Raising the Bar

Maybe you’re getting a little tired of the same ol’ same ol’. After all, a vodka soda, Old Fashioned or gin and tonic can only get you so far. If you’re looking to switch up your drink order for a night, try one of the following. 

If you like citrus, order:

• Tom Collins – Gin, lemon juice, sugar, carbonated water
• St. Clements – Vodka, orange juice, lemon-lime soda, bitter lemonade or clementine juice
• French 75 – Gin, champagne, lemon juice, sugar
• Paloma – Tequila, lime juice, grapefruit-flavored soda

If you like coffee, order:

• Espresso martini – It’s all the rage for a reason; vodka, espresso, coffee liqueur
• Prairie Buzz – Whiskey, Vino Chinato, amaretto liqueur, cold brew coffee, heavy cream, cinnamon syrup
• Death by Morning – Absinthe, Branca Menta, coffee liqueur, espresso, sugar, Angostura
• Midnight Oil – Rum, ginger and banana liqueurs, cold brew coffee, vanilla extract

If you like savory, order:

• Dirty martini – Gin or vodka, vermouth, olive brine, olives 
• Farmer’s Cocktail – Cubed watermelon, simple syrup, Veev, Aperol, tomato juice, lime juice
• Bloody Maria – Tequila, tomato juice, lemon, Tabasco sauce, black pepper, celery salt, lime 
• Rub and Rye – Whiskey, lemon juice, mesquite salt, maple syrup, egg white, barbecue bitters, beer of your choosing

Kicking back with a nice beveragino has been all the rage for thousands of years. But trends are always cycling in and out of public consciousness. For 2024, here are a few you may see more often than not: 

• Smaller cocktails – Both good on the liver and on the wallet!
• Dessert cocktails – Something sweet for a nightcap or late-night treat. 
• RTD (ready to drink) cocktails – Canned or on-tap drinks, these have a bevy of pros: cheaper, less time waiting for a drink and less work for a busy bartender 
• Fun with ice – Your ice cubes are getting fancier this year, whether it’s logo-stamped iced, unique shapes or edible items frozen within the cube.

Understanding Wine Vocabulary 

Maybe you’re heading to a wine tasting with friends or want to impress your in-laws with a great pairing. No matter the incentive, it always helps to know your wine vocab. Blow ‘em away with the following:

• Aeration – The addition of oxygen to round out or soften a wine; you’ll often hear people saying they are “letting the wine breathe” before drinking it.
• Body – A sensation in the mouth that describes the weight and fullness of wine; full-bodied wines include Malbecs and Syrahs, light-bodied wines include Rieslings and Italian Prosecco.
• Finish – This is the impression left in the mouth after swallowing the wine, i.e. lingering textures and flavors. Wines can have fruity, oaky, jammy, smooth, tart and vegetal finishes, to name a few. 
• Oxidation – When wine is exposed to air, it undergoes a chemical change ala oxidation. This change can be good – unlocking more flavors – or bad – leading to a flat or dull taste. 
• Tannins – These compounds found in wine are the elements that leave a dry or puckery feeling in the mouth. Tannin-heavy variations include Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Sirah. Avoid tannins with a glass of Pinot Grigio or a rosé.

It’s nice to have your go-to Cheers bar, but you can shake things up with the following new(ish)
bars around OKC and Tulsa: 

• Bar K, OKC – Dog-friendly bar and community space with a full menu, drinks on tap, and treats for Fido, too 
• Glamour, OKC – A high-end restaurant and club, perfect for a girl’s (or boy’s!) night out 
• GHST, OKC – Vibrant and sleek restaurant/bar open late with tasty bites 
• The Grove Bar, OKC – Trendy bar with tons of outdoor seating, plus karaoke nights and live music year-round
• Tina’s, Tulsa – A warm and inviting bar with killer burgers and cocktails on draft
• Noche, Tulsa – A lively atmosphere with Mexican grub and a bustling agave bar
• Bishop Quigley, Tulsa – An inconspicuous pub in Maple Ridge perfect for a night cap

With inflation on the rise, a lot of people are perfecting their home bar set-ups to avoid overspending on a night out. So, what do you need at home for a great drink? 

