New Cocktails at Crudo and Okra
Champagne Julep (champagne, Maison Rouge vsop cognac, rosemary, spiced cranberry)
Two of the Valley's Top Bars Revamp Cocktail Menus for 2016
Celebrate the season with new winter cocktails at both Crudo and Okra Cookhouse & Cocktails in Phoenix. Handcrafted by co-owner and head mixologist, Micah Olson, are 18 all-new seasonal selections. "The first key to cooler-weather cocktails is switching out summery berries and herbs with fresh-squeezed citrus such as tamarind and grapefruit, and other seasonal flavors such as spiced fruit and figgy pudding bitters," Olson says. "Plus, we've also expanded the bourbon-based cocktails at Crudo, which is what we've always been known for at Okra, but bourbon is such a perfect winter booze - bold, spicy and warming - that we wanted to expand out offerings at Crudo too."
Looking forward to 2016, Olson predicts that the craft cocktail scene is, "ready to simplify things a bit and make menus more approachable to the cocktail curious." But today he says, people are looking for that same quality, but with clearer, easier to read ingredient lists. "It's tricky because you want to share your passion for these great ingredients, but you don't want to get so complicated that people feel intimidated."
Apples to Apples (Rutte Celery Dry Gin, Appleton V/X rum, Becherovka, apple, lemon, AZ Bitters Lab Mi Casa bitters, celery bitters)
Crudo's Winter 2016 Cocktails:
- Sloe Poke (mission vodka, blueberries, lemon, brown sugar, sloe gin, cherry quina, figgy pudding bitters)
- Oreganomics (tito's vodka, lime, vanilla, oregano, tonic)
- Apples to Apples (rutte celery dry gin, appleton v/x rum, becherovka, apple, lemon, AZ bitters lab mi casa bitters, celery bitters)
- Grand-Dad Jokes (old grand-dad 114 bourbon, vecchio amaro, blackstrap bitters)
- Torn & Frayed (EH taylor small batch bourbon, smith & cross rum, campari, gran classico, torino vermouth)
- Silence is Golden (azunia reposado tequila, silencio mezcal, sibona amaro, cinnamon, tamarind, lime)
- Smoke 'n' Bols (vida mezcal, bols genever, vanilla, ginger, lime, ruby port)
Silence is Golden (Azuñia reposado tequila, Silencio mezcal, Sibona amaro, cinnamon, tamarind, and lime)
Okra's Winter 2016 Cocktails:
- Julius Freezer (vodka, ancho reyes, orange & vanilla cream, blended with ice)
- So Fresh, So Clean (tito's vodka, aperol, lime, passion fruit, orgeat)
- Peace Out (aviation gin, cardamaro, dolin dry vermouth, orange bitters)
- Bright Eye, Bushy Tail (zubrowka vodka, commerce gin, carrot, seltzer, half & half, tiki bitters)
- Cold Brewed Dude (tapatio reposado tequila, cartel coffee, pineapple, salted cocoa)
- PTO (pineapple plantation rum, sherry, lime, brown sugar)
- Noggin Buster (el dorado 8yr rum, peach, allspice dram, cream, whole egg)
- Bitter Beginnings (elijah craig 12 yr bourbon, campari, cinnamon, lemon, tonic water)
- Sinister Kid (four roses bourbon, becherovka, spiced pear, lemon)
- Risky Business (laird's applejack, eagle rare 10yr bourbon, drambuie, jelinek fernet)
- Champagne Julep (champagne, maison rouge vsop cognac, rosemary, spiced cranberry)
Crudo: 3603 E. Indian School Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85018. 602-358-8666, www.crudoaz.com
Okra Cookhouse & Cocktails: 5813 N. 7th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85014. 602-296-4147, www.okraaz.com
So Fresh, So Clean (Tito's vodka, Aperol, lime, passion fruit, orgeat)