With one of the longest, most creative lists in town, Sable is our go-to for a survey of current cocktail trends. What we found on a recent visit: spicy, savory flavors; Tiki-inspired concoctions; and the promise of a winter whiskey wonderland.
Mike Ryan's Cableknit is classic two-rum, crushed-ice Tiki, but with a dark and bitter backbone of coffee liqueur and grapefruit. Calvados skews its flavor towards fall, Licor 43 adds vanilla and orange notes, and the end result is one of the most sophisticated mixtures ever to grace a faux-wooden Tiki mug. For more 2012 Best Cocktails, click here.
The Cableknit
Recipe adapted from Sable, Chicago, IL
Yield: 1 drink
Ingredients
Crushed ice
1 ounce El Dorado 5-year rum
1 ounce Calvados
½ ounce Smith & Cross Jamaica rum
½ ounce Varnelli Caffe Moka (or a similar coffee liqueur)
½ ounce Licor 43
1 ounce grapefruit juice
Directions
In a blender, combine the crushed ice, El Dorado rum, apple brandy, Smith & Cross rum, Vernelli, Licor 43 and grapefruit juice. Blend for 10 seconds, then pour into a Tiki mug or Old Fashioned glass. Garnish with a paper umbrella. Serve.
