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TOPEKA MAGAZINE | Summer 2019
APPETITE STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY
Katie Moore
Summer
DRINKS Classics with twists take center stage in these Topeka-original creations
S
ummertime living is made easier by sipping a drink (or two) at one of Topeka’s spots offering seasonal specials. Here are three drinks from local bartenders representing different flavors and different parts of the city, but all created to beat the hot and humid days before us.
The Rosebud at The Weather Room In burgeoning downtown Topeka, Cyrus Hotel is focused on creating one-of-a-kind experiences and offering hand-crafted cocktails at its flagship restaurant and bar, The Weather Room. Here, the staff puts a spin on The Roseberry, a concoction of rose liqueur, gin, simple syrup and aquafaba (the residual water from cooking chickpeas). The mix is shaken and poured into a chilled glass, then topped with sparkling wine. The aquafaba provides a frothy layer, allowing bartenders to float a rose petal delicately at the top of the drink. “We took a classic roseberry and made it our own,” says Ray Alexander, director of food and beverages at the Cyrus Hotel. And, he adds, “It has a very unique taste.”
Sarah Mills, lead bartender at Cyrus Hotel’s The Weather Room Sarah Mills has been bartending in Topeka for eight years, but she says The Weather Room has given her an opportunity to create “eclectic” drinks with specialty tools like infusers and smokers. She describes the chance to develop her own drinks as a “really good experience” that leads to exclusive creations. The Weather Room seeks out products from local businesses such as PT’s Coffee and Hazel Hill Chocolate to incorporate into its drinks and menu and is proud of its location in historic downtown. “People are experiencing downtown a little differently,” says Mills, a native Topekan. “It’s like a second chance. The scene is changing.”
