SPRING IS beginning to spring, and this year the flowers that are poking their heads up through the ground are also popping up in martini glasses. You knew that some flowers were edible — but drinkable? It’s true. Bartenders are creating infusions and cocktails that make great use of some of the most fragrant features of your garden. A rose is a rose is a drink, sometimes.
The joys of all things floral first caught my attention a few weeks ago, when I took what was literally my first vacation in nearly four years. But Sara, you’re thinking, what do you need a vacation from? You get paid to go out and drink, and then sit around and write about it! Surely your life isn’t stressful enough to warrant a vacation and then bragging about it in print? Pipe down, haters, and let me finish.
We spent a week in the Virgin Islands, where the sun is hot and strong and the drinks are cold and stronger. I divided my time between floating in the sea and floating on the gentle buzz of local rums like Pusser’s and Cruzan. Everywhere we went — the beach, the bar, the lazily rambling island roads — we saw tropical flowers. The air was thick with the scent of hibiscus, and a few of my Painkillers (dark rum, orange juice, pineapple juice, and Coco Lopez — make one now) were garnished with it, so the drink took on some of the flower’s qualities.
How happy I was to discover that this “garden in a glass” sensation is available back home in Boston where, after a long, freezing winter, Mother Nature is finally tossing us some waves of warmth and splashes of color. From roses to orchids, flowers are the hot ingredients in your cocktail these days, and they’re as tasty as they are pretty.
Delicate flowers such as the orchid are symbols of beauty and elegance. Naturally, any cocktail made with an orchid would embody a sophisticated sensibility. At Mantra (52 Temple Place, Boston, 617.542.8111), one sip of the Alibaba ($12) and you’ll feel like a member of the chic elite. Stoli Razberi, mango and pineapple juices, and a splash of prosecco work together to balance the star of this cocktail: an orchid infusion.
Nobody does “sophisticated” like the French, and France’s native liqueurs epitomize the bohemian elegance of the country’s culture. Made from the delicate blossoms of wild elderflowers, St-Germain is an artisanal French liqueur that was, until recently, difficult to come by but well worth braving new liquid territory for. At the Good Life (28 Kingston Street, Boston, 617.451.2622), where an appreciation for finely crafted vodka reigns supreme, this floral French jewel makes nice with Icelandic vodka in the Heather ($10), made with St-Germain, Grey Goose vodka, and a splash of club soda. It’s a finely crafted cocktail that tastes fresh-picked.
The “spray, delay, and walk away” technique employed by enthusiastic perfumers has been extended to the making of your drink. At OM (92 Winthrop Street, Cambridge, 617.576.2800), the beautiful bar staff gets all misty about flowers. Several of their unique cocktails are spritzed with essence of rose or lavender as a finishing touch, and the effect is incredible, like burying your nose in a bouquet from Winston. Try the Lavender Cosmo ($12), a fabulously gussied-up version of the tired Sex and the City standard. Shedding its signature pink hue for purple bliss, the Lavender Cosmo uses its namesake as a base and adds blackberries and a Champagne floater, then is sprayed with lavender essence. If you’re a gin fanatic, the Rosemaya ($12) is your ticket to floral bliss. Hendrick’s gin hosts a muddle of cucumber and dill, then is sprayed with essence of rose. It might take you awhile to finish either of these cocktails: you’ll be so entranced by their aromas, you’ll want to breathe them in before every sip.
Cocktails are also coming up roses at MKT (130 Water Street, Boston, 617.367.0658) and its sister restaurant, Central 37 (21 Broad Street, Boston, 617.263.0037). Try the Rose Gimlet ($12); Hendrick’s and rose water rendezvous here, too, but are kissed with lime juice and a little sweetness. Orange blossom adds some dimension to the zippy Tiger Blossom ($11), an ode to citrus that’s made with Smirnoff, Cointreau, fresh lime juice, and orange-blossom water. The French 77 ($16), a flowery version of the classic cocktail the French 75, uses St-Germain and lime juice in place of the traditional gin and lemon, and is topped with Champagne. Picture sipping bubbly on a warm spring night while perched on a bench in a garden in France. That sums it up nicely. @
[Photo by David Winthrop]
