The Polar Bear at Yellowbelly drinks smooth and sophisticated, with each ingredient getting its moment to make an impression. The star is the Derrumbes, a mezcal verde distilled in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, that anchors the drink with a vegetal flavor – think charred poblano rather than sweet smoke.
The supporting ingredients play off the mezcal: A plum sake leans dry, but adds floral juiciness to the overall profile; a dose of Lillet Blanc gives body and length to the cocktail; and lime acid and clarified orange sherbet deliver varying levels of citrus.
Finishing notes include honey, anise and herbs from Liquore Strega and a tingle of heat from a couple drops of a bird’s eye chile and MSG tincture.
4659 Lindell Blvd., St. Louis, 314.499.1509, yellowbellystl.com
This article appears in March 2024.
