Cheers

January 2015

Cheers is dedicated to delivering hospitality professionals the information, insights and data necessary to drive their beverage business by covering trends and innovations in operations, merchandising, service and training.

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www.cheersonline.com 21 January/February 2015 • coffee mug or cocktail glass, dessert drinks are a fun way to cap off dinner or indulge in a sweet treat at the bar. These libations frequently include a dose of chocolate, coffee, cream or caramel fl avors, but bartenders are fi nding that many favorite desserts can reinvented in cocktail form. "Dessert cocktails should be the shadow of the dessert that inspired them," says Nathan Foster, food and beverage outlets manager for The Thoroughbred Club bar at the 440- room Belmond Charleston Place Hotel in Charleston, SC. "Reminiscent and clearly defi ned, but not as substantial." The Thoroughbred Club's Chocolate Martini ($13) combines Stolichnaya vanilla vodka with Godiva white chocolate liqueur, Godiva dark chocolate liqueur and half and half, garnished with cocoa powder. The cocktail offers deep chocolate fl avor and richness, says Foster, but it isn't nearly as heavy as a slice of chocolate cake. The Cookies, Coffee and Cream ($14) combines vanilla- and cinnamon-infused Wild Turkey American Honey bourbon with Kahlua and half and half, served in a glass rimmed with crumbled Benne wafer cookies. Benne, similar to a sesame seed, is a local delicacy: Benne wafers are produced only by Charleston's Olde Colony Bakery. "Our inspiration for our newest dessert cocktail was to continue with a focus on infusions and to use the unique local ingredient," says Foster. The Thoroughbred Club's Clydesdale cocktail ($14) mixes cinnamon- and vanilla-infused Wild Turkey American Honey with dark crème de cacao and half and half, garnished with sprinkled nutmeg. Foster says guests typically order either a dessert drink, or a simple cordial with a plated dessert. At Poste Modern Brasserie at the Hotel Monaco in Washington, D.C., the 37-seat outdoor Winter Lounge keeps guests toasty with a patio heater, blankets and warming, dessert-style cocktails. The Holy Mole ($14) adds Milagro Silver tequila to spiced hot chocolate, garnished with house-made whipped cream; Appleton of my Eye ($14) mixes Appleton VX rum with a house-made, salted-caramel cider. "You defi nitely need at least one sweet dessert cocktail for that person looking to indulge their sweet tooth," says lead bartender James Nelson. "I like to use fl avors that are normally associated with dessert—coffee, chocolate, caramel—so people feel more at home ordering them." Whether steaming or chilled, served in a Whether steaming or chilled, served in a Whether steaming Drinks inspired by beloved desserts appeal to guests who prefer to eschew the plate in favor of the glass. desserts Chocolate Mint Martini, Lulu's Chocolate Bar, Savannah, GA Key Lime Martini, Shooter's Wood Fire Grill, Rapid City, SD

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