Restaurants

All Shook Up
Summer cocktails with a surprising kick

EDITED BY GILLIAN DUFFY
PHOTOS BY SANG AN
Exotica: Town Asia from Town.
You don't need an HBO sexcom to tell you we're living in another golden age of the cocktail. Not with "bar chefs" forgoing pre-mixes and furiously muddling fruits and mincing herbs, all in the hopes of conjuring the next Cosmo. We've cajoled some top talents into sharing their newest recipes -- some of which, like the Bemelmans Bar's peach-and-berry julep, are steeped in tradition (not to mention bourbon). Others excel at tweaking classic cocktails to lip-smacking effect, like Blue Fin's blueberry mojito, and Théo's Pimm's Tea (a witty marriage of two veddy English traditions that tastes like Henley-on-Thames in a glass). Town's tequila-based Passion is a tropical riff on the champagne cocktail, and its lemongrass-ginger Asia was inspired by a trip to Bangkok. Dylan Prime's ultratart lemon granita is even better frozen. And Blue Fin's house drink proves that this new generation of barkeeps has a healthy sense of humor: It's garnished with gummy fish.
 
COCKTAIL RECIPES
 
The Passion   Town Asia
  Albert Trummer, Town     Albert Trummer, Town
Peach-and-Berry Julep   The Blue Fin
  Dale Degroff, Bemelman's Bar     Greg Harrington, Blue Fin
Blueberry Mojito   Pimm's Tea
  Greg Harrington, Blue Fin     Damian Windsor, Théo
Madison Fizz Dylan Lemon Granita
  Audrey Saunders, Bemelman's Bar     John Mautone, Dylan Prime
         
      Plus: More Drink Recipes