June 03--It almost doesn't matter what drink you order at Mezcaleria Las Flores, the Logan Square bar that opened in March a few doors down from Billy Sunday. From the second you walk in, you'll be under the spell of a veritable secret garden -- flower bouquets carefully arranged between bottles in the beer cooler, suspended pots with greenery sprouting everywhere, some stems dangling so low they almost brush your head when you're perched on the north banquette. It's all in homage to the flower shop that once occupied the space.
But right: the cocktails. It's one good drink after another when you're in the hands of barkeep Jay Schroeder, but on a recent visit, one stood out -- both for its fit-for-a-picnic flavor and as a welcome introduction to a spirit I didn't know much about: sotol. A funky, vegetal cousin to mezcal, sotol is made from (wait for it) Dasylirion wheeleri, a plant that grows in northern Mexican deserts and looks like a giant Koosh ball. The Magnetic Pole Reversal ($10) teams sotol with a puree of toasted coriander, English cucumber and basil, plus a bittersweet French aperitif called Suze and a dash of lime juice for brightness. The result is more complex than your typical summer sipper, but just as crisp and refreshing.
The glass is prettily wrapped in a banana leaf, which fits right in with the flower-shop spirit. Lovely all around.
Mezcaleria Las Flores, 3149 W. Logan Blvd., 773-278-2215, www.mezcalerialasflores.com
mconrad@tribpub.com
Twitter @marissa_conrad
