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temper overt sweetness and provide wider appeal. Lulu's Plum Blossom Martini ($10) mixes Pearl plum vodka with Monin violet syrup and a splash of lemon juice; the Citrus Rose Martini ($8) has vodka, grapefruit juice and Monin rose syrup, and a sugared rim. "Use quality ingredients and be creative—the drink is only as good as what you put into it," Finn says. Poste's Maple Bourbon Toddy ($13) mixes Maker's Mark bourbon with black tea, maple syrup and house-made charred cedar bitters, garnished with a maple lollipop. The Not Your Average Cup O' Joe ($13) uses house-made vanilla vodka, espresso, Frangelico and Kahlua, with an espresso-sugar rim. "Amaro has come into fashion big-time with dessert drinks," notes Nelson. "It gives the drink an added kick of spice without making the cocktail cloyingly sweet." He uses amaro in sips like the My My My Amaro ($11), which mixes it with Myers rum, Kahlua and orange bitters, topped with coffee and garnished with an orange twist. The salty-sweet combination is still hot. Adam Seger, mixologist and master sommelier for iPic Entertainment's movie theater restaurants and bars, created a drink called Hot Buttered Salted Truffl ed Rum ($13). He makes a batter with butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and coarse salt, heaps a few spoonfuls into a mug and tops it with high-quality dark rum and dark chocolate chips or chunks. IPic's Mocha Martini ($13) also gets a sprinkle of salt: house-made, double-chocolate liqueur is topped with double espresso and served in a glass with a salted mocha rim. "I get my inspiration for dessert cocktails from pastry chefs, who are blurring the lines more and more by using salty, spicy and savory fl avors to create new dessert fl avor frontiers," says Seger. Finn has witnessed an uptick in salted caramel-based dessert drinks, as well as those with spirits other than vodka as a base—including rye and gin. Lulu's Savannah Bourbon Bellini ($9) mixes Woodford Reserve bourbon with Stirrings peach liqueur, topped with cava and served on the rocks. SIMPLE AND SEASONAL When considering adding dessert cocktails to a menu, Foster suggests starting simply. "Coffee drinks remain popular and are very easy to add—many simply involve adding a spirit to your brew." He also recommends learning a few classics, like the Cognac- based Brandy Alexander, and looking for opportunities to tie in seasonal and regional fl avors. "If you are just beginning to add dessert drinks to your menu, you are also going to have a clientele that is just discovering them as well," Foster notes. "If their fi rst experience is delicious, they will be back again." Kelly Magyarics, DWS, is a wine, spirits and lifestyle writer, and wine educator, in the Washington, D.C. area. She can be reached through her website, www.kellymagyarics.com, or on Twitter or Instagram @kmagyarics. www.cheersonline.com 23 January/February 2015 • RHUM BRULEE - 2 oz. Rumchata liqueur - 1 oz. Mount Gay XO rum - ½ oz. Cointreau Dash mole bitters Combine ingredients in shaker with ice. Shake and strain over fresh ice in rocks glass. Garnish with a lemon peel twist. The mixolgists at Rhumbar in the Las Vegas Mirage Hotel & Casino created this recipe. iPic Entertainment's Hot Buttered Salted Truffl ed Rum Cocktail HAPPY endings Milky Way Martini, Lulu's Chocolate Bar