{"id":6581,"date":"2014-05-30T16:05:20","date_gmt":"2014-05-30T23:05:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lesliedinaberg.com\/wordpress\/?p=6581"},"modified":"2014-05-30T11:08:12","modified_gmt":"2014-05-30T18:08:12","slug":"cocktail-corner-cool-new-cocktails-at-finch-fork","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lesliedinaberg.com\/wordpress\/?p=6581","title":{"rendered":"Cocktail Corner: Cool New Cocktails at Finch & Fork"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Finch

Finch & Fork, courtesy photo<\/p><\/div>\n

A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! By Leslie Dinaberg<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Finch & Fork Restaurant<\/a>\u00a0at the Canary Hotel <\/a>is right in the neighborhood (31 W. Carrillo St.) and one of my\u00a0favorite places for happy hour, wine tastings on the roof and even\u00a0to meet people for\u00a0interviews\u00a0(the bar couches are particularly cushiony and comfortable). Now they \u00a0have a fun new cocktail menu with a bit of the new age, a bit of the golden age and a bit of my personal favorite, the barrel age.<\/p>\n

Barrel aged cocktails are all the rage these days because, … well, some things really do get better with age, and booze is definitely one of them.\u00a0Finch & Fork’s new menu includes an Aged Old Fashioned\u00a0<\/strong>made with\u00a0Templeton Rye<\/a>, sugar\u00a0and\u00a0angostura orange; the Classic Dark and Stormy<\/strong>, made with\u00a0barrel-aged rum, cruzan black strap and\u00a0ginger beer; and the Barrel Aged Bols Genever <\/strong>(typically\u00a0a blend of rye, wheat and corn that is triple distilled in a copper pot still, then blended with the unique melange of botanicals that may include hops, cloves, anise, ginger and juniper, among others)\u00a0<\/span>served with ice and a bottle of fever tree tonic<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Fringillidae

Fringillidae Mule, courtesy the Canary<\/p><\/div>\n

The golden age section of the menu includes a nod to one of my favorite cocktails, the Moscow Mule<\/a>. Finch & Fork’s new version is the\u00a0Fringillidae Mule <\/strong>(cleverly named for a bird that’s a cross between a finch and a canary), made with\u00a0absolut vodka<\/a>, lime, ginger beer\u00a0and\u00a0mint.\u00a0\u00a0In another nod to the restaurant’s avian roots, they have the\u00a0Hawaiian Honeycreeper <\/strong>(named for another member of the finch family,\u00a0a\u00a0small, passerine bird endemic to Hawai\u02bbi), made from<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>appleton rum<\/a>, sailor jerry, fresh lime, lemon, orange\u00a0and\u00a0orgeat.<\/p>\n

The new age part of the cocktail menu includes the\u00a0Bluebird of Happiness<\/strong>, made with\u00a0tanqueray 10 gin<\/a>, blueberry, lime, lavender\u00a0and soda; the\u00a0Flying A<\/strong>, with aviation gin<\/a>, lemon, orgeat, egg white\u00a0and\u00a0atomized peach bitters; and the\u00a0Barbare\u00f1o<\/strong>, with\u00a0<\/strong>herradura silver tequila<\/a>, vida mezcal, lime, pineapple jalape\u00f1o agave\u00a0and\u00a0california ale.<\/p>\n

The $5 happy hour specials are served from 4-7 p.m. every Monday through Friday, including a selection of beers, wine (Chardonnay or Cabernet Sauvignon) and cocktails, including a fun\u00a0Champagne Cocktail<\/strong> made with brandy, a bitter-soaked sugar cube\u00a0and\u00a0sparkling wine;\u00a0Tommy\u2019s Margarita<\/strong>, a\u00a0Lemon Drop<\/strong>, a\u00a0St. Germain Cocktail<\/strong> and a classic\u00a0Manhattan<\/strong>. Also great for groups is the $20 Sangria & Bites special, which includes\u00a0a pitcher of red or white sangria and three\u00a0bites to share\u2014warm citrus marinated olives, blistered shishito peppers, and honey roasted spiced nuts\u2014all of which I can personally vouch for as\u00a0yummy!<\/p>\n

\"Finch

Finch & Fork’s Blackberry Cooler, made with bulliet rye, blackberry, lemon, rosemary and maple. Courtesy photo.<\/p><\/div>\n

For a delicious 360 degree view of Santa Barbara, don’t miss the popular Monday night wine on the roof of the Canary this summer\u00a0every Monday from 5:30-8 p.m.\u00a0Staring on Monday June 2 with Bratcher<\/a> pouring, for\u00a0$25 you can enjoy the view along wine tasting with local wineries, as well as nibbles from\u00a0Chef James Siao<\/a>. Andrew Murray<\/a> is up the next week (June 9), followed by our friends from Beckmen Winery<\/a> (June 16), Buttonwood<\/a> (June 23)\u00a0and\u00a0Grand Places Selections (June 30).<\/p>\n

The July lineup includes Westerly Wines<\/a> (July 7), Zaca Mesa<\/a> (July 14), Carr Winery<\/a> (July 21) and Margerum<\/a> (July 28).<\/p>\n

August’s pours include wines from Lafond Winery<\/a> (August 4), Demetria<\/a>\u00a0Estate (August 11), Summerland Winery<\/a> (August 18) and Palmina<\/a> & Brewer Clifton<\/a> (August 25).<\/p>\n

September sips include Standing Sun<\/a> (September 8), Cluster Wine Group<\/a> (September 15), Melville <\/a>(September 22) and Cold Heaven<\/a>\u00a0Cellars\u00a0(September 29), followed by Revel Wines<\/a> on October 6 and the grand finale tasting with many of the wineries returning on October 13.<\/p>\n

Hope to see some of you there.<\/p>\n

Cheers!<\/p>\n

Click here<\/a> for more cocktail corner columns.\u00a0Originally published in\u00a0Santa Barbara SEASONS<\/a>\u00a0on May 30, 2014.<\/p>\n

\"Leslie<\/a>

Leslie Dinaberg<\/p><\/div>\n

When she\u2019s not busy working as the editor of Santa Barbara SEASONS<\/a>, Cocktail Corner author Leslie Dinaberg writes magazine articles, newspaper columns and grocery lists. When it comes to cocktails, Leslie considers herself a \u201cgoal-oriented drinker.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

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