The year in drinking

Exceptional Tulsa cocktails

Tulsa is quickly developing a national reputation for its progressive cocktail scene, and TTV staff photographer
Greg Bollinger has been on the frontlines every step of the way, tasting and documenting the revolution for you faithful spirit geeks. After an arduous year of imbibing, Bollinger offers four personal favorites from 2015. 

Dilly Diner
402 E. 2nd St. | 918.938.6382 | dillydiner.com

The bartender: Ryan Dixon

The cocktail: Cereal Milk

The ingredients: Vodka, vanilla extract, simple syrup, house-made cereal milk and ground nutmeg, served on the rocks

The lowdown: This clever throwback will make you nostalgic for those simpler days of Saturday morning cartoons, when your parents didn’t fret over the ingredients in your loops, charms and puffs. 

Elote Café & Catering
514 S. Boston Ave. | 918.582.1403 | elotetulsa.com

The bartender: Dane Tannehill

The cocktail: Farmer’s Market Margarita with strawberries

The ingredients: Lunazul 100% agave tequila, lime juice, orange juice and sugar muddled with seasonal fresh fruit or veggies, served on the rocks

The lowdown: The local fruit and veggies in this modified house margarita come fresh from the Cherry Street Farmers’ Market. 

The Penthouse Rooftop Lounge at The Mayo Hotel
115 W. 5th St. | 918.582.6296 | themayohotel.com

The bartender: Colin Witt

The cocktail: Caipirinha

The ingredients: Muddled lime, white sugar, 2 ounces of cachaça, served on the rocks

The lowdown: The Caipirinha is Brazil’s national cocktail. Though both rum and cachaça are made from sugarcane-derived products, the alcohol in cachaça results from fresh sugarcane juice, which is later distilled.

SMOKE. on Cherry Street
1542 E. 15th St. | 918.949.4440 | smoketulsa.com

The bartender: Cole Fairchild

The cocktail: Ms. Puente

The ingredients: Kirk and Sweeney 12 year rum, Averna, Dolin Rouge sweet vermouth, chocolate bitters, egg white, served up

The lowdown: A balance between bitter and sweet—the chocolate bitters and the rum give it that sweeter flavor, and the Averna really balances it out with the bitterness.

Want more Booze Clues? Try the Lemon Basil Proseco at Dalesandro's.