Cocktails fit for stargazing in Atlanta!
As the seasons change and the air grows crisp, a bartender’s cocktail lexicon shifts from bright and breezy to something more substantial. It’s a time to think towards the campfire for flavor inspiration, moving away from effervescence in favor of drinks that offer both internal warmth and a complex, contemplative taste.
The foundation of this style works with dark and light spirits, but bourbon, aged rum and brandy work exceptionally well, not just for their higher proof, but for their rich caramel and oak-driven character. Mezcal and scotch bring smokiness to the glass. These spirits can be a blank canvas for the aromatic heat of spices like cinnamon, allspice and clove, with warming compounds and evocative aromas that transport the imbiber to a cozier place. The goal is a drink that feels less like a quick refreshment and more like a liquid companion to the flickering light of a fire.
To build on this robust foundation, bartenders turn to ingredients that add a layer of intriguing bitterness and earthy complexity. A dash of amaro can provide a bittersweet counterpoint that cuts through the richness of dark spirits while adding a long, herbaceous finish. Fresh herbs such as rosemary or sage are used not merely as a garnish but as a primary flavor, with their piney notes creating a bold, savory contrast. For more adventure, mushrooms are finding a place in the glass, with dried porcini or truffles infused into syrups or spirits to deliver a surprising layer of umami depth.
At Avize, the food menu is complemented by seasonal shifts in cocktails that play with alpine ingredients that especially match cooler seasons. Old Man of the Woods, with a base of Michter’s Rye, stirs in maple and pine and uses bay laurel gomme syrup as a sweetener. Bay leaves give a eucalyptus and spice flavor to the syrup made with resin from the acacia tree that provides a silky texture. Boozy, sweet, citrusy and pine laden, it will place you comfortably on the forest floor, much like the restaurant’s venison tartar, sprinkled with tiny mushrooms and other woodsy treasures.
You can get lost under the trees and next to a fire pit while sipping cocktails at The Chastain, and should it be cold or rainy, the heated and enclosed patio creates the perfect setting for a woodsy drink. Plucking rosemary from the restaurant’s gardens, the bartenders infuse bourbon with the piney, citrusy and lightly tannic flavors of the herb. They add this to the Rosemary Old Fashioned along with Benedictine. The French herbal liqueur made with 27 roots, herbs and spices rounds everything out with warm complexity and honeyed sweetness. It’s a great choice for lingering around a communal fire, and you don’t have to drive to the woods to find it.
How do you “shake the frost” at Roshambo? With a cocktail named just such, it can be both woodland cozy and festive, depending how you feel while sipping. Slightly nutty, high rye spice notes of Brothers Bond Bourbon ease you in, with orange, bitters and allspice dram adding to a warming finish. The Jamaican liqueur has a complex pot still rum base with allspice, clove, nutmeg and pepper. It has the color of autumn leaves and the spice of winter coming, but you can sip it comfortably indoors. Besides, you can’t nosh on hot Disco Tots (tater tots with pimento cheese mornay sauce) out in the wild.
AVIZE
avizeatlanta.com
@avize.atl
THE CHASTAIN
thechastainatl.com
@thechastainatl
ROSHAMBO
roshamboatl.com
@roshamboatl
