Last week, a fall menu debuted at Taste, the bar and restaurant in the Central West End. When beverage director Ted Kilgore mentioned that the latest switch meant 20 new libations, I figured some advance research for area imbibers was in order.
Ever since Taste relocated from Benton Park to the Central West End, the menu has been categorized by flavor profile: crisp, light, aromatic; tart, bright, citrus; tart, spiced, savory; full, dark, robust; and full, dark, rich. Other sections include tiki drinks, classics, guest features and a rotating barrel-aged cocktail.
Ingredients from a trio of drinks from the “tart, spiced, savory” section captured my attention. There’s 2nd Star, a spicy take on a French 75 that uses a sublime black pepper and coriander agave simple syrup. Georgia On My Mind (pictured above, left) is a fizzy orchard in full bloom thanks to peach-ginger tea-infused bourbon and pear cider. Then there’s Cosecha (pictured above, right), a grape-lover’s boozy delight, as Concord grape syrup, Pisco and walnut-infused Grand Marnier, among other ingredients, are combined to a dusty rose color and capped with a thick layer of white foam.
Once upon a time, drinks were chiefly Kilgore’s conceptions, but he noted that this new menu was quite a collaborative effort among the Taste bar team. For example, 2nd Star is the brainchild of Joel Burton, who’s been tending bar for only six months. Then there’s Tres de Mayo (pictured above) by Mark Mathis, who explained that the first draft stemmed from a customer’s request for “something spicy with mezcal.” The end result: a deep, dark, fruity yet robust cocktail made from tequila, mezcal, three liqueurs (rhubarb, blackberry and maraschino), mole bitters and a Thai chile tincture.
The gin labels at Taste now tally 25. If you want to try out a fairly recent gin arrival (St. George Terroir) in a mixed drink, order Time Out of Mind, which Kilgore called, “One of the best drinks we’ve put on the menu in a while.” Being that St. George Terroir is highly piney in taste, this Negroni-esque cocktail reminds Kilgore of “walking through a forest.” The drinks at Taste are fashioned to pair with food, so the Taste team suggested Time Out of Mind paired with pork tartine (pictured, above), one of chef Matthew Daughaday’s new small plates. The tartine bespeaks fall: fennel, walnuts, sauteed frisée and addictive pickled caramel apple.
With cool weather upon us, two drinks at Taste – Cereal Killer (pictured above, left) and Harvest Festival (pictured above, right) – are ripe for the moment. Cereal Killer (amaro, bourbon, Founder’s Breakfast Stout, milk and mole bitters) gets its inspiration from a milk punch softened with lavender notes from Ramazzotti amaro. Harvest Festival is a chai-infused rum drink perked up with pumpkin purée and spices. Both drinks are thick, grow-your-winter-fur sippers that beg for slippers and a fireplace.
Taste may be a tried-and-true cocktailian watering hole, but as the recent menu change demonstrates, there’s always more to discover.
— Photos by Michelle Volansky
This article appears in November 2012.