Dealer’s Choice

by Brenda Shafer

From twists on classics to original recipes, these local barkeeps have created the perfect mix of cocktails for you to sample. Now what potion will you pick?

Rye Bother

by Brooke Quinley, Urban Stack

Ingredients

• A peeled orange
• 1 1/2 oz. Ezra Brooks rye whiskey
• 1 oz. Urban Stack’s brandied cherry juice
• 1 dash chocolate bitters 
• 1/2 oz. dry vermouth 

Directions

Muddle a peeled orange in a shaker. Add rest of ingredients. Stir with ice. Strain into a lowball glass with one big ice cube. Garnish with a twisted orange peel. 

(above) photos by Lanewood Studio

Maized & Cornfused

by Kaleena Goldsworthy, Flying Squirrel Bar

Ingredients

• 1 oz. Verde mezcal
• 1/2 oz. jalapeño tequila
• 1/4 oz. Yellow Chartreuse
• 1/2 oz. sweet corn syrup
• 1/4 oz. lime juice
• Marigold and Maldon salt for garnish

Directions

In a shaking tin, 1/2 full of ice, add all ingredients. Shake. Double strain into a coupe
glass. Garnish with Marigold
and Maldon salt.

Photos by Rich Smith

Smoke & Mirrors

by Hayley Thurman, Beast + Barrel Gastro Smokehouse

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 oz. Rittenhouse rye whiskey
• 3/4 oz. house-smoked Fernet Branca
• 1/2 oz. simple syrup
• 1 dash house-made aromatic bitters
• House-made brandied cherry for garnish
• Flamed orange peel for garnish

Directions

In a mixing glass, combine all ingredients and top with ice. Stir until well-chilled, strain into a highball glass over a smoked ice cube with a brandied cherry. Flame orange peel over cocktail and discard peel (don’t put into cocktail).

Photos by Terry Henson

The Devine

by Monica Penn, Matilda Midnight

Ingredients

• 2 cubes watermelon 
• 2 oz. Gin Lane 1751
• Victoria Pink gin
• 1/4 oz. Luxardo Bitter Bianco 
• 3 oz. aloe juice
• 1/4 oz. lime juice
• 2 dashes rhubarb bitters
• 5 dashes rose hibiscus concentrate tincture 
• Aloe and watermelon for garnish

Directions

In shaker, muddle watermelon cubes. Add all ingredients to shaker. Add ice, shake, then fine strain over large rose flower ice cube in a stemless wine glass. Garnish with aloe and watermelon. 

(above) photos by Rich Smith

Sunset Lemonade 

By Amanda Cutie, Back Inn Café

Ingredients

• 2 oz. Ketel One Botanical Grapefruit & Rose vodka
• 1 oz. fresh lemon juice 
• 1/2 oz. garden beet simple syrup*
• Nasturtium and lemon wheel for garnish

Directions

Fill rocks glass with ice. Pour vodka and lemon juice over ice. Stir thoroughly. Using a baster or dropper, add garden beet simple syrup for desired coloring. Garnish with nasturtium and a lemon wheel.

*To make garden beet simple syrup:

• 1 cup water
• 3/4 cup cane sugar
• 2 cups mashed roasted beets from garden

Over medium heat, combine ingredients, and stir until sugar is blended well. Bring to a boil, and remove from heat. Let sit at room temperature for at least 20 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a glass container.

Photos by Lanewood Studio

Passion’s Bite

by Chase Jenkins, Robar

Ingredients

• 2 oz. tequila
• 3/4 oz. passion fruit syrup
• 1/2 oz. Campari
• 1/2 oz. lemon juice
• Angostura bitters
• Lemon wheel and cherry for garnish

Directions

Combine tequila, passion fruit syrup, Campari, and lemon juice into a mixing tin and shake. Strain over crushed ice and top with Angostura. Garnish with a lemon wheel and cherry.

(above) photos by Rich Smith

Blueberry Ginger Mojito

By Colin Womack, Scottie’s on the River

Ingredients

• 3-5 mint leaves
• 8-12 fresh blueberries
• 1/2 oz. simple syrup
• 1/2 oz. ginger simple syrup*
• 3 oz. Don Q Cristal rum
• 1 oz. fresh squeezed lime juice
• Splash of soda water

Directions

Place mint leaves, blueberries, and both simple syrups in a mixing tin. Gently muddle the mint and blueberries, being careful to crush all the blueberries but not over muddle the mint. If the mint is over muddled it will make the drink bitter. Add rum and lime juice to the tin; then fill with ice and shake gently. Open pour into a 16 oz. glass and top with soda.

