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www.cheersonline.com 18 • October 2015 locations in the U.S. and Canada. But several of the old-timey, oft-maligned liqueurs have been making a comeback as well, he says. "Reviving kitsch cocktails is hot right now," Bogues notes. Earls' Frozen Paralyzer drink ($9.50), for one, mixes Smirnoff vodka with Kahlua, espresso and Frosted Flakes cereal milk, while the bar's Margarita ($8.50) uses the vibrant-hued blue curacao liqueur. Noma Social, in New Rochelle, NY, offers a cocktail called the Scooby Snack, with Bacardi light rum, Midori melon liqueur, white crème de banana and a splash of pineapple soda. The Riggsby, a 115-seat American continental restaurant in Washington, D.C., uses curacao in The Champ cocktail ($13), along with mezcal, Green Chartreuse, lemon and strawberry. The Last Frontier ($12) mixes bourbon with lemon, cinnamon and amaretto. "A lot of bartenders might get snobby about not wanting to touch these bottles that have been around for years and years," says Christine Kim, lead bartender at The Riggsby as well as the Latin/Spanish-infl uenced spot Tico. "It's nice to revisit what these cordials have to offer, and [see] the beauty in the liquid" such as the blue curacaos and Chartreuses, she says. The quality and appeal of these retro liqueurs are the reasons they have withstood the test of time, Kim says. She and her staff are constantly explaining falernum, Galliano, Chartreuse and Fernet Branca to guests, and it's invigorating when customers make a connection to these special bottles, Kim says. "These have been great modifi ers for cocktails, accenting the base spirits but still shining on their own as well." CHERRY BERRY GOOD Cherry liqueur pops up in libations such as the Downtown Dane ($13), which is on the Heavy Pours menu at the 220-seat Devon Seafood + Steak in Hershey, PA. Bartenders make the drink by muddling a sugar cube and bitters and shaking with bourbon, Heering Cherry Liqueur and fresh lemon juice; it's garnished with Amarena cherries and an orange peel. The bar's Sparkling Blackberry Martini ($10) gets topped with the classic raspberry-fl avored Chambord. A splash of Chambord (or Midori, or St. Germain) may appear in guests' Mimosas during Sunday brunch, expanding their palate as well as inspiring them to pick up a bottle and experiment at home. The Winchester incorporates raspberry liqueur into its Cold Stare cocktail, which also includes mezcal, cold press coffee, amaro and walnut bitters. Tanner Smith's most popular cocktail is a Manhattan—with a cherry twist. Mayor Gaynor's Tipple adds a sour cherry liqueur made in New York by Warwick Valley Wine Co. The cherry cordial also appears on a variation of the Moscow Mule called the Drop Kick Mule, which was the bar's best-selling summer cocktail. McNamee and Schulman like to riff on drinks in general, fl oating Disaronno Amaretto on top of the Whiskey Sour- esque, Templeton rye-based Hudson Duster, and subbing in Aperol for Campari in a Negroni, calling it the Marginal. Most cocktails at Tanner Smith's cost $13. Customers generally tend to relate more to and feel more comfortable with fruit-based liqueurs such as apricot, cherry and allspice dram, McNamee says. The Winchester drinks from left: Timepiece (sake, sherry, ver- mouth), Soda Exchange (fruit soda, choice of spirit; also shown at right), Cold Stare (mezcal, cold-pressed coffee, Amaro, rasp- berry liqueur and walnut bitters) and Summer Sangaree (rhum agricol, rosé, lemon, cane syrup and soda). Christine Kim, lead bartender at Washington, D.C. hot spots The Riggsby and Tico, and her staff are constantly educating guests on vintage liqueurs such as Galliano and Chartreuse. Tanner Smith's, an open-style cocktail venue in New York, has seen more interest in spicy liqueurs that appeal to contemporary palates, rather than overly sweet cordials. Sweet HEAT