Don't Sweat It

Cool off with summer drinks from powerful to sublime

Friday, July 18, 2014

From the booming food truck business in Fayetteville to culinary expertise taking hold in Bentonville kitchens, our corner of the state is gaining regional and national recognition for its eats.

But what about its drinks?

Cravings change from season to season for food and beverages, and there is plenty of Northwest Arkansas talent crafting delicious seasonal drinks to help Arkansans cool off in the state's notorious summer heat.

Here are some of the best alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages to try before summer's end. Of course, this isn't a master list. These are just a few of the drinks that stand out.

Garden Tom

28 Springs

Siloam Springs

The drinks enthusiasts at 28 Springs in Siloam Springs have a lot to offer by way of unique summer cocktails. My favorite creation is bartender Bryan McKenzie's take on the Tom Collins, to which he added muddled cucumber and cilantro. The drink is served only in the summer because the cucumbers and cilantro are purchased fresh from the Siloam Springs Farmers Market less than a block away. The addition of cucumber and cilantro to the gin base creates a really light-tasting drink, and the lemon-cucumber-cilantro garnish truly makes you feel like you're drinking something straight from the garden.

The Benton County

The Hive

Bentonville

It's difficult to stray from sweet, fruity cocktails to break up the monotony of Arkansas summer days with something thirst-quenching. The Benton County, a bourbon-based cocktail from The Hive at the 21c Museum Hotel, is exactly that. The Benton County combines Old Forester Bourbon with mango-strawberry-cilantro shrub, an acidic, concentrated syrup made with vinegar and fruit. This one echoes the Garden Tom sampled at 28 Springs in that it also uses cilantro to achieve that straight-from-the-garden freshness, both in flavor and in aesthetic appeal.

Mango Chamoyada

Chez Mae

Fayetteville

(Nonalcoholic)

For those who don't or can't yet indulge in cocktails and want to try something different, this is a frozen drink from Chez Mae, a food truck just off of College Avenue and near Lake Fayetteville. Chamoyada is a Mexican take on shaved ice that intertwines spicy, sweet and salty flavors. The shaved ice is made with Chamoy sauce -- mixed in and drizzled on top -- layered with mango slices and garnished with a spicy-sweet candy straw called Tama-Roca. Chez Mae also serves pineapple and tamarind chamoyadas, as well as more "normal" flavors of shaved ice.

Piña Colada

Acapulco Mexican Grill

Springdale

A summer drink compilation is never complete without listing a worthy pina colada. I figure it's time to begin sampling piña coladas as soon as the weather gets above 70 degrees or so, which is fairly early here in Northwest Arkansas. I found a good example of this summer favorite at Acapulco Mexican Grill in Springdale. Acapulco servers were hesitant to disclose their recipe, but I guarantee their ratios were perfect. I'm surprised by how easy it can be to mess this drink up -- the pineapple juice or mix often tastes too acidic or the drink's consistency is too watery. But Acambaro gets this one just right.

Sazerac

Maxine's Tap Room

Fayetteville

If you're going for something smooth and only mildly sweet, I recommend the Sazerac cocktail from Maxine's Taproom in Fayetteville, where the bartenders know how to take something common and turn it into something divine. The ingredients are traditional -- rye whiskey, Peychaud's Bitters, a sugar cube and absinthe -- but the result is nonetheless delicious. Sip on this one on a muggy summer evening -- like I did -- and soak up its elegant, soothing nature.

Kilowatt

Powerhouse Seafood and Grill

Fayetteville

The kilowatt from Powerhouse Seafood and Grill in Fayetteville is enjoyable for wildly different reasons than the Sazerac: It doesn't exude the Sazerac's elegance, but the kilowatt is fun. And if you get one on a Monday between 4 and 6 p.m., it costs very little to partake. This one is meant to be enjoyed with a group of friends under the most casual of circumstances, such as outdoors on the restaurant's patio. Kilowatts are served in 12- and 16-ounce portions, but they're made by the bucket. Four cans of pineapple juice, one gallon of orange juice, three bottles of house coconut rum, one bottle of Bacardi 151 rum, one gallon of water and hurricane mix go into this epic concoction. Maybe you ought to share.

Kiwi Strawberry Mint

Kona Coast

Fayetteville

(Nonalcoholic)

This "ade" made by the two women running Kona Coast, a food truck in Fayetteville, makes a perfect midday drink that doesn't break the bank. It doesn't taste like canned juice you buy at the grocery store, and that's because it's made from real fruit. The mint used for flavoring and for garnish gives it a cool note, and it's picked from a plant growing just outside the truck. You might not find this flavor at Kona Coast every day, though. They like to switch up the fruits they use, and those depend upon what's in season. Lately, they've served drinks using blueberries and strawberries, and sometimes they whip up fruity lemonades.

NAN What's Up on 07/18/2014