This article is excerpted from a drinks feature in SLM’s February’s 2022 issue.
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- In a Nutshell: The vibe at Brass Bar is intimate, candlelit, and romantic—perfect for long, quiet conversations.
- Try This: Complimentary chips, marinated olives, and foie gras mousse. Need we say more?
- Tip: Brass Bar offers a broader wine selection than its predecessor, Taste by Niche. It’s a warm welcome for grape-centric visitors. 4584 Laclede.
- In a Nutshell: The bar program, led by Tim Wiggins, is focused on sustainable practices, including stocking spirits that focus on quality over quantity.
- Try This: The raicilla flight—three pours of the agave-based spirit—is a must for fans of tequila and mezcal.
- Tip: Stop in for happy hour from 5–7 p.m., when craft cocktails are $9 (reduced from $12). 210 N. Euclid.
- In a Nutshell: Egg’s healthy list of classic cocktail offerings makes getting up for breakfast so much more appealing.
- Try This: Pair the tequila-based Bloody Maria (infused with a mélange of spices) with the El Cerdo or “The Pig” hash, topped with a smoky chipotle salsa.
- Tip: Enjoy an “Aperol in the AM” while sitting on Egg’s coral-hued banquette. 3100 Locust.
- In a Nutshell: Like everything crafted at Tempus, its cocktail list is fastidious, precise, and intentional.
- Try This: For an aperitif, order the quinquina cocktail, which combines the spirit with mint, berries, and lemon.
- Tip: The crafted herb verjus—a nonalcoholic cocktail with cucumber and salted water—is refreshing and pleasingly vegetal. 4370 Manchester.
- In a Nutshell: Saddle up to the bar and chat with owner David Shank, whose love of the spirit’s history and lore is infectious.
- Try This: The signature cocktail is initially juicy and sweet but finishes with the mellow bite of Old Grand-Dad bourbon.
- Tip: On Fridays through Sundays, Whiskey on Washington opens at 1 p.m. for imbibers who like to get an early start. 1321 Washington.
Ted Kilgore | Planter’s House
For eight years, Ted Kilgore has offered visitors to Planter’s House and The Bullock Room an expansive cocktail list of venerated classics and his own inspired compositions. Now, with the addition of a signature martini, the list is as inimitable as it is comprehensive. 1000 Mississippi.
The Planter’s House Signature Martini
Ingredients
- Citadelle gin
- Nolet’s gin
- Ransom Old Tom gin
- Dolin dry gin vermouth
- Bordiga extra dry vermouth
- Bitter Truth olive bitters
- Lemon oil
- Lemon twist
- Castelvetrano olives
Field Notes
- Kilgore says it took “eight years of contemplation” to create this signature martini.
- The cocktail is composed of a split base, split modifiers, and three flavor enhancers.
- Kilgore plans to put the martini on tap because he anticipates “people drinking it like crazy.”
- It has a complex combination of three gins, dry vermouth, olive bitters, and lemon tincture.
- Olive bitters add a touch of salinity, and lemon oil adds brightness.
- Planter’s House olives are the perfect snack to order and enjoy with this martini.
Meredith Berry | Platypus
Platypus, the new cocktail bar opened by the gifted Meredith Barry and accomplished Tony Saputo, is a study in evolution, exploration, and education. The ever-changing menu of craft cocktails is eclectic and forward-thinking. 4501 Manchester.
Ciambella Clarified Milk Punch
Ingredients
- VSOP cognac
- Balvenie 12-year-old “Sweet Toast of American Oak” Scotch
- Oloroso sherry
- Full-fat milk
- Lemon juice
- Concentrated banana chai tea
Field Notes
- This comforting cocktail is named after the Italian sponge cake ciambellone, which Barry’s mom and nonna bake every winter.
- Clarifying the milk with an acidic ingredient separates the curd and whey, leaving a clear, silky liquid behind.
- The process of clarifying milk punch is long and laborious. In practice, it’s similar to the technique used to clarify consommé.
- Once clarified, milk punch will last for years if kept in cellar-like conditions.
- The tannins from the tea and astringency from the lemon juice are both pulled out of the milk once it is clarified.
- Barry uses pectin to “paint” the cocktail.
Corey Moszer | The Lucky Accomplice
When The Lucky Accomplice opened, its cocktail program included riffs on classic cocktails. Chef Logan Ely challenged bar manager Corey Moszer to create cocktails rooted in and inspired by the exceptional ingredients used in his dishes, and Moszer turned to the humble beet. 2501 S. Jefferson.
And the Beet Goes On
Ingredients
- Fresh beet juice
- Bleu-cheese-washed 1220 vodka
- Dill-infused Cocchi Americano
- Beet-pink peppercorn shrub
- Foamer
Field Notes
- The Lucky Accomplice is known for its clever, cheeky, and often punny cocktail names.
- The fuchsia-hued cocktail is earthy, herbal, and aromatic.
- Moszer uses a pressurized nitro infusion method to infuse the dill into the vermouth.
- Moszer cooks the 1220 vodka sous vide with bleu cheese, which imparts the spirit with a funky flavor profile and a creamy mouthfeel.
- The drink is labor intensive and incorporates multiple culinary techniques that are more commonly seen in the kitchen than behind the bar.
- Since its debut, “the cocktail has been unrelentingly popular,” Moszer says.
