1 week Ago By Brittany Anas
Savory cocktails aren’t new. You know this, of course, if your go-to brunch cocktail is a Bloody Mary with a slab of bacon. But what is intriguing is that bartenders are starting to explore savory cocktails in a nighttime setting, taking a more culinary approach as they do so, according to McLain Hedges, co-owner of , the Cole neighborhood bar that won the Spirited Award for the from the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation earlier this year.
As bar menus venture into savory territory, you can now get a martini at a hotel near the Denver Tech Center that tastes just like cacio e pepe, Rome’s peppery pasta (more on that below), or head to the Dairy Block for a fantastic intro to , a technique bartenders love because it lends a velvety texture to cocktails. , at 1821 Blake St., has a section on the menu devoted to these “washed cocktails,” venturing into the savory realm with a bacon churro Old Fashioned or a feta olive oil washed gin with orange bitters and a saline solution.
Savory sippers don’t have to be fully savory like, say, a Bloody Mary or a Gibson Martini, which gets umami from a pickled onion. Rather, they can have savory elements, Hedges explained, like something vegetal or smoky. Yacht Club (3701 N.
Williams St.), incorporates savory elements to add complexity to some of its cocktails for a more balanced drinking experience. The bar has a handful of savory cocktails on the menu, ranging from the HVR Water (Hidden Valley Ranch water cocktail) that calls in dill and buttermilk, yet manages to remain thirst-quenching, Hedges said.
The Amarillo by Morning at Yacht Club is an elegant martini-like cocktail that evolves as you drink it, attaching to different flavor profiles. “It has yuzu, tomato, mezcal and is smokey and bright with a little bit of an umami situation and a touch of acidity,” Hedges said. And Laughing Bones is a savory and tropical take on a margarita, with a curry leaf that adds extra smoke and earthy flavors as well as celery juice that gives it vegetal and green notes.
Pineapple and Fino sherry round it out. Intrigued? Here are a half dozen more Denver-area cocktails for the savory crowd. At , an elevated fast-casual restaurant in the Baker neighborhood, co-owners Doris Yuen and Kenneth Wan are working to debunk myths rooted in xenophobia that surround monosodium glutamate (aka MSG).
The restaurant has a cheerful print of the “MSG Girl,” a riff on the Morton Salt Girl, and serves a savory cocktail starring the seasoning front and center. The MSGin is a savory martini made with Family Jones gin, Shaoxing (a Chinese cooking wine; think of it as a boozy broth, Grace Tomczak, bar manager at MAKfam, explained) and a savory Chinese plum brine. “MSG is just the essence of savory flavors,” Tomczak said.
A rice vinegar rim with msg, sugar and lemon oil finishes off the tasty cocktail. When the bar team was drawing up the menu for , an Italian restaurant at the new near the DTC, they came up with a cacio e pepe martini that, just like the pasta, has cheesy and peppery flavors. The martini is made with a vodka that’s been infused with Parmesan rinds.
It also has a “pepe” blend that involves black peppercorn and vermouth blanc. “It was a creative experiment that turned out really well,” said Evren Bora, lead bartender at the Kimpton Claret Hotel. The Tiger’s Milk cocktail at was inspired by the non-traditional Vietnamese restaurant’s first hamachi crudo, said George Wright, beverage director.
The bar team is making the same version of leche de tigre and dill oil that went into the crudo for the gin-based cocktail with herbal liqueurs. “This cocktail is complex and savory with notes of herbs and chile, all the while still being crushable,” Wright said. The La Salade cocktail — made with vodka, celery bitters, white pepper tincture, an arugula-infused olive oil and more — is inspired by Michelin-starred Chef Ludo Lefebvre’s classic dish, the Boston Lettuce Salad that’s on the menu at , a French brasserie anchoring Thompson Denver.
“He uses simple ingredients to create a delightful flavor experience, and we really wanted to capture that in a cocktail,” said Lucas Proffitt with Thompson Denver. “La Salade is fresh and herbaceous, with some pepper and zest, just like the Boston Lettuce Salad.” Savory cocktails are a refreshing departure from sweet drinks, said Karina Luis Quintero, food and Beverage Assistant Manager at , a clandestine bar in Cherry Creek.
More and more, she’s been hearing from guests that they don’t want overly sweet drinks. By incorporating ingredients like herbs, vegetables and umami-rich flavors, cocktails can deliver a nice, balanced savory alternative. B&GC’s Caprese Martini was inspired by the classic Italian Caprese salad, and comes with garnishes that dial it back to the salad.
The drink itself features a mozzarella-washed, basil-infused vodka, plus tomato water, a touch of dry vermouth, and a hint of balsamic reduction New to savory cocktails? Start with this garden-fresh riff on a Pimm’s Cup at . The Sgt. Pepper cocktail is crafted with a mint-infused Maestro Dobel tequila as well as an amaro, housemade bell pepper syrup, Pimm’s No.
1 (an herbal gin liqueur) and lemon. The bell pepper makes it crisp, and the lemon delivers some bright citrus notes, ultimately creating a unique, slightly savory libation, said bar manager John Long..
