JUST DRINK IT DON'T OVERTHINK IT

WE'RE OFFICIALLY OVER THE PRE- PROHIBITION-DRINKS SHTICK, AND SO ARE AMERICA'S BEST BARTENDERS. LET US RAISE A GLASS TO THE SIMPLER, SMARTER COCKTAIL Machete in Space Tecate & 86 Co. Teauila Cabeza combination." -ERICK CASTRO Grow a Pair POP A TOP, TAKE A SHOT. IT'S TOUGH TO IMPROVE ON A SHOT AND A BEER Sipping a shot of booze alongside a beer is a seemingly simple pastime, but the combo—making waves at bars across the country—actually creates alluringly complex flavors. We tapped shot-and-beer specialist Erick Castro, bartender at Boilermaker in New York's East Village, to give us five perfect pairs, from the classic to the clever. PERFECT PAIRS Smoked Fruit Del Maguey Vida Mezcal & Liefmans Robustly smoky mezcal is tempered by a cherry-forward Belgian fruit beer. National Anthem Brooklyn Lager & Old Weller Antique Bourbon Slightly bitter amber lager finds synergy with the subtle sweetness of wheated bourbon. Apples and Vanilla Doc's Cider & Angostura 1Q1Q Rum Fruity, dry cider lends a crisp backbone to the rum's warm vanilla notes. Not Exactly a Paloma Stiegl Radler & Siete Leauas Blanco Tequila Citrus-forward tequila paired with grapefruit-spiked beer is essentially a deconstructed paloma cocktail. The 1980s Are Back JUST BECAUSE THE DRINKS SUCKED BACK THEN DOESN'T MEAN THEY CAN'T BE AWESOME NOW ? They simply didn't know better. In the 1970s and 1980s—the height of careless bars churning out much-maligned cocktails-imbibers absentmindedly sipped the sweet sludge they were served and asked no questions about the unbalanced concoctions filling their glasses. In the midst of today's classic-cocktail renaissance, such a shoddy approach to drink-slinging just won't fly. Now, with only quality on their minds, some enthusiastic barkeeps have decided to give these once-bastardized libations an upgrade. Amaretto Sour By Jeii'rev Morgenrnaier. Pepe le Moko. Portland Jeffrey Morgenthaler decided it was time to give new life to that cloying 1970s go-to, the amaretto sour. In this rendition, served at his speakeasy, he shuns the sweet-and-sour mix for lemon juice and amps it up with bourbon and egg whites. 'A oz. egg whites, lightly beaten 3A oz. Booker's over-proof bourbon oz. fresh lemon juice I'/j oz. amaretto tsp. simple syrup Shake ingredients with ice cubes until well chilled: strain into an old-fashioned glass filled with ice. Garnish with lemon peel and a brandied cherry. Long Island Iced Tea By Mike Criss. the Nightingale Room. At Mike Criss and Bobby Heugel's Nightingale Room, one of the featured drinks is the Long Island iced tea, a throwback to Criss's club-bartending days. This version of the often reviled multispirit cocktail is fresh and satisfying. 'A oz. each Old Tom gin, rhum agricole, tequila bianco and simple syrup 1 oz. fresh lemon juice Top with Mexican Coke Pour ingredients into a collins glass filled with ice and stir to combine. Pina Colada By Chad Solomon. Midnight Rambler. Dallas Fresh juices and good rums upgrade the classic. Vi oz. each fresh lime juice, coconut milk, rhum agricole blanc 1 oz. Wray & Nephew overproof rum 1!A oz. coconut cream VA oz. fresh pineapple juice 3 drops mineral saline (1 tbsp. salt dissolved in 4 oz. water) Combine ingredients in a shaker and shake without ice. Pour into a l6-ounce hurricane glass filled with crushed ice. Stir to dilute, top with more ice and gar­nish with pineapple wedge and freshly grated nutmeg. "Our pina colada takes the classic and punches it up with fresh juice, funkier and fruitier rhum agricole and Jamaican pot-still rum, plus salt, fat and acid." -CHAD SOLOMON DRINK STYLING BY SKYLAR THOMSON: A Better Basic Bar STEP ASIDE, MUSTACHIOED MIXOLOGIST, AND JUST GIVE US A DRINK ? The posh, tin-ceilinged speakeasy will always hold a special place in the hearts of drink aficionