It is finally spring—and no joking around this time. The sun is chasing the glum chill out of the late afternoon shadows, and as New Yorkers leave their offices in time to catch the final lingering rays, a single revitalized thought has captured the minds of all: Happy Hour!
Up this week is a cocktail called Bohemian Nights and comes to us courtesy of Rouge Tomate and their head bartender Zach Moore. The drink is infused with tropical fruits like papaya, guava and passion fruit to tantalize with just a little taste of the coming summer. The base spirit, Solbeso, is a crisp and dry spirit “that pairs well with just a bit of bitterness from the Luxardo Bitters and a hint of spice from the peppercorn syrup.”
Moore says that the the inspiration for “Bohemian Nights” came to him when he first discovered Solbeso, and then encountered an old friend he had worked with years before at a Latin spot in the Lower East Side. “I thought of those early days in the city, incredibly late nights after working in the Lower East Side, and the neighborhood’s history, and I thought of ‘Bohemian Nights.’ The LES is always hot and sweaty in the summer, and these tropical flavors make me think of coming inside, cooling off and relaxing.”
Moore suggests enjoying the drink with a ceviche—at Rouge Tomate, he recommends the Mantauk Fluke Ceviche or the Hawaiian Walu Ceviche.
Bohemian Nights
1 1/2 oz Solbesco
1/2 oz Luxardo Bitters liqueur
1 1/2 oz House Tropical Mix (equal parts passion fruit puree, guava consommé, papaya puree)
1/2 oz lime juice
1/2 oz Peppercorn syrup (boil equal parts water and sugar until dissolved, simmer with black, white and pink peppercorns to infuse)
Shake all ingredients, double strain into chilled coupe. Garnish w/ a sprig of thyme.
