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James Foster serves up a watermelon kombucha martini at The Daily. Photo by Steve Hedberg
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Photo courtesy Tazza Kitchen
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Photo by James Dickinson
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Photo by James Dickinson
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Photo by James Dickinson
1. Watermelon Kombucha Martini
The Daily Kitchen and Bar
James Foster has tended bar at The Daily in Carytown since it opened last summer, and there's not much about the job he doesn't like. "You're the aristocrat of the working man, you have a product that sells itself and every day brings new/strange challenges," he says. "I get to swear, tell jokes and make people happy. Really, I'm elated to not be stuck in a cubicle drenched in fluorescent lighting. At the end of the day, a job is always going to be a job; but if you love what you do, you never work a day in your life." Foster shares his recipe for the Watermelon Kombucha Martini, one of the restaurant's most popular drinks:
Recipe
In a shaker tin, combine:
- 1 1/2 ounces of organic vodka
- 1 ounce watermelon puree
- 1/2 ounce of ginger simple syrup
- 3 basil leaves
Muddle the basil. Add ice to the mixture in the shaker tin and shake. Strain mixture into a cocktail glass. Add 1 ounce of ginger kombucha. Garnish with basil.
2. Mason-Dixon Smash
Tazza Kitchen
Since opening in Short Pump six months ago, the bar at Tazza Kitchen has become a popular neighborhood gathering spot. Co-founder John Haggai describes the vibe as "urban chic in suburbia. … The space is full of energy with lots of activity, but still has a relaxed and comfortable feel." As aromas from the restaurant's wood-fired oven flow through the restaurant, patrons can enjoy a host of creative cocktails, with the Mason-Dixon Smash (recipe below) and old fashioned as the most popular choices currently. "However, when summertime comes and blackberries are in season, the Blackberry Mojito will be our most popular cocktail," Haggai says.
Recipe
- 2 cherries
- 2 lemon quarters
- 2 orange quarters
- 1 sugar cube
- 2 ounces of Belle Isle Premium Moonshine
Muddle all of the ingredients in a small tin. Add ice and shake. Pour into a 12-ounce rocks glass. Garnish with an orange-cherry flag.
3. Old Tom gin cocktail
Acacia Mid-town
Danny McDermott, bar manager, head bartender and spirits curator at Acacia Mid-town, says "balance" is the key ingredient in a successful cocktail. While the bar mixes its share of classics such as Manhattans, old fashioneds and martinis, he says Richmonders are getting more adventurous. "Just as in food, I think Richmond is developing a more advanced palate for interesting flavors in spirits and drinks, which is a good thing," he says. "That being said, we're not trying to force you to drink anything; always drink what you like."
Recipe
- 1 ounce Ransom Old Tom gin
- 1 ounce Cocchi Americano Rosa
- 1 ounce Cynar
Combine all of the ingredients in a large tin. Stir until well-chilled. Strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a lime twist.
4. Arsenic + Old Lace
The Rogue Gentlemen
Newly opened in late January, The Rogue Gentlemen is inspired by pre-Prohibition-era Richmond. "Our focus on the pre-Prohibition era stems from our love of classic cocktails and ingredients, first and foremost," explains owner John Maher. I also love the design, fashion, attitude and standards of service of that time....We're having a lot of fun finding drink recipes from the late 1800s-early 1900s and trying to recreate and adjust them."
Recipe
- 1 1/2 ounces of Death's Door Gin
- 3/4 ounce of Dolin Dry
- 3/4 ounce of Dolin Blanc
- 1/4 ounce of Absinthe
- 1/8 ounce (or small bar spoon) of Crème de Violette
Stir with ice in a mixing glass until chilled. Strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a twist of lemon
5. The Shady Grove
Lemaire
Scott Harris, Lemaire's beverage director and bar manager, looks to his customers when creating new cocktails. "There's no point in creating cocktails that your customer base isn't interested in drinking," he says. "Your efforts should always be based upon what they want, which may not necessarily be what you want to make." As a result, he makes a lot of Pom Queens, a blend of vodka, elderflower liqueur, pomegranate juice, basil and mint. "It is by far the best-selling cocktail that Lemaire has ever had," he says. "It's not even close." Harris enjoys working in a hotel where "I am blessed with guests from all over the world, and it's never hard to find an interesting conversation and to hear perspectives from a vast array of people with such varied experiences," he says.
Recipe
- 1 1/2 ounces of Buffalo Trace Bourbon
- 1 ounce of house-spiced apple cider
- 1/2 ounce of sorghum syrup
- 1/4 ounce of lemon juice Apple slice
Shake all ingredients briefly, and strain over fresh ice. Garnish with an apple slice