*To make ginger simple syrup:

• 4 cups water
• 8 cups granulated white sugar
• 8 oz. fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• 2 tsp. cracked pepper

Place all ingredients in a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Lower the heat and simmer for an hour, stirring occasionally. Strain out the solids after it has cooled.

(above) photos by Rich Smith

A Swish of the Tail

by Wes Black, The Fix

Ingredients

• 1/2 oz. Clément Créole Shrubb
• 1/2 oz. Tattersall Bitter Orange
• 3/4 oz. lime juice
• 3/4 oz. orgeat syrup
• 50 ml. bottle WhistlePig 10 year straight rye whiskey
• 1/4 oz. Pisco Portion Acholado
• Mint sprig for garnish

Directions

Shake everything together except WhistlePig and Pisco.  Pour over ice in large rocks glass. Turn whiskey bottle over and insert into drink. Float the Pisco on top, and garnish with mint sprig. 

(above) photos by Terry Henson

The Citron Signature Margarita

By Liz Mead, Citron Et Sel

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 oz. blanco tequila
• 3/4 oz. Triple Sec
• 1 oz. fresh lime juice
• 3/4 oz. agave nectar
• Citrus salt and lime wedge for garnish

Directions

Add all ingredients into the shaker, add ice, and shake vigorously. Pour into a rocks glass with citrus salt on the rim and a fresh lime garnish. 

(above) photos by Rich Smith

Tierra Mia (Land of Mine)

by Daniel Alcala, Nicholas Knable, Colby Christian, Embargo ’62

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 oz. Havana Club Anejo Blanco
• 1/5 oz. Fernet Branca Menta
• 1/3 oz. crème de cacao liqueur
• 1 oz. Cuban coffee
• Mint sprig for garnish

Directions

Combine all ingredients into a shaker tin, shake vigorously, and strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with mint.

(above) photos by Rich Smith

The Local

by Courtney Daniels, The Social

Ingredients

• 2 Luxardo maraschino cherries
• 6 coffee beans 
• 1 1/2 oz. Chattanooga Whiskey Reserve 
• 1/2 oz. Goodman’s coffee liqueur
• 1/2 oz. Dr. Thacher’s Manhattan syrup
• Flamed orange zest and peel for garnish 

Directions

Muddle cherries and coffee beans in a mixing glass. Add whiskey, coffee liqueur, Manhattan syrup, and ice. Stir and fine strain into a snifter over cube ice. Express orange zest from an orange peel through an open flame for the finishing touch.

(above) photos by Rich Smith

To the People

by Matthew Lawson, Whiskey Thief

Ingredients

• 2 oz. Chattanooga Whiskey 1816 Cask
• 3/4 oz. Aperol
• 10 drops Lucid Absinthe
• 2 dashes orange bitters
• Bar spoon Heaven & Ale Love Supreme Syrup
• Flower for garnish

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass and stir. Strain into a rocks glass over a large format ice cube. Garnish and serve.

(above) photos by Rich Smith

Cucumber Daze

by Ashley Tedder, Old Gilman Grill

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 oz. New Amsterdam gin
• 1/4 oz. Pimms
• 1/2 oz. fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 oz. ginger syrup*
• 3 muddled cucumber slices, skin removed
• 1 cucumber strip for garnish

Directions

Put all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake vigorously and pour into rocks glass. Garnish with a cucumber strip. Drink and enjoy!

*To make ginger syrup:

• 1 cup granulated white sugar
• 1 cup filtered water
• 3 oz. fresh shredded ginger root

Heat in saucepan until all sugar is dissolved and strain.

Photos by Rich Smith

Old Cuban

by Jon Gwaltney, Alchemy

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 oz. Captain Morgan
• 3/4 oz. fresh lime juice
• 1/2 oz. simple syrup
• 4-5 mint leaves
• 2 dashes bitters
• Mionetto Prosecco
• Mint leaf for garnish

Directions

Shake everything but the Mionetto Prosecco vigorously in a shaker tin with ice. Double strain into a chilled martini glass. Top with Mionetto Prosecco, and garnish with a single mint leaf.

(above) photos by Rich Smith