Tag: Downstairs at Esquire

Tales from Texas: new cocktail menu at Downstairs at Esquire Tavern

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New cocktail menu featuring ‘San Anto Stories.’ Photo: Giant Noise, used with permission. 

Downstairs at Esquire Tavern, the 2016 basement addition to the James Beard nominated Esquire Tavern in San Antonio, has launched a new cocktail menu. Curated by Beverage Director, Houston Eaves, each drink of the eight-part cocktail series, named ‘San Anto Stories,’ is inspired by a tale that ties into San Antonio’s 300+ years of history. After all, The Esquire Tavern withstands the test of time after opening in 1933 to celebrate Prohibition ending. In true South Texas fashion, the drinks are packed with spirits and flavors popular to its own region as well as Mexico’s, like Ruby Red Grapefruit and Oaxacan Rum. (Downstairs at Esquire Tavern, 2019)

La Tierra De Viejitas ($12) – sun-drenched & oxidized wine, Oaxacan rum, lemon, orgeat

Slayer of Jack Harris ($12)– slayer rum blend, oloroso sherry, butter, honey, lime

Johnson’s Jumper ($12) – championship rum blend, banana, lemon, almond. The championship rum blend is composed of 8 different rums that come from Jamaica, Guyana, Martinique, Panama and the Dominican Republic.
Inspiration: Avery Johnson made the game-winning jump shot to secure the San Antonio Spurs first NBA championship in 1999. The image in the menu is as Cruz Ortiz, the artist who designed the menu, recalled watching that momentous game at the longest bar in Texas.

Battle of Bexar ($14) – high-proof tequila, madeira, aquilino’s ensamble, orange bitters

People of Reason ($14) – manzanilla sherry, pineapple, carrot eau de vie, absinthe

Pavol Real ($14) – cherry & grape brandies, coffee-fernet, lime, ranch cherry wine, egg white

Fiesta Babies ($12) – high-proof tequila, pasubio, grapefruit, pear, tonic water
Inspiration: This festive cocktail was inspired by the uptick of San Antonians born in January each year as a result of their parents’ enjoyment of the revelry of Fiesta, San Antonio’s biggest annual party, the previous April. There are entire families whose children are all born in January, and their parents lovingly refer to them as their Fiesta Babies.

Flood of 1921 ($60)
The Flood of 1921 is punch service for a group of guests. The recipe changes every week or so as Downstairs at Esquire prepares a new batch and bottle of it for service. Currently, the bar is serving a colonial-era inspired punch utilizing cognac, bourbon, rum, sherry and oleo saccharum.
Inspiration: The Flood of 1921, is the greatest disaster Antonio has faced in modern times. More than 1,000 acres city were underwater up to 12 feet deep, including the future site of The Esquire Tavern. It took the magnitude and devastation of the Flood of 1921 to spur the development and creation of what we know today as the world-famous, San Antonio River Walk.

These are just a glimpse of the stories inspiring this one-of-a-kind cocktail program. The entire ‘San Anto Stories’ is a collaboration between Downstairs at The Esquire Tavern, led by Beverage Director, Houston Eaves and San Antonio-based artist, Cruz Ortiz of Snake Hawk Press. Each menu was stained with tequila and hand silk-screened to make each their own singular piece of art.

Cinco De Mayo Cocktails

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‘Batman of Mexico’ at Downstairs at Esquire. Photo: Kody Melton, used with permission.

With Cinco De Mayo right around the corner, some cocktail bars choose to celebrate the holiday by incorporating the rich influence of Mexican spirits into their cocktail menus. Three of those are in San Antonio, a city known for its Mexican influence in food and drinks, and include Downstairs at Esquire, Esquire Tavern and El Mirador. Beverage Director Houston Eaves helps lead a beverage program that thoughtfully creates cocktails in ways that both utilize Mexican ingredients in a playful way while others reflect and pay homage to the rich Mexican history associated with San Antonio. In honor of Cinco De Mayo, here are some recipes, each with a clever story or character inspiring them. (Downstairs at Esquire, Esquire Tavern, El Mirador, 2018)

‘BATMAN OF MEXICO’ AT DOWNSTAIRS AT ESQUIRE
Named for Dr. Rodrigo Medellín, a Mexican Conservationist and Ecologist known as the ‘Batman of Mexico’ for his academic work studying bats. Dr. Medellín is co-founder of the Bat-Friendly Tequila & Mezcal Program, which is studying the relationship between agaves and their main pollinator, bats. This program looks at how the Tequila industry can help impact populations of migrating bats by allowing a portion of their plants to flower each year.

Ingredients:
2 oz. Siembra Valles High Proof Blanco Tequila
.75 oz. Fresh corn/chile syrup
.75 oz. Key Lime juice
Shake ingredients well with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass rimmed with sal de chapulín. Garnish with Bat Signal.

