cheers
CREOLE LEMONADE
A New Orleans-inspired beverage bursting with flavor BY ALISON BAILIN BATZ PHOTO BY DEBBY WOLVOS
M
ardis Gras might be over, but there is always Big Easy flavor on tap at Southern Rail, especially when it comes to their libations. “Our crowd favorite Creole Lemonade is a slight variation of a gallon jug drink my friends and I would make for our days out waterskiing on the shores of Lake Pontchartrain in New Orleans. The main difference – we use better ingredients than in our cash-strapped youth,” says T. Scott Stephens, managing partner of Southern Rail. Served year-round in a mason jar, the Creole Lemonade ($10) begins with homemade lemonade. Cedar Ridge Rum and Hangar Citron then serve as the base spirits of the cocktail, which combine to create a smoky, bright citrus foundation. “We also add Tapatio Tequila, a fullbodied, 75-year-old Mexican brand only recently available in the United States, as well as Pimm’s, a gin with herbal botanicals, caramelized orange and delicate spices, into the mix,” Stephens says. The spirits are combined in a shaker over ice, and strained into a mason jar. “The wow factor – we add a dash or two of Louisiana’s own Crystals Hot Sauce – and true to its name there are actual physical crystals of hot sauce.” The result is slightly sweet and pleasantly sour with clear notes of citrus and mini explosions of heat. Southern Rail, 300 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix; 602.200.0085; www. southernrailaz.com.
MARCH 2017 |
57
| UPTOWN