SCENE
Chris Keil at Hilltop Kitchen
COCKTAIL CULTURE
KYLE JOHNSON
The revolution begins here BY ADRIENNE KUEHL From reinventing the fresh flavors of the Pacific Northwest to not-your-average tiki bar concoctions, Tacoma’s craft cocktail scene offers diverse options for spirit enthusiasts. Step into Tacoma Cabana, where tiki-era kitsch is elevated with fresh pineapple and coconut, freshly squeezed juices, house-made mixers such as falernum, a sweet spiced syrup, and—of course—plenty of rum. Adding to the congenial atmosphere, many cocktails are served in a pineapple or tiki glass. Fans of inventive, Latin American–inspired cocktails flock to Hilltop Kitchen, Tacoma’s most talked about bar. During travels, the bar’s owners fell in love with mezcal, rum, and tequila, which form the basis of the creative cocktail menu. Choose from the “Goes Down Easy” or “Boozy + Odd” menus. Each cocktail is thoughtfully mixed, many featuring hand-carved ice, house-made edible garnishes, and quirky names. It may be small, but 1022 South J offers handcrafted drinks big in flavor. House-made syrups and mixers are artfully combined with spirits, bitters, and fresh botanicals for unique flavor combos such as the Walk Softly, with Crusoe rum, walnut liqueur, maple syrup, egg whites, and cereal milk—yes, really, toasted breakfast cereal is soaked in milk, and strained.
While Sixth Avenue is already an after-hours hot spot, Marrow Kitchen + Bar is a standout in the craft cocktail scene. Primarily known for its innovative food menu, Marrow’s icy concoctions are equally memorable, with creative flavor combinations and unusual ingredients, such as in the Piper, with Hendricks gin, St. Germaine, Velvet falernum, dill, cucumber, and lime, which expertly incorporates savory ingredients into a fresh cocktail. The cocktails at Crown Bar may be traditional—think sidecars and gimlets—but the twist comes when they go local. Think concoctions like the Big Gin Martinez, made with local Big Gin bourbon-barreled gin, bitters, and vermouth, served in a martini glass. Maxwell’s Restaurant + Lounge celebrates fresh, seasonal Pacific Northwest ingredients by infusing them into local spirits. Sit under an impressive chandelier and sip a Woodinville old-fashioned, with Woodinville Whiskey small-batch bourbon, bitters, muddled citrus and cherries, and raw brown sugar with a hint of fizz. 1022 South J 1022 S J St; ten22southj.com / Crown Bar 2705 Sixth Ave; crownbartacoma.com / Hilltop Kitchen 913 MLK Jr Way; hilltopkitchen.com / Marrow Kitchen + Bar 2717 Sixth Ave; marrowtacoma.com / Maxwell’s Restaurant + Lounge 454 St Helens Ave; maxwells-tacoma.com / Tacoma Cabana 728 Pacific Ave; tacomacabana.com
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