Forger about barbecuing meat or fish. Before you put the grill away for the season, consider cooking up a great-tasting cocktail. Mixologists across the city are using their Webers and kitchen grill plates to char fruit, and then add it to drinks — either as a garnish or as part of a mix.
The direct heat gives fruits, such as nectarines, peaches, citrus and even tropical pieces of pineapple, a more complex, rich taste as the sugars caramelize.
“Grilling the fruit brings out more of the sugars and you get a great smoky flavor,” explains Jason Steinthal, beverage director at Crave Fishbar in Midtown.
So get up in your grill if you have one. Or get to one of these Manhattan bars for a fruity, charred cocktail.
Burnt Orange Negroni, $14: Landmarc, 179 West Broadway, at Leonard Street; 212-343-3883
This inventive take on a negroni (typically made with gin, sweet vermouth, Campari and a twist of orange peel) features charred orange segments shaken together with Bombay Sapphire, Aperol (an Italian aperitif), vermouth and lemon juice. It makes for a slightly bitter drink that patrons have grown fond of in the past year.
“The negroni is a classic cocktail, but we really never sold many. With this version, we sell way more,” says David Lombardo, beverage director. “It has become one of our most popular cocktails.”
The Challenger, $14: Aldea, 31 W. 17th St.; 212-675-7223
Grilled grapefruit has a starring role in this cocktail, which has just been added to the drinks menu at Aldea. It’s muddled, then mixed with Plymouth gin, Luxardo Maraschino, bitters and lemon juice.
“I’m a huge fan of any fruity beach drink that offers a bit more complexity than your average piña colada,” says Heidi Young, wine director of Aldea. “The grilled grapefruit pairs well with both the tartness of the lemon and the sweetness of the maraschino liquor. The bitterness from the char on the fruit complements all of these lighter flavors quite well.”
The Grill Barrel, $13: Crave Fishbar, 945 Second Ave., at 50th Street; 646-895-9585
“Summer is all about the grill,” says Steinthal of the cooked nectarine he added to his version of a whiskey smash. “It tastes like a barbecued Manhattan. The charred fruit really comes through.”
To make the drink, Steinthal adds grilled nectarine puree to Bulleit bourbon, mint, lemon juice, Angostura bitters, agave — and a pinch of salt, for good measure. Come fall, the bar staff will probably swap nectarines for figs, apples and pears to make a more season-appropriate Grill Barrel.
“We’ve done things with muddled fruit before, but adding the element of cooking something on the grill gives it a new and different layer,” Steinthal says.
No Sex on the Beach, $12: The Smith, 956 Second Ave., at 51st Street; 212-644-2700
At this Midtown outpost of the East Village original, mixologist Jeff Leanheart added a grilled fruit drink just last week.
The drink — an off-the-menu special available until mid-September — is smoky and savory, thanks to grilled orange, rum and ginger syrup, but sweet, thanks to a little brown sugar. It’s garnished with a slice of charred peach.
“Grilling the fruit works well on balancing out the sweetness in the drink,” says Leanheart. “The splash of soda water makes it light and refreshing.”
NO SEX ON THE BEACH
1 slice grilled peach
1 slice grilled orange
½ oz brown sugar
2 oz Roaring Dan’s Maple Rum
3 dashes Miracle Mile Forbidden Bitters
1 dash of ginger syrup
A splash of soda water
Muddle orange with brown sugar and bitters. Add rum and a touch of ginger syrup. Give it all a quick shake, and strain into a glass with ice. Pour a splash of soda water into the shaker to gather all the muddled particles and sugar; pour into glass. Garnish with grilled peach slice.