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Starting tonight, you can saunter up to Beast & Bottle‘s bar and order a Gibson martini, a gin and tonic, or a rock and rye served in a pony—that’s a seven-ounce glass bottle that looks like a Coke mini. The bottle is downright Instagram-worthy, but the contents inside are serious business. For the last 18 months, bar manager Jon Feuersanger has been quietly reworking the Uptown restaurant’s beverage program. “I really wanted to tie the program to our name and philosophy, and work our farm-focus and relationships into the cocktails.”
The result is a selection of bottled offerings that include seasonal hand-crafted soda (right now that means a lightly carbonated lemon-lime and a layered cola that falls squarely in the middle of root beer and cream soda), an orange-cardamom mocktail, and the aforementioned cocktails. But pour the martini, the gin and tonic, or the rock and rye into your glass, and you’ll find anything but the unexpected.
I’m the first to admit that I’m not a huge Gibson (i.e. pickled onion) martini drinker but with Feuersanger’s rendition, well, I might become one. The smooth cocktail employs spring onion-infused Wilderness vodka, Dolin dry vermouth, and a pickled ramp garnish. This incredibly balanced cocktail (it’s just calling for steak!) is chef Paul Reilly’s favorite of the bunch.
As for Feuersanger, he has always favored gin and tonics and he’s justifiably proud of his rendition (called gin and juice). He leaves the house-made tonic unfiltered so there’s an amber hue, and the tonic’s dynamic lemongrass, ginger, and citrus notes mingle with Monopolowa potato gin and Bonal in a way that’s almost savory. There’s a depth to this cocktail that I’ll wager might even bring whiskey drinkers to the gin side.
The price for these tipples? A mere $10, which is a steal considering the time, thought, and quality invested into each. As a bonus, you get a cocktail worthy of Instagram.
719 E. 17th Ave., 303-623-3223
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