3 strange but delicious cocktails to try

A few weeks ago, while at dinner at Tonari in Gallery Place, my waiter (shoutout to Dave!) convinced me to embrace the unusual by trying a signature cocktail called the FSM. Featuring offbeat ingredients such as salted tomato syrup, fish sauce, and spicy nori, I was fully prepared for a glass of salty regret. But to my delight, it was surprisingly delicious — awakening a desire for more bold concoctions. 

Fast forward to a Thursday evening at L’Annexe, a lush cocktail bar in Georgetown, where I confessed to the bartender that nearly every cocktail on their menu sounded terrifying yet intriguing. For each strange ingredient I rattled off, the bartender responded with a confident “Mmm, delicious,” which only fueled my curiosity. So I ranked three drinks in order of intimidation, entrusting my palate to the mixologist, and bravely sipped my way through. 

I started with the Queen of the South — priced at $19 and crafted with cilantro-macerated tequila, caramelized pineapple, habanero-cilantro shrub, lime, and egg white — this drink was made to be savored. Soft, frothy, and spicy, it gently tingled on my lips, leaving a clean finish. I sipped it slowly, allowing the heat to complement my Angus beef sliders while the garnish, a deep purple viola, floated beautifully in my glass. 

I took in the atmosphere — a mix of casual refinement in both the bar and its patrons — as vibey French Bossa Nova filled the room. To my surprise, nearly everyone seated at the bar sipped cocktails while working on their laptops. Perhaps the energy emanating from the library nestled in the back causes the drinks to pair well with their devices. 

Next up was Benny Blanco from the Bronx ($19), a cocktail that immediately caught my eye with its cylindrical, delicately floating ice ball that slowly melted as it skimmed the surface. Made with coconut oil-washed blanco tequila, aloe vera liqueur, and shiso bitters, the drink had an unexpectedly light, sweet, and aromatic profile — smooth like hard candy, yet refreshing. The shiso leaf, clipped with a tiny clothespin, added a fragrant, herbaceous touch while the shiso bitters provided a subtle, tea-like finish without the usual bitterness.

Finally, I ended with the Belle Rouge ($22), the Big Scary drink I’d been avoiding all night. I pushed this one off until the enticing smoke from another patron’s glass wafted beneath my nose, luring me to finally plunge into this bold and elegant creation. Rich, sweet, full-bodied, and warming, it combined roasted bell pepper, duck fat-washed bourbon, and spiced cilantro cordial. It was presented in a glass bottle infused with smoke, alongside a cocktail glass with a large ice cube. The smoke deepened the drink’s complexity the longer it lingered.

By the end, there was no denying it, each drink had been as the bartender described,  “Mmm, delicious.”