Beth Skogen
Classics dominate bar manager Stephanie Sudduth's cocktail menu.
A Pig in a Fur Coat (940 Williamson St.) has added a new bar area, and Stephanie Sudduth, formerly of Osteria Papavero, is behind the new, short cocktail program.
It’s dominated by classics, some with an Italian/Mediterranean bent, complementing the cuisine. Each classic is paired with a slightly less well-known and more adventurous cousin.
The Boulevardier (with whiskey instead of gin) is paired with the Negroni; the Hemingway Daiquiri (maraschino liqueur and grapefruit juice swapped for simple syrup) with the Daiquiri; the Kentucky Mule (with whiskey instead of vodka) with the Moscow Mule, etc.
The Negroni is well-executed with “mostly equal parts,” says Sudduth — she uses Beefeater gin, Dolin sweet vermouth and Campari. But there’s also a smoky, off-menu tequila and mezcal version of the Negroni that sports Lillet Rouge in place of sweet vermouth. This combo has been sometimes called an “Avagoni” or a “Tegroni,” but is relatively hard to find. Substituting Lillet Rouge, as Sudduth does, is altogether novel.
The agave-based liquors bring out the stewed fruit in the Lillet, and the cocktail is a sign of the restaurant’s philosophy and standards of execution: Classics done with flair and good sense, but with variations winning enough to get noticed.
