Cocktails

Trying and Failing to Conquer the Beer Margarita at El Maguey

There isn't much Gut Check is willing to thank the Jersey Shore for popularizing, but hey, we do love crazy, bizarre, unholy food and drink combinations. Not-so-recently (like two years ago), Jersey Shore cast-members were photographed drinking frozen margaritas with upturned Corona bottles garnishi ... More >>

Holiday Cocktail Countdown #4: Milagro's Spicy Chocolate Martini

Like any red-blooded American, Gut Check uses liquid medication to cope with holiday stress. Not only does a good winter cocktail make it possible to tolerate family members, say, inquiring about your procreation plans, it helps keep you warm, too. From now until Christmas, we're calling upon local ... More >>

Holiday Cocktail Countdown #14: Blood & Sand's Blitzentrapper

Like any red-blooded American, Gut Check uses liquid medication to cope with holiday stress. Not only does a good winter cocktail make it possible to tolerate family members, say, inquiring about your procreation plans, it helps keep you warm, too. From now until Christmas, we're calling upon local ... More >>

Holiday Cocktail Countdown #15: Katie's Pizzeria's Blood Orange Martini

Like any red-blooded American, Gut Check uses liquid medication to cope with holiday stress. Not only does a good winter cocktail make it possible to tolerate family members, say, inquiring about your procreation plans, it helps keep you warm, too. From now until Christmas, we're calling upon local ... More >>

Vodka: Mixologists Just Say Nyet

Whip cream vodka? No thanks, says Taste's Ted Kilgore.​There's a war going on among modern mixologists -- a war over a spirit. Vodka has recently been outed as the unwanted stepson in many restaurants and bars that specialize in house and hand-crafted cocktails. After all, even the priciest vo ... More >>

DeMun Oyster Bar's TJ Vytlacil: Featured Bartender of the Week

Welcome to Girl Walks into a Bar, a weekly Gut Check feature that spotlights local bars and bartenders. This week Katie Moulton profiles DeMun Oyster Bar's TJ Vytlacil. Below is a Q&A with Vytlacil followed by the recipe for the award-winning Love Burns. Katie MoultonTJ Vytlacil pours an award-winn ... More >>

Water Street Cafe and Cocktail Bar's Gabe Kveton: Featured Bartender of the Week

Welcome to Girl Walks into a Bar, a weekly Gut Check feature that spotlights local bars and bartenders. This week Katie Moulton profiles Water Street Cafe & Cocktail Bar's co-owner Gabe Kveton. Below is a Q&A with Kveton, followed by the recipe for the Rye Half-Flip. Katie Moulton​This is Gab ... More >>

The Lou's Best and Booziest Compete for a Spot in the Manhattan Cocktail Classic

Kristen KlempertChad George of Demun Broadway Oyster bar gives his drinks a good shake during the signature ingredient round. ​Sunday April 17, St. Louis' best bartenders competed at Taste's new home in the Central West End in the St. Louis' Top Mixology Competition sponsored by DonQ Rum. Mixo ... More >>

Mojitos on Tap? Maybe If All the Mixologists Are Hurt

Image viaMojitos: Coming soon to a bar tap near you?​Two stories from opposite ends of the booze spectrum caught my eye:First, on the high end, we have a New York Times article on the injury risk confronting the new generation of bartenders or, if you like (they do!), mixologists:Bartending has ne ... More >>

St. Louis Happy Hours: Clayton

Image viaMojitos: Coming soon to a bar tap near you?​Two stories from opposite ends of the booze spectrum caught my eye:First, on the high end, we have a New York Times article on the injury risk confronting the new generation of bartenders or, if you like (they do!), mixologists:Bartending has ne ... More >>

St. Louis Happy Hours: Central West End

Image viaMojitos: Coming soon to a bar tap near you?​Two stories from opposite ends of the booze spectrum caught my eye:First, on the high end, we have a New York Times article on the injury risk confronting the new generation of bartenders or, if you like (they do!), mixologists:Bartending has ne ... More >>

McGurk's Public House's Charlie Myers: Featured Bartender of the Week

Welcome to Girl Walks into a Bar, a weekly Gut Check feature that spotlights local bars and bartenders. This week Alissa Nelson profiles Charlie Myers of McGurk's Public House in O'Fallon. Below is a Q&A with Walters, followed by a video of him and special guest Ronnie Walters of McGurk's Soulard mi ... More >>

Taste By Niche's Ted Kilgore: Featured Bartender of the Week

Welcome to Girl Walks into a Bar, a weekly Gut Check feature that spotlights local bars and bartenders. This week Alissa Nelson profiles Taste by Niche bartender Ted Kilgore. Below is a Q&A with Kilgore, followed by a video of him mixing an El Maestro No. 1 cocktail. Alissa Nelson​The "10,000 ... More >>

Mango Peruvian Cuisine: Good as (Incan) Gold

Kristen Klempert​The Joint: Mango Peruvian Cuisine 1101 Lucas Avenue 314-621-9993 The Hours: Mon.-Fri. 3-6 p.m. (Late-night Mon.-Thu. 9-11 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 10 p.m.-1 a.m. The Deal: $5 martinis, margaritas, select wines; $3 draft beer; $2 bottled beer; $16 pitchers of sangría. Select appetize ... More >>

Sunday is N.I.C.E. - That's "National Ice Cream Day"!

​We have the Gipper to thank for this one. Sweets-loving president Ronald Reagan issued an official proclamation marking the third Sunday in July as National Ice Cream Day. Despite the cone's reputed creation at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair, our town's not making a big deal of the holiday ... More >>

Bon Appétit Names Taste by Niche One of the Top 10 Best New Cocktail Bars

Stew SmithTaste by Niche mixologist Ted Kilgore​Bon Appétit has named Taste by Niche (1831 Sidney Street; 314-773-7755) one of the "Top 10 Best New Cocktail Bars" in its August issue. The blurb mentions mixologist Ted Kilgore's "Grey Fizz," a combination of gin, vermouth infused with Earl Grey te ... More >>

List of Hot Cocktail Trends Is a Good Excuse to Post This Video

So Bombay Sapphire has surveyed "1,000 bartenders from 40 states" (according to the press release it sent out) to determine the top ten "hottest trends in mixology."The list includes both the expected (variations on classic cocktails) and, well, the unexpected -- such as hot trend #4. What is hot tr ... More >>

Innovations in Sneaking: The Solid-State Cocktail

Fernando de Sousa, Wikimedia Commons While I'm constantly amazed at the number of movie theaters in St. Louis that offer beer, wine and decent coffee, there still aren't many places you can enjoy a good cocktail during the show. What's a sneak to do?1. Pre-mix the cocktail and bring it in a bottle ... More >>

Sot in the City: It's time to hit the bottle — not the beach!

Fernando de Sousa, Wikimedia Commons While I'm constantly amazed at the number of movie theaters in St. Louis that offer beer, wine and decent coffee, there still aren't many places you can enjoy a good cocktail during the show. What's a sneak to do?1. Pre-mix the cocktail and bring it in a bottle ... More >>

Perfect Margarita and Apple Juice

An Applebee's

Hendrick's Martini

Lester's Sports Bar & Grill, 9906 Clayton Road, Ladue; 314-994-0055.

The Gold Standard Cosmopolitan

Mandarin, 44 Maryland Plaza, 314-367-4447.

Drinks Of The Year

Monarch,
7401 Manchester Road, Maplewood; 314-644-7175.

Al Smith's Feasting Fox,
4200 South Grand Avenue; 314-352-3500.

Mango,
7307 Watson Road, Shrewsbury; 314-752-8300.

Monarch Martini

Monarch, 7401 Manchester Road, Maplewood; 314-644-7175.

Clayton on the Beach

Monarch, 7401 Manchester Road, Maplewood; 314-644-7175.

Ting Tang

Duff's, 392 N. Euclid Avenue, 314-361-0522

Red Lantern

Mélange, 512 North Euclid Avenue, 314-361-8883

The Subcontinental

The Royale, 3132 South Kingshighway, 314-772-3600

Hendrick's Gin and Tonic

Harvest, 1059 South Big Bend Boulevard; 314-645-3522.

Ain't No Cure for the Summertime Booze

Chill out at these St. Louis watering holes

Singapore Sling

Savor, 4356 Lindell Boulevard; 314-531-0220

Hotel Bars

Drink of the Week: A downtown highlight reel

Ouzo Martini

Momos, 630 North and South Boulevard, University City; 314-863-3511

Drinks of the Year

Mirasol, 6144 Delmar Boulevard, 314-721-6909; Arthur Clay's, 7266 Manchester Road, Maplewood, 314-645-0300; Meshuggah, 6269 Delmar Boulevard, University City, 314-726-5662

Lemongrass Mojito

Mirasol, 6144 Delmar Boulevard, 314-721-6909

Best Martini

Pin-Up Bowl

Best Margarita

Pueblo Solis

Best Place for Cocktails

King Louie's

Mojito Limón

Tavern 43, 7927 Forsyth Boulevard, Clayton, 314-725-4334

Raising the Bar

A week of the drink

Anytime Martini

SqWires, 1415 South 18th Street, 314-865-3522

Wild Apple Martini

12 North, 12 North Meramec, 314-721-7801

Golden Margarita

Maya Café, 2726 Sutton Avenue, 314-781-4774

The Caipirinha

Yemanja Brasil, 2900 Missouri (at Pestalozzi), 314-771-7457

Best Martini

Nik's Wine Bar & Hookah Lounge

Martinis

Tangerine

Margaritas

Hacienda

Best Martini

Kirk's American Bistro & Bar

Side Dish

How to make an apple martini that's fit for dessert

Best Peach Daiquiri

Kinder's Restaurant