We’ve seen the craft beer trend sweep Philly, maybe even the nation. Is there any room left for other craft adult beverages? It seems Brandon Thomas, Garces Trading Company (1111 Locust Street) Beverage Manager, has a very bold, and delicious answer to that question, as he’s whipped up Hand-Bottled Carbonated Cocktails to sell at the European Cafe. Dine-in guests can enjoy three seasonally-changing varieties of the tipples, for $12 each, which are mixed and then bottled with carbonation. Thomas and the Garces Crew are just looking to offer their guests something different, enjoyable and help them beat the heat this Summer.
The refreshing drinks can be opened, poured and garnished to order, making them a perfect accompaniment to the restaurant’s refined cafe-style cuisine. Throughout the seasons, new and exciting combinations will be available. Currently, the restaurant bottles three varieties including: Americano, Campari and Sweet Vermouth with orange oil, garnished with orange peel; Avenue 1111, Tanqueray with house-made lime cordial, ginger beer and mint leaves, garnished with fresh mint; and Pepino Fresco, a version of the drink Chef Garces’ prepared during his Tortillas and Tequila battle on Iron Chef America, which mixes Cuervo Gold and St. Germain elderflower liqueur with celery juice, cucumber juice and lemon juice, garnished with paper-thin cucumber wheels. They are available exclusively to dine-in guests at Garces Trading Company, where Thomas makes batches of the drinks, freezes them to 30 degrees, carbonates and bottles the cocktails.
Garces Trading Company is open Monday to Friday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday brunch is available from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. and dinner is served until 10 p.m. For more information, please call (215) 574-1099, visit www.garcestradingcompany.com and follow them on Twitter (@GarcesTradingCo).
Photos credited to Jason Varney.