More Mezcal
What to know about tequila’s savory, smoky, complex cousin
Imbibers who’ve tasted mezcal have likely heard the saying, “For everything bad, mezcal; for everything good, the same.” Both mezcal and tequila are distilled from the agave plant, but they differ in flavor, distillation methods, and regions of production. Mezcaleria las Chupacabras is the area’s first restaurant to highlight the spirit and hopes to eventually stock 400 mezcals, including up-and-comer cousins, such as Sotol, Raicilla, and Bacanora. The current count on the back bar is 92.
Mezcaleria las Chupacabras’ El Toluache
The name roughly translates to “love potion” and is made with mezcal joven (meaning unaltered), blood orange and lemon juice, agave nectar, and sal de gusano (worm salt). The mezcal is Alipús, a 95-proof artisanal product. “It’s the one we all drink here,” says co-owner Victor Mendieta. 25 The Boulevard.
As pretty as a spring sky, Cielo Azul combines the tartness of lemon with peach and orange bitters, blue Curaçao, homemade cinnamon syrup, and a splash of Topo Chico. And the Mezcal El Silencio? Smoky on the front end and earthy on the back, the effect is a wondrous combination of land and sky. 810 N. New Ballas.
Served on a silver tray, the longtime fave combines the spicy, smoky Del Maguey mezcal with the herbaceousness of green Chartreuse, the sweetness of Benedictine, the tartness of lime, and the heat of Firewater Habanero Tincture. The balance comes courtesy of a can of Miller High Life. 1811 Pestalozzi.
Bringing the Bar Home
You don’t have to go to a cocktail bar to have a great cocktail.
Punch 5 Libations: Punch makes batching craft cocktails easy. Pick a flavor, fill the jar with a spirit (each comes with two suggestions, but feel free to experiment), let it steep for one to three days, then strain and serve. Each jar makes eight drinks, and flavors include Julep, Orangeade, Passion, Mauresque, and Metro.
Southside Alchemy Bloody and Sangria Mix: Todd Brutcher has spent the past few years peddling award-winning Bloody Mary mix at farmers’ markets, pop-ups, and specialty shops, and he recently added a sangria mix to his offerings. It’s as easy as adding either mix to a pitcher and topping off with your preferred bottle.
Intoxicology Cocktail Boxes: Intoxicology is the place to go for any and all bar needs, but if you want to avoid shopping for your own essentials, this line of grab-and-go boxes is ideal. Select one of the many recipes on offer from local and national bar programs, and pick up everything you need, right down to the fresh citrus.
Heirloom Bottling Cocktail Essentials: Heirloom’s line of syrups, shrubs, and citrus crisps can dress up any bar cart, but we like this sampler of the essentials for quick, easy cocktails. Pick a syrup, then mix with the required liquor and seltzer for super simple takes on the Old Fashioned, mojito, Moscow mule, and G&T.
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At this welcoming live music venue in the refurbished Grandel Theatre, dining is available prior to and during scheduled events and music performances. Special multi-course meals are served at Dine & Discover pairings. The restaurant offers an extensive wine and cocktail menu, and there’s an art gallery, too. 3610 Grandel Square, 314-776-9550.
American. There are no black birds on the menu. But if you’re looking for burgers, sandwiches, and mac n’ cheeses, along with cleverly named cocktails, this place is a prime choice in Soulard. 1931 S. 12th, 314-934-1400.
Wine Bar/American. It’s really dedicated to the art of ‘sippin,’ featuring a menu of organic wines with minimal preservatives and distinctive flavors. Add some draft beers, cocktails, and a piano, and you’ve got the fixin’s for an entertaining evening. 2926 Cherokee.
Gastropub. The restaurant’s comfort food is mostly plant-based, with some fish and poultry, so it’s a flexitarian adventure. Vegan potato skins, flatbreads, barramundi sandwich, house-made burgers and burnt ends, with made-to-order potato chips, dairy-free soft-serve, and fresh juice cocktails are served in a converted 1937 filling station with a dog-friendly patio. 1956 Utah, 314-925-8883.
American. It’s like a dog park but on a whole other level. While your Pithuahua scamp or darling Schnoodle romps, you can do the same over burgers, sandwiches, and salads, along with cocktails and beer. It’s great fun for dogs and people alike. 4565 McRhee, 314-530-9990. $$
Pizza. A pizza loves a calzone very much, and the result’s a “smash.” With such ingredients as kimchi and seasonal toppings, as well as a blistering hot cast iron press involved, it’s bound to be fun. The party’s kept going with on-tap cocktails. 2501 S. Jefferson, 314-328-1094. $$
Mexican. A sleek alfresco setting hoists tacos to a whole new, sophisticated level. The open kitchen adds to the breezy feel. Fresh oysters with smoked habañero sauce are a must, as is a sampling of a whole range of tequila cocktails. 4260 Forest Park, 314-553-9239. $$
Mexican. At one time, you had to fly to enjoy authentic pork belly carnitas and Tres Agave margaritas. Now, in addition to a location at St. Louis Lambert International Airport, there’s a spot in Des Peres, where Mexican fare is served with lovely cocktails. 1181 Colonnade Center, 314-394-0214. $$
Steakhouse. From the owners of The Block, the Town & Country restaurant serves dishes with a combination of intriguing ingredients. Sides, such as garlic herb fries and beef fat-roasted potatoes, go grandly with dry-aged steaks. 13360 Clayton, 314-530-9700. $$$
