Photo by Megan Irwin
On paper, a frozen cocktail made with Red Bull may not sound enticing.
But Jay Bayer, a co-owner of Flora, the Oaxacan-inspired spot in The Fan, is out to change the perception of frozen drinks as cheap sugar bombs.
Since Flora opened last spring, Bayer has introduced a number of icy sips to the cocktail menu. The standout? A take-off on the classic Painkiller Tiki called Wings to Oaxaca.
The cocktail is a heady swirl of rum (Guyanese and a blended rum), coconut milk and, yes, Red Bull.
But what elevates it beyond the kind of drink you knock back in 10 minutes — what gives it sophistication — is an unlisted ingredient: citric acid, made on the premises.
The citric acid helps to “balance” the flavors in the cocktail, Bayer says. In other words, it keeps the drink from being too sweet.
That’s why you’d never confuse it for some grown-up Slurpee, and why sitting with one in the front window of Flora feels like a very civilized way to celebrate summer.
