A Rose by Any Other Name and Jalapeno Margarita at Savant Project

Rose by Any Other Name



















3 oz rose infused bourbon
1/2 oz Frenette
1/2 oz St. Germaine
Splash Mathilde Peach
Splash Lemon Juice
Shake and Strain into Martini glass
Garnish with a Cherry that has been dehydrated then rehydrated in bourbon

Jalapeno Margarita



















3 oz Jalapeno infused Tequila
1 oz Orange curacao
Pour over ice fill with sour mix
Garnish with lime and salted rim

As a Mission Hill resident, when I am faced with the decision of which neighborhood establishment to visit for a quiet night out, I typically choose The Savant Project. Savant is the only bar in the area that responds to a request for a drink list with a physical menu, rather than a gesture towards the line of taps. Savant has a relatively young bar staff, but they seem to have evolved beyond the tap-pulling gorillas at competing neighborhood bars. The Savant project is a cordial bar, (having a cordial license requires the liquors behind the bar to adhere to a certain sugar content). This can be off putting at first, but after tasting a couple of their cocktails you will quickly realize there is no cause for concern. The cordial license is received as a challenge and forces the staff to make imaginative infusions and inspires interesting flavor twists on classic cocktails. The bar manager of Savant is Maureen, and I was lucky enough to have her as my bartender on my most recent visit. The original cocktail she coined as "A rose by any other name" was a great floral answer to the classic Manhattan. The second cocktail was a brutally spicy Jalapeno margarita. It had a great flavor, but was not easy on the stomach. If you can accept the fact that you can't order a Tanqueray and tonic without lychee infusion and forgive the occasional Pabst pounding, barely post pubescent hipster infestation, Savant is a great place to stop for an after work drink. I'll be there scarfing the $5 nacho plate.

John's Judo Surprise and classic Sidecar at the Alchemist

John's Judo Surprise














3 oz Canton Ginger Liqueur

3 oz St. Germain Elderyberry Liqueur

Splash Pomegranate Juice

Splash Lemon Juice

Shaken and served into a martini glass

Garnish with sugar rim and lemon twist

Alchemist Side Car














4 oz Hennesy Cognac

2 oz GranGala triple orange liqueur

Squeeze of fresh lemon

Squeeze of fresh orange

Shake and serve in Martini Glass

Garnish with Sugar rim and lemon twist

Jamaica Plain is definitely a section of Boston which relishes in the dive bar. From Costello's to Midway Cafe to the Behan, as an ex JP resident I have traveled to all of these sorrow drowning watering holes. The one thing they have in common, aside from the scent of stale tears and urinal cakes, is a blanketed ignorance towards all things shaken, muddled or stirred. The shining exception to this trend in the J.P. bar scene is the Alchemist, located on the intersection of Moraine, South Huntington, Boylston and Centre. The Alchemist, home of huge martinis, and even larger bartenders is where I visit when thirsty in J.P. When I took my seat at the bar John (you'll recogonize him as the bartender with arms the width of your torso) made me an unnamed drink that is going to be on the Alchemist's new upcoming drink list. Whether my wrist felt limp due to the size of the martini glass or the color of the drink has yet to be decided, but I assure you, his full bodied answer to the watery pomegrenate martini is the way a cocktail should taste. The cocktail was well thought out and put its vodka wreaking half sweet compatriot to shame. The other drink was a traditional side car, made with fresh fruit and GranGala liqueur rather than Triple sec. The GranGala was a brilliant addition to the cocktail and made it peach schnapps smooth. If you are ever in the area, the Alchemist is an interesting blend of Irish pub, concert venue, and minimalist art gallery. It's a great place to visit and a better place to frequent.