homshuk Mexican Kitchen + Bar has created an entire menu of distinctive margaritas, and this Spicy Pineapple Margarita is perfect for those hot days that need a little extra heat. Made with gold tequila, fresh pineapple, chili diablo, fresh lime, Tajin and agave, it’s one of the restaurant’s most popular drinks, says manager Saul Mellado. Another popular pick is the Mango Cider Margarita made with gold tequila, orange liqueur, mango, agave and hard cider. Homshuk Mexican Kitchen + Bar, 6999 152nd St. W., Apple Valley; 651.300.1380; homshukmexicankitchen.com
Photo: Chris Emeott
