Nov. 27--Purple drinks are rare -- Kool-Aid and grape soda are pretty much it -- and, thus, you rarely see purple cocktails, let alone good ones. But at Elixir Lounge's new location in Andersonville (the original Elixir is in Boystown), lavender and violet syrups give a distinctive amethyst hue to the Flower Power ($11), a gin cocktail with housemade nasturtium bitters and a dash of lemon juice.
The drink was inspired by a customer's request, says Elixir Andersonville's head bartender and manager Vlad Novikov.
"I used to work at the Lakeview location, and one of our regulars was very excited about nasturtiums, and came in and asked if we could make bitters with them or use them in a cocktail somehow," he says. "We ended up making these absolutely fantastic bitters with nasturtiums, cinchona bark and Sichuan peppercorns."
When the bartender and his team put together the menu for Elixir Andersonville, they decided to incorporate the bitters into a new drink: something floral but balanced.
The Flower Power kicks off with Nolet's gin, a favorite of Novikov's for its notes of rose, peach and raspberry; Maison Routin syrups add floral sweetness, and the lemon and housemade bitters balance each sip with tart citrus and woodsy spice, respectively.
The drink's crowning glory, however, is its garnish: A plum-colored, candied hibiscus flower, sourced from local specialty tea supplier Rare Tea Cellar, spills over the lip of the glass in a chic and sugar-preserved bloom. 1500 W. Balmoral Ave., 773-654-1751, www.elixirandersonville.com.
Leah Pickett is a freelance writer.
