Edible Sacramento Summer 2022

LAST SIP

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Glass Summer Herbs Enliven Craft Cocktails WRITTEN BY ELIZABETH PENNEY to

L ong gone are the days when sugary syrups and techni color hues defined a cocktail. No o ense to the fuzzy navel or mai tai, but today’s connoisseurs are seeking libations with a bit more complexity and depth. Bar and restaurant guests are demanding the same high-quality in gredients in their glasses as they do on their plates, and mixolo gists are happy to oblige. Paula Thompson, owner of SMIC’s

Charles Roehr, bar manager at Midtown’s Magpie Café, says fresh herbs add a bright flavor that can’t bemimicked by other in gredients. Magpie’s signature drink, Port of Rye, is made with a simple syrup infused with fennel pollen and toasted fennel seeds, which add a distinctive, yet subtle, licorice flavor. When in sea son, fennel fronds are added as a garnish. Roehr, who has been at Magpie since 2015, says he set out to

develop a bar program that mirrored the farm-to-fork elements of the din ingmenu. At the time, Magpie o ered a fish dish that featured fennel pollen. “I thought it was interesting, something that would work well in a cocktail,” Roehr says. “I wanted to mimic the fresh herbs, vegetables, and fruits used in the food and bring those flavors to the bar.” Trevor Easter, bar director at The Snug, a cozy lounge in theRStreetCor ridor in Sacramento, says using herbs and botanicals to flavor spirits is noth ing new ( juniper berries are used to make gin, for example). Today’s infu sions are similar: Dried or fresh plants are steeped into a “tea” using alcohol, water, juice, or honey as the base.

Sip & Quip in Downtown Sacramen to, says a farm-friendly city like Sac ramento gladly welcomes the un expected flavors that herbs bring to a drink. Basil, mint, and rosemary all have made appearances on her cocktailmenu. “Fresh herbs are so fun because they add somuch complexity without being overpowering,” she says. Thompson says the love for sea

sonal ingredients, coupled with the pent-up demand caused by the pan demic shutdown, means people want a night out to bemoremeaningful and more fun. “When people go out, they want it to feel special. They go out for the ex perience,” Thompson says. “People want to sit at the bar and talk about their drinks.” SMIC’s Sip & Quip is a swanky spot with an old-school vibe. The cocktail menu reflects this aesthetic, o ering modern takes on classic drinks. The mint julep, for example, features local hon ey, while the classic martini gets a kick from rosemary. “I have a passion for the craft. I’m all about quality and I want to dazzle people,” Thompson says.

Easter says the best way for home mixologists to up their cocktail game is by infusing a simple syrup with fresh herbs. For even more oomph, juice can be substituted for wa ter — simply heat the liquid to 120 degrees F, add one or two teaspoons of herbs per eight ounces of liquid, and infuse for a minimum of five minutes (too long and it can turn bitter). Strain the liquid, then add the same amount of sugar by vol ume and blend until the sugar is dissolved.

44 SUMMER 2022

edible Sacramento