• Various glassware – rocks glasses, Collins glasses, coupe glasses
• Spirits of your choosing, plus liqueurs like vermouth and amaretto
• Mixers and garnishes, from soda water and juice to olives
  and cherries 
• A bar cart
• Bottle openers and corkscrews
• Jiggers or mini measuring cups
• Shakers and strainers 
• Mixing glasses and stirring spoons
• Ice makers and molds
• Cutting boards and peelers 

Unless you’re in blissful denial, you probably know alcohol isn’t good for you. It negatively affects your heart, liver and weight, and is associated with higher blood pressure. 

As a diuretic, alcohol also causes the body to urinate more frequently – which, in turn, causes dehydration in the body … meaning your skin will pay the consequences. 

All that being said, flip to the next page for some mocktail recommendations and ways to cut back.

People don’t drink for a variety of reasons. Maybe someone is extending their Dry January, looking to get healthier, tackle bad habits or just don’t like the taste of booze. That doesn’t mean they can’t go out and get a fun libation sans spirits! If you’re looking to enter your mocktail era, visit one of the below for a sip:

Tulsa

• Bar Serra’s ‘Marigold’ – Pineapple ginger syrup, orange juice, lime juice, tonic 
• The Tavern’s ‘Blue Dream’ – Blueberry, lemon, lime with a sour candy rim
• Nothing’s Left Brewing’s ‘Stardust’ – Warm and sweet raspberry, stone fruit syrup, jalapeno, non-alcoholic sparkling sangria 

OKC

• The Daley’s ‘Sugar, Spice and Everything Nice’ – Spice, lemon, chai syrup, spiced bitters, heavy cream, egg white, cream soda
• Red Rooster’s ‘Eeyore’ – Lime juice, ginger beer, ginger serrano agave with a chili rim 
• Riserva’s ‘My Big Fat Greek Mocktail’ – Spice, lemon, house hibiscus tea syrup, hibiscus foam

If you enjoy alcohol but want to cut back, the process may seem a little overwhelming. After all, it’s hard to say no if you’re out with friends and want to have a good time. But it’s manageable to imbibe in small doses. Here’s a bit of advice to help: 

Set measurable goals. You can say you want to ‘cut back,’ but you need actual, reachable objectives to do so. Consider setting limits on the number of drinks you’ll have in a night out or the number of drinks you’ll have in a week or month. You can also set more general goals, like no drinking on weeknights. 

If you’ve got a home bar and prefer to make your own drinks, be conscious about the amount of alcohol you’re pouring. A cocktail can be just as delicious with half the liquor.

If you’re money-conscious, make a hardline budget for how much you spend on alcohol in a month. It’s hard to argue with the numbers. 

For social drinkers, aim to sip on a glass of water between each drink. Not only will this slow you down, but it will help your wallet! 

Fizz a la Violette

The Library of Distilled Spirits, OKC 

Empress Gin, Rothman & Winter creme de violette, LDS lavender simple syrup, lemon juice, marscapone, egg white, 4 -8 drops orange flower water

Rosy Dawn

The Library of Distilled Spirits, OKC 

Hayman’s London dry gin, Copper & Kings brandy, Orchard apricot, lemon juice, raspberry syrup, cherry foam

True Love’s Kiss

Hemingway, Tulsa

Siempre reposado tequila, Nixta liqueur, violette, agave, lime and topped with Francois Montand brut rosé

Chocolate Espresso Martini

Bar Serra, Tulsa

Tito’s vodka, origin cold brew, espresso liquor, Bailey’s chocolate

Blood Orange Margarita

In the Raw Vu, Tulsa

Silver tequila, blood orange liqueur, agave nectar and fresh lime 

Passion of Crime

Hemingway, Tulsa

Fidencio Mezcal, Leopold lime liqueur, passion fruit, grapefruit, jalapeno infused lemon, egg white, angostura bitters

New Friends

The Library of Distilled Spirits, OKC

Chai-infused rye, chamomile-infused Dolin Blanc, coconut fat-washed Campari

Lalla Rookh

The Library of Distilled Spirits, OKC

Suntory Toki, Copper & Kings brandy, BS Benedictine, Pandan honey, two dashes of Xocoltl bitters, two dashes of Japanese umami bitters