Carolyn Fath
The tea cocktail Teh Susu has spicy appeal.
Ah, how we love fall — the magical time of apple orchards, decorative gourds and pumpkin spice everything. At some cocktail establishments, bartenders are breaking out the nutmeg and cranberry bitters for some seasonally inspired libations.
But not at Field Table, where bar manager Michael McDonald is going in the opposite direction. His newly revamped menu is full of flavors that are meant to be enjoyed any time of the year.
One of the most interesting new creations is Teh Susu, named for a common tea drink from Indonesia. It’s a mix of Plantation rum, Osocalis Heritage Brandy and Batavia Arrack, an obscure molasses and rice-based spirit from the Indonesian island of Java. Lemon and grapefruit add a layer of acidic nuance, and clarified milk lends an interesting texture. It’s refreshing and exoticly spiced all at once.
Another unseasonable standout is Vice & Vigor, a heady-yet-elegant cocktail that uses Rittenhouse Rye, Lagavulin 16-year, Door County cherry juice, tea syrup and cherry bark-vanilla bitters. There’s also a zucchini cocktail — somewhat after the peak zucchini month of August. The Zucchero-Zucchine is creative and elegantly garnished with a ribbon of the titular ingredient.
