The Best Thing We Drank Last Night: The Gregory Peck at Telegraph

By Sarah Freeman

Rarely do we consume a drink that we would rather smell than sip, but there is a first time for everything. The new cocktail menu at Telegraph debuted in July for their one-year-anniversary. The bar program formerly focused on a carefully selected wine list and even more specialized beer menu, but now they have added three cocktails as thoughtfully composed as the rest of the beverage program.

Having only three drinks to choose from cuts down the usually lengthy process of examining a cocktail menu. The first ingredient in the first cocktail made our choice even more obvious. Letherbee’s autumnal gin, the  seasonal spirit released by the small batch local distillery had boozehounds buzzing about the gin infused with the flavors of clove, nutmeg and allspice. In this particular cocktail it is combines with Austrian Spanish cider and elderflower liqueur.

The smell is reminiscent of an apple orchard - imagine a glass of apple cider straight from the farmers market. That aromatic experience is brightened by the gin and intensified by the herbal notes. The smell embodies fall, but the taste is not nearly as intense. This well-balanced cocktail is almost dangerously refreshing, there are obvious citric tones due to the apple flavor, but it is paired perfectly with their floral elderflower and gin.