“Every great cocktail has four components,” explains Nils Westlind of Latin American-inspired restaurant and bar Ronero. “You need a base spirit, something sweet, something sour and something bitter.”
To that end, Ronero’s Boca do Rio ($13) balances four ingredients, each fulfilling a singular role in a well-crafted whole that’s greater than the sum of its parts.
The base spirit, Absolut Elyx, is a premium vodka, probably the most recognizable element in the mix.
Adding sweet-tartness is grenadine, made in-house from a mix of pomegranate, sugar, hibiscus flowers and acai, an antioxidant-rich berry native to Brazil.
Lemon juice amps up the sourness.
More Top Picks Backgammons
Feni, surely the most unusual ingredient in Boca do Rio, is a bitter brandy made from the fleshy applelike sheath that surrounds cashew nuts; it has earthy hints of black pepper and coconut. The trick with Feni, says Westlind, is “not using too much. We use a half-ounce.”
But wait — a fifth ingredient? Before serving, Westlind pours a topper of sparkling wine, which both lightens the cocktail and adds everyone’s favorite party trick: bubbles. I’ll clink to that.
Ronero, 738 W. Randolph St., 312-600-6105, www.ronerochicago.com
David Hammond is a freelance writer.
.galleries:after {
content: ”;
display: block;
background-color: #144A7C;
margin: 16px auto 0;
height: 5px;
width: 100px;
}
.galleries:before {
content: “Food & Dining Photos and Video”;
display: block;
font: 700 23px/25px Georgia,serif;
text-align: center;
color: #1e1e1e;
var playlist = ‘chi_dining’,
layout = ‘autoblurb5plus1’,
iu = ‘%2F4011%2Ftrb.chicagotribune%2Fent%2Fdining’;