The 10 best cocktails in Lexington to try before you die. Plus a ‘slushy for adults’

Classic cocktails, and the elegant culture associated with them, have always fascinated me.

Whether it was sitting in the bar at Duke’s Hotel in London sipping the martini that inspired author Ian Fleming to create James Bond’s favorite libation, or enjoying a Singapore Sling at Raffles Hotel in Singapore where the fruity gin concoction originated, I’m a sucker for a good cocktail.

While London and Singapore may be better known for their signature beverages, Lexington is no slouch in the creative artisan cocktails served at many local restaurants.

Even with the departure of the innovative West Main Crafting Co. last year, Lexington can still lay claim to some pretty classy classic cocktails. Check out any of these spots or see what’s on the bar menu at your own favorite restaurant.

Here’s my list and guide of the best — crowd-sourced from locals who know what they’re drinking — cocktails from Lexington bars and restaurants.

The Rackhouse Tavern: Appalachian

Case in point. I recently dined at The Rackhouse Tavern, the new restaurant in the Campbell House Hotel. Perusing the cocktail menu, I came across something called the Appalachian ($13) which promised to be “sweet and smokey.”

Described as a Kentucky twist on a classic Manhattan, the drink pairs Barrel House Select, a local bourbon, with sweet vermouth, maraschino liqueur and a couple of dashes of smoked cinnamon bitters. One sip and that sweet/smokey combo made me a believer. If this is how they do it in Appalachia, I’ll take it over the Big Apple any day. Voila, I had a new favorite local cocktail.

Giuseppe’s: Bulleit Barrel Ginger Sour

Well, at least a co-favorite. On a subsequent stop at Giuseppe’s, for my usual Lemontini, bartender Scott Moore (don’t call him a mixologist – “I’m just an old-fashioned bartender,”) insisted I try the Bulleit Barrel Ginger Sour ($16.)

I’m ashamed to admit it but after one sip of this sultry synthesis of flavors, I abandoned the Lemontini. The Bulleit Barrel Pick Ginger Sour is made from Bulleit Bourbon, Domaine Canton ginger liqueur, sweetened lime juice and a splash of orange juice. This is a cocktail that will please even the most discriminating palate.

Honeywood, The Thirsty Fox: The Honeywood

Alas, I’ve even been known to cheat on the cocktail I cheated with. I find the Honeywood, served at both its namesake restaurant ($11) and its sister property, The Thirsty Fox at Zim’s Café ($12), delicious for an afternoon delight.

The Honeywood Cocktail is made from Woodford Rye, Aperol (an Italian aperitif), smoked honey and grapefruit, served up. It even has a great story behind it, being named for Honeywood Parrish Rouse, the very essence of a Kentucky belle. Honeywood grew up in what is now Holly Hill Inn, and is said to have enjoyed a bourbon cocktail every day promptly at 4 p.m. Now, that’s a tradition I can get behind.

Once it hit me that scoping out the classiest of the classic cocktails in Lexington would make a good story, I began my research by assembling a panel of experts who are no strangers to imbibing – in other words, family and friends. I asked each to share his/her favorite cocktail and why they loved it. Most couldn’t stop with one.

Sedona Taphouse: Prickly Pear Margarita

I started with my sister Debbie Pinkston. We had survived the darkest days of the pandemic by regularly picking up Prickly Pear Margaritas curbside at Sedona Taphouse. So naturally this ranks high on her list.

Sedona Taphouse bartender Mac Perry says the drink ($8 at happy hour, $10 the rest of the time) is one of the restaurant’s most popular. Perry makes her margarita using a yellow tequila such as Jose Cuervo or Pepe Lopez, triple sec, 50 percent fresh squeezed lime juice and 50 percent simple syrup. The secret weapon is a special syrup, Desert Pear, which Perry says, “gives it a sweetness as well as its pink/purple color.”

My sister likes its versatility. “You don’t have to wait until dinner to drink it,” she says. “It goes just as well with lunch or brunch.”

Merrick Inn: Bourbon Slush

Debbie says that once the weather gets warmer, she’ll be heading to Merrick Inn for their Bourbon Slush ($10.)

“The combination of bourbon (Maker’s Mark), fruit juices and tea make it a perfect drink to enjoy on a hot summer night on Merrick Inn’s patio,” she says.

Restaurant event coordinator Alex Lennon describes the drink as “a slushy for adults. For that reason, we offer it seasonally, in the spring, summer and fall.”

Belle’s Cocktail House: Naked in the Garden

No one in Lexington knows more about cocktails than Justin Thompson, an owner of Justins’ House of Bourbon and Belle’s Cocktail House.

At Belle’s, he recommends their signature cocktail with the provocative name Naked in the Garden ($12), which co-founder Larry Redmon borrowed from one of his own songs. A delightfully refreshing drink, it’s made from cucumber-infused Wheatley Vodka, lemon juice, strawberry shrub, lemon and cucumber slices and strawberry halves.

When he takes a busman’s holiday, Thompson heads to Bourbon on Rye “for anything (bartender) Chris Evans wants to make me.

“He has a great range of spirits in his cocktail arsenal including mezcal, gin, vodka, spirits he’s infused on his own, and of course, bourbon and rye.”

Epping’s on Eastside: The Eastsider

My friend Cheryl Lalonde, an attorney and cocktail connoisseur, will make a trip to Epping’s on Eastside just for their eponymous Eastsider ($12), a heady concoction of 360 degree vanilla vodka, house-blended passion fruit liqueur, passion fruit puree, fresh squeezed lime juice and lemon and lime soda.

“I love the combination of sweetness and tartness,” she says. “The tartness of the passion fruit tempers the sugar so that it feels like the sweetness is coming directly from the fruit.”

Le Deauville: French 75

Former Lexington mayor and current Secretary of the Transportation Cabinet Jim Gray doesn’t hesitate when I asked him his libation of choice.

“Has to be the French 75 at Le Deauville ($11.50),” he says. When asked why, he responds, “Marc (owner Marc Puil) uses really good champagne.”

For the record, the champagne used is Piper Heidsieck (interesting factoid: both Marie Antoinette and Marilyn Monroe were fans, and if that’s not enough, it’s the official champagne of the Oscars.)

At Le Deauville, the champagne is paired with Castle & Key gin, fresh lemon juice and simple syrup.

Distilled on Jefferson: Aviation Cocktail

When Gray wants a change, he stops by the bar at Distilled on Jefferson and has beverage director Tymandra Walton’s version of the Aviation Cocktail ($14.)

Walton uses Castle & Key gin, Luxardo maraschino liqueur, crème de violette and lemon juice, shaken and served in a coupe glass with a twist of lemon.

Dudley’s on Short: Perfect Rose

One of my long-time drinking buddies, Jim Clark, executive director of the Ashland/Henry Clay Estate, says he pops in as often as once a week for the Perfect Rose ($14) at Dudley’s on Short.

“It’s a wonderful Manhattan – a perfect balance of bourbon – I always ask for Four Roses Small Batch with a twist – and sweet and dry vermouth. Not only is it delicious, but it’s a lovely amber color.”

Dudley’s on Short: Heath’s Old-Fashioned

Dudley’s owner Debbie Long, admittedly a white wine drinker, says that when guests ask her for a cocktail recommendation, she suggests Heath’s Old-Fashioned, a combination of James E. Pepper 1776 bourbon aged with orange zest, demi spice and maple, with a dash of Peychaud’s bitters.

“No one is ever disappointed,” she says.

This story was originally published April 13, 2022 at 6:00 AM.