Garden Mojito
Garden Games: The Longform Mojito
Of the many cocktails I’ve encountered, Mojitos are inevitably the fastest to disappear. Seriously. Muddle up a round and you’ll be lucky if they last 10 min...
A Drop of Golden Sun: Savory Sips for Summertime Drinks
For me (and many others), a great Dirty Martini is the benchmark par liquid excellence, and few other drink recipes measure up to the same divine balance and salinity. But savory cocktails can be hit or miss. When a so-so Bloody Mary or (ahem, weak sauce) Spicy Margarita doesn’t cut the mustard, it’s easy to feel disappointed.
You surely won’t be so at Nana’s Westerly where the small all-day café has an impressive bar program utilizing fresh local produce and inventive infusions. (Nana’s also serves a killer pizza and other well-crafted local, seasonal fare.) On a recent trip, a jar of house wakame (seaweed) infused gin beamed lime green from the back bar while a peppery rhubarb gojujang shrub piqued my interest.
After much deliberation and a little help from General Manager and Bar Director Kellsie Calisto, I landed on the Sun Gold Daiquiri, a current summer favorite served on the rocks with muddled golden cherry tomatoes, fresh basil leaves, fresh lime juice and her own infused hot honey. It’s clear that Kellsie searches for the perfect harmony and tension between ingredients.
“I like things tart, a little bit spicy and never too sweet,” she says. “I studied herbal medicine, so anytime I can include an anti-inflammatory ingredient like a hot-pepper-infused honey, it’s a win-win,” she adds.
I concur! And it’s precisely that sweet and savory nuance of the hot honey that lifts the Sun Gold Daiquiri to gold star status.
Kellsie puts the same thoughtfulness into her Dirty Miso Martini, featuring Moromi white miso and shoyu (soy sauce) handcrafted in North Stonington, plus vodka and a splash of caper brine. (Chef and Nana’s co-owner James Wayman is a founding partner of Moromi Shoyu, a small-batch fermentation company specializing in the production of koji, shoyu and miso using traditional methods.)
Though I’m usually a gin Martini fan, Kellsie’s rendition was supremely sippable, salty and ice cold; a delightful harmony cast between the miso and the slight florality of caper brine. Instead of a stack of queen olives to anchor the glass, a small cluster of fried capers float adrift, the final briny badge to set you sipping. Next time you have a hankering for a savory sip, head straight to Nana’s in Westerly—this joint will not disappoint.
Willa Van Nostrand is an award-winning mixologist, beverage consultant and owner of Little Bitte Artisanal Cocktails and World’s Fair Gallery. Visit her at LittleBitte.com.
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