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Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/458161
www.cheersonline.com 22 • January/February 2015 Chocolate reigns supreme at the aptly named Lulu's Chocolate Bar, a 65-seat dessert restaurant and bar in Savannah, GA. "Our purpose in life is to create a community of adventurous self-indulgence," says co-owner Janine Finn. Popular sips at Lulu's include the Chocolate Mint Martini ($10), with Godiva white chocolate liqueur, white crème de cacao and vodka, served in a dark chocolate-rimmed glass, and the Chocolate Chili Martini ($10), with Crave chocolate chili liqueur, vodka, Lulu's sipping chocolate sauce, dark crème de cacao and a splash of cream. LIQUIFYING THE CLASSICS Drinks inspired by beloved desserts appeal to guests who prefer to eschew the plate in favor of the glass. At Shooter's Wood Fire Grill, a steakhouse and bar in Rapid City, SD, bar manager Dan Balisco's Key Lime Martini ($8) mixes Tanqueray Rangpur gin, Midori melon liqueur, Skyy Infusions ginger vodka, lime juice and heavy cream, served in a glass rimmed with graham cracker crumbs. Red Light Cocktails & Dessert Bar, a 27-seat dessert restaurant in Washington, D.C., offers spirited dessert sips such as the Cake Shake ($11), which blends a red velvet cupcake with homemade ice cream, dark rum, velvet falernum and cocoa bitters. The Dude ($11) whips vodka, rum, Cognac and mole cacao bitters with an egg cream crafted by cocktail consultants (and Red Light partners) Ari and Micah Wilder. Rhumbar at The Mirage Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas has a seasonal winter cocktail called the Rhum Brulee. The drink, which sells for $12, combines Rumchata rum cream liqueur, Mount Gay XO rum, Cointreau and a dash of mole bitters. Crave Dessert Bar, a 76-seat, small-plates and dessert restaurant in Charlotte, NC, features several liquid versions of crowd-pleasing meal enders. The Tiramisu Dream is made with Smirnoff Caramel Kiss vodka, Frangelico, butterscotch and Bailey's Irish Cream; while the Adams Apple Crisp has Old Smokey Apple Pie Moonshine, apple brandy, agave and thyme, topped with prosecco. The Thin Mint cookie-inspired Girl Scout cocktail mixes Three Olives Chocolate vodka with chocolate mint and Rumple Minze. All drinks on the Sippable Desserts section of the menu are priced at $11. Guests tend to order these cocktails along with one of Crave's signature desserts—some of which are also booze-infused, says director of marketing, events and catering Stefani Hasty. "We try to fuse alcohol in our desserts and in our drinks to create a sinful evening for late-night enthusiasts." THE BITTER TRUTH Despite their name and connotation, dessert drinks don't have to be overly sweet, says Finn of Lulu's Chocolate Bar. Tart, fl oral and spicy are also great fl avor profi le options for after-dinner cocktails. Adding a bitter note to a dessert libation can help to The Holy Moley, Poste Moderne Brasserie in Washington DC The Cookies, Coffee and Cream, The Thoroughbred Club, Charleston, SC Plum Martini, Lulu's Chocolate Bar HAPPY endings Crave Dessert Bar in Charlotte, NC