Down the Hatch: Torero y yo

Torrero Bar + Kitchen, 202 S. Cheyenne Ave.

Torero’s bar juts one way and then another like a cartoon lighting bolt. It’s made of svelte wood with sleek royal blue tile at its back, overlooked by a giant black bull’s head. Behind its angular path gleam silver unmarked beer taps and two mirror-backed sections of a replete bar that says “order off our cocktail menu, or throw something else our way.”

I’ll give you a drink to throw their way: a Pisco sidecar, which bar manager Lesley Nelson said was a potential for the 2017 cocktail menu update. Made like a grapefruit sidecar, the drink substitutes a single-origin Pisco for cognac, and the rest consists of Cointreau, grapefruit juice, and lemon garnish with a sugar rim. It errs slightly on the side of sweet, but has enough tang to reel you back in. 

The Paladar is original to the Torero cocktail menu, made with mezcal, scotch, honey liqueur, and chocolate and orange bitters. It is smoky and slightly peaty, with a good dose of bitterness from the bitters duo and freshness from the lemon peel.

Besides the cocktail menu and 40 beers on tap, Torero has a broad selection of wines, hailing mainly from Spain and South America. 

“I like selling from those places because they’re affordable,” Nelson said. “People can get bottles and share, which goes with the restaurant’s tapas theme. And, more and more quality producers are coming out of South America. I like showcasing those terroir-driven wines.” 

One such wine is the Vigno Vignadores de Carignan by Garage Wine Co.—a company which celebrates having begun as “garagistes,” or in the garage. Garage Wine Co. is part of the current movement of smaller, more personal winemakers stepping out of Chile’s exclusive, corporate winemaking pattern. The wine is made from a carignan grape, which was brought from France to the Maule Valley of Chile. If you order a bottle, notice the seal—it’s made of recycled crayons. 

While most of the cocktail menu has changed since Torero opened in 2016, a few holdovers remain: the classic daiquiri variation Hotel Nacional Special, made with añejo rum, apricot liqueur, lime, and pineapple; the aforementioned Paladar; and the Zozobrar—made with grilled pineapple syrup, tobacco-infused rum, lime, and salt.

Happy hour is from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., and from 9 p.m. to close (10 p.m. weeknights, 11 p.m. weekends) they offer a late night menu with snacks and ceviches on special to complement your cocktails. Enjoy!

In “Down the Hatch,” assistant editor Liz Blood offers a look inside Tulsa’s many bars, pubs, saloons and gin joints. Send suggestions for future columns to liz@langdonpublishing.com or @lizblood on Twitter. For another sip, read Liz's article on inexpensive sparkling wines.