Brightly colored trees and the crisp fall temps beg you to grab a chunky sweater and cozy up with a comforting cocktail from Trio’s.
The new fall menu is a collaboration of a trio from Trio’s. Lauran Pollock and Bob Fureigh brought contributions addition alongside our esteemed Merrick Fagan. Take a stroll down memory lane in conjunction with this menu’s theme, as each bartender has created their beverage as a reflection on a fall-related memory.
You can expect typical fall flavors, but “we also have some more unusual things you might not necessarily associate with fall,” Fagan begins. “There’s quite a bit of tea on this menu, which is no coincidence, as teas tend to have strong aromas and aroma is associated with memory.”
The menu is well-rounded ranging from safe to more adventurous options… Look for the unique house-made syrups, like the Earl Grey, clove, passionfruit, grenadine, honey and the lapsang souchong syrup.
To get you started here’s four excellent choices. Be sure to check out the others in the extensive menu of great autumnal options.
With a click of his lighter, the juice squeezed from a citrus wedge is set ablaze making an exciting intro to the menu. As Fagan finishes off Earl, Honey he explains, “This one is inspired by tea time. It relies on tea tannins for some of the complexity in flavor.”
He continues, “There’s a lot of fall flavors that work really well with the — not quite caramelized — ignited orange oils and the way that fire and smoke influence that flavor.”
This vodka-based cocktail has a delicious orange flavor and is not overly sweet, making it a safe bet for a lot of people. The little bit of Drambuie is a good addition without being overbearing. It’s a solid fall cocktail and worth checking out, especially if you enjoy a good show.
One of the more unique cocktails is the Hey! Listen — a collaboration between Pollock and Fagan. This one “was inspired by her first cigarette, which was a clove cigarette — and if you’ve never smoked a clove cigarette, they kind of crackle.”
“That one has a lot of traditional fall flavor tropes in it,” Fagan says. “The most unique — using Curaçao as a base spirit is definitely unusual.”
As you sip on this one, you may notice a certain “funk” which is coming from the Rum Fire, an overproof Jamaican pot-still rum. Fagan explains, “They’re known for that kind of funky flavor. They leave in a lot of the esters, the aromatic compounds, that a lot of other distillation processes deliberately remove.”
The spice from the clove balances nicely with the variety of fruits from Curaçao, Banane du Bresil, lime and the banana esters in the Rum. My personal favorite. I was pleasantly surprised this was my personal favorite, as I have particular taste preferences when it comes to cloves. It was just the right amount of clove spice mixed with other flavors to create a delicious, balanced fall cocktail.
Take a trip down Fagan’s memory lane with Latitude Adjustment. He remembers “driving from Arkansas to Illinois for college, and you just watch fall happen, outside the car, as you drive north.”
This drink takes you on a journey with “warm, tropical flavors that you mighft associate with summer tiki drinks — that’s the beginning of the journey — and that’s the passionfruit and the grenadine. Then, as you’re going north, you have these rich stone fruit and spice flavors.” Fagan clarifies, “but it is unusual since there is no citrus in it.”
A combination of Torres 10 brandy, Plantation OFTD rum, Becherovka, as well as two house-made syrups, passionfruit, and grenadine, creates this noteworthy fall libation.
Don’t miss Pollock’s Patio Sunrise, which is served in a sweet tea cup. She explains, “Tea in general, and the warm spices always brings back a very nostalgic feeling as far as fall goes and bundling up on a porch specifically, or patio and enjoying the fall weather.”
Fagan describes the cocktail, “There’s a fair amount of warming, spice flavors between the espresso chai and the Velvet Falernum especially. It has a mild sweetness — some of that’s going to come from the Pedro Ximenez — but it is the sweetest kind of sherry there is, very viscous and raisiny. The bourbon gives warmth and depth.”
Enjoy the fall weather and be sure to scope out the entire Trio’s Autumn cocktail menu and ask about the memory that inspired the drink you decide to try. Each one is unique and comes from a story worth hearing.
Trio’s is open Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday hours are 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. be sure to stop by and try them out for yourself. If cocktails aren’t your thing, check out the local beer selection between 5-6:30p, when they’re $2.50 (plus tax).
[gview file=”http://www.rockcityeats.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Beverage-Menu-Fall-18.pdf”]