‘TEXECUTIONER’ AT ESQUIRE TAVERN
Named after Texas politician Rick Perry, Wahaka’s brazen espadín serves as an herbal fortitude for this memorable mix. Crafted in 2011 by bartender Houston Eaves during his time at ranch-like restaurant Contigo in Austin, the recipe traveled down to San Antonio’s historic Esquire Tavern after he relocated to the Alamo City a year later. Thanks to its savvy balance of snappy grapefruit and sweet Cocchi Americano, the drink has endured as a menu staple at both bars. Drink it served up or on a large ice cube and watch for the punchy mezcal to soften as the honeysuckle and orange notes of Cocchi weave throughout.

Ingredients:
3⁄4 oz. Wahaka Espadín mezcal
3⁄4 oz. Xtabentún
3⁄4 oz. Cocchi Aperitivo Americano
3⁄4 oz. fresh grapefruit juice
GRAPEFRUIT TWIST, for garnish
Combine all ingredients in a shaker tin with ice and shake well. Strain into a coupe glass. Express the oil from a grapefruit swath over the top of the drink for aromatics and garnish with grapefruit twist.

‘EL CHAVO’ AT EL MIRADOR
Created by El Mirador bartender John Cox and inspired by popular 80s Mexican TV show “El Chavo del Ocho”, the El Chavo cocktail stirs up reminiscent feelings of the show centered around the adventures and tribulations of the title character—a poor orphan nicknamed “El Chavo.” When ordering the drink during happy hour, patrons at El Mirador can often find the bartender playing this show on TV.

Ingredients:
1oz Paranubes Oaxacan Rum
0.5oz Cimarrón Reposado Tequila
0.5oz Tempus Fugit Crème de Cacao
0.5oz Fresh Key Lime Juice
0.25oz Cinnamon Syrup
1 barspoon Condensed Milk
Shake well with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass with a half-Chapulín salt rim.

Valentine’s Day specials

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Bakery Lorraine is offering holiday-themed menu items including the Raspberry Rose Japonaise.  Photo: Christina Coker, used with permission.

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, local businesses are offering special deals to make the day extra special, including Bakery Lorraine, Hotel Contessa, Boiler House, Southerleigh, Cover 3, Downstairs at Esquire and Rosella at The Rim. (2018)

Bakery Lorraine will offer special holiday-themed menu items during the month of February including Strawberry Pop Hearts, Grapefruit Tiramisu, Cherry Pistachio Tart, Raspberry Rose Japonaise, Chocolate Caramel Tart, Lavender Shortbread Hearts, Chocolate Pear Tart and Tuxedo Macarons.

Hotel Contessa is offering a pre-fixe dinner menu on Valentine’s Day priced at $55 per person. They will also be offering two Texas wine tour packages for couples.

Boiler House will have a pre-fixe Valentine’s Day themed dinner menu and Whiskey Flights. The Dinner menu includes specialty items such as Maine Lobster – Jumbo Lump Crab, Artichoke Fondue, Baguette Toast, Caramelized; diver scallops – leek and butternut squash risotto, kefir lime butter, poached asparagus and Warm chocolate pecan pie – brown sugar bourbon ice cream. Whiskey Flight Offerings: Cupid’s Flight – Bulliet Rye, Bone Straight Bourbon, Angel’s Envy – $15, Baby Blue – Herman Marshall Rye, Balcones Baby Blue, Straight Edge -$20 and Ode to the Motherland – High West Double Rye, Treaty Oak Experiment, Ardbeg 10yr -$25

Southerleigh will celebrate Valentine’s Day with specially themed crafted drinks featuring beer shandies and wine drinks. For reservations, please call (210) 455-5701.

The Cover 3 Valentine’s Day prix-fixe menu will feature four courses, including a dessert and each crafted to be enjoyed by two starting at 5p.m. The following day, February 15, also known as Single’s Awareness Day, COVER 3 will also offer the same prix-fixe menu after 5p.m. for those wishing to instead celebrate their independence. Women wishing to celebrate Galentine’s Day with their girlfriends on February 13 are welcome to visit COVER 3 anytime that Tuesday for half-priced bottles of wine that are being made available throughout the day. Dinner Items Include: Grilled Snapper Veracruz and Blackened Filet Mignon.

Esquire Tavern and Downstairs will be taking dinner reservations for couples. An assortment of expertly selected wines and spirits will be on the menu for the night. For reservations, please call 210-222-2521.

Rosella at the Rand will offer a $75 pre-fixe dinner menu on Valentine’s Day featuring unique, off menu items with wine pairings at an additional cost. The menu includes Surf & Turf – sous vide boneless short ribs and scallops, complete with rainbow carrots and pomegranate demi-glace; Fowl – cornish game hen, purple potato gratin, wilted spinach and chicken glace and more.