Myers + Chang Asian Mojito
Photo: courtesy of the restaurant
Sake-based cocktails are shaking up Boston’s drinking scene. Ronnarong Thai Tapas Bar (617-625-9296) in Somerville has created its own line of cocktails made with the Japanese libation, including the Siam Sunray ($9), a mix of coconut juice, chili syrup, fresh lime juice and housemade ginger and lemongrass syrups. In the South End, Myers + Chang (617-542-5200) runs the gamut with a sake gimlet ($9), an Asian mojito ($9) and sake sangria ($9) made with fruit juice du jour such as passion fruit and guava. Finally, funky MFA spot Betty’s Wok & Noodle Diner (617-424-1950), which has been mixing with sake for years, makes a Bettypolitan ($9) – sake, cranberry juice, lime and homemade triple sec – as well as the Bet-Tea ($10), flavored with raw sugar, lemon and home-brewed iced tea. “It’s like an Arnold Palmer, only with sake,” said AJ, a manager and bartender at Betty’s. “For us, it’s just a way to get around the fact that we don’t have a full liquor license – and make some great drinks.”
– Naomi Kooker