Feeling Bookish

Smart Cocktails for Autumn Evenings

There are few things greater than sitting down and diving into a good book, “... except, of course, with a good cocktail,” says Tom Roberge, co-owner of Riffraff Bookstore + Bar in Providence. Riffraff combines the best features of an independent bookstore and a neighborhood bar, welcoming readers to browse shelves of thoughtfully curated books and to grab a well-crafted drink at the bar. On a recent Friday, I pored over a dozen-ish titles before settling on a 21st-century poetry anthology and posting up at a table with a friend.

On track with the cool, crisp mood of the evening, I ordered cocktail #3, an impeccable spin on a gin fizz that omits lemon juice entirely in favor of plum shrub made with ripe plums from Tom’s father’s farm in Connecticut. The punchy base of gunpowder green tea gin is bolstered with sloe gin (a rich English liqueur made with the berries of the blackthorn bush) and topped with bubbles. The result: a tall handsome drink that’s tart, fruity and, most importantly, not too sweet.

Gin not your thing? Perhaps cocktail #8 will strike your fancy with mezcal, lemon, spiced rosemary syrup and a bar spoon of absinthe to jazz things up. Upon first sip, soft herbaceous notes dart across the palate and fade into the warm glow of smoky mezcal. Another sip and I imagine myself tiptoeing through an herb garden and basking in the moonlight. Is it me or is it the absinthe beguiling my taste buds? If you’re looking for your new favorite autumnal tipple, celebrate the change of seasons with a round at Riffraff and a good book. Just one thing to remember: “You drip, you buy.”