Carolyn Fath
Savior of the west side.
Madison’s west side can be a challenging place for wannabe cocktail snobs like me to drink. Imagine my delight, then, when an old high school pal recommended the mint vodka lemonade at Gates and Brovi. I almost always order a burger when I go there for lunch, even though something about the place — the lobster boat décor and the alluring aroma of fried seafood — reminds me of summers on Long Island.
And you know what drink pairs perfectly with that fantasy? Fresh mint muddled into Stolichnaya Citros vodka with juiced lemons, just enough simple syrup to take the edge off the sour and a splash of soda to top it off.
The drink is more minty than lemony, and personally, I could have used more lemon. But I had plenty of time to scrutinize the herbal-to-sour flavor ratio, because the drink is served in a nice, tall beer mug. Cool and refreshing doesn’t just describe the surf in Montauk. When I put my ear to the stein, I could almost hear the ocean.
