Straight Up Style

TASTE STYLE SAVANNAH

Think beyond the bottle. Mixers, artwork, glasses, books and greenery are all welcome at the bar. These shelves include items from Emily McCarthy Shoppe, One Fish Two Fish, The Horseshoe Crab and PW Short.

Straight Up Style

Tips and recipes for the polished home bar (it’s always open)

Photography by MICHAEL SCHALK Styling by EMILY McCARTHY and ALEXIS HUBBARD

Belgian Bee

This recipe comes from rooftop destination Peregrin, which debuted a new menu in April. “Make sure you use a gin high in botanicals, such as Hendricks or The Botanist,” shares one Peregrin bartender, “to enhance the overall fl avor profi le.”

2 oz. Hendricks Gin ½ oz. Lillet Blanc ½ oz. Wildfl ower Savannah Bee Honey ¾ oz. lemon juice ¾ oz. grapefruit juice 1 can Belgian witbier, such as Scattered Sun from Southbound Brewing Company Orange twist

Shake all ingredients except beer in a cocktail shaker and pour in a snifter glass. Top with witbier to taste. Garnish with an orange and cherry.

Books, like these from PW Short, are a great way to add varied height and visual interest to a home bar setup.

Banana Spli

Feeling adventurous? You can elevate this cheeky, tiki libation from Water Witch Tiki by smoking it with a cocktail smoker (several options are available on Amazon). “It’ll further layer the cocktail while creating an amazing aroma in your home,” says owner Brigitte Harley.

1 oz. Barbados rum, such as Bumbu, Mount Gay XO or Doorly’s 12 Year 1 oz. bourbon; Harley recommends Town Branch 1 oz. Giffard Banane du Brésil banana liqueur ½ oz. mezcal, such as Reyes y Cobardes A dash of bitters, such as Angostura

Add all ingredients to mixing glass and stir. Pour over one large ice cube in rocks glass.

Bold glassware and napkins make a DIY cocktail feel extra special. These are from The Horseshoe Crab and Emily McCarthy Shop.

Tres Chiles Margarita

This is a go-to cocktail at Plant Riverside’s Savannah Tequila Co., says tequilier Chelsea DeMark. “It’s a delightful take on a spicy margarita with the fl avors of three distinct peppers.”

1 ½ oz. blanco tequila, such as Corralejo ½ oz. orange liqueur 1 ½ oz. three pepper piloncillo syrup (see recipe below) 1 oz. freshly squeezed lime

Combine tequila, orange liqueur, three pepper piloncillo syrup and lime juice. Serve over ice.

To make the piloncillo syrup:

Remove all seeds and roughly chop one serrano pepper, one jalapeño pepper and one poblano pepper. Add to a pot with two cups of water, bring to a boil, and immediately reduce to a simmer. Stir in 6 ounces of piloncillo sugar, also known as panela (can be found in the international section at the grocery store). Let simmer for 10 minutes, then remove from heat, let cool and strain.

Serve a crowd with pretty pitchers. A covered, taginestyle dish keeps bugs at bay.

A brandy glass from The Cottage Shop pairs with monogrammed cocktail napkins from Emily McCarthy Shoppe.

Bourbon with mint, ginger and lemon

This recipe is adapted from the lifestyle blog Husbands That Cook. Any bourbon will do, but Prime Liquor (5500 Abercorn St., Ste. 20) has a vast selection of rare bourbons to up the ante.

3 slices of fresh ginger 4 mint leaves, plus extra for garnish 3 oz. bourbon 1 oz. lemon juice 1 oz. simple syrup 2 dashes bitters, such as Angostura

Muddle ginger slices and mint leaves in a cocktail shaker until thoroughly crushed. Add bourbon, lemon, simple syrup and bitters, then fi ll with ice and shake vigorously for about 15 seconds. Strain into a chilled coupe glass, and garnish with mint, if desired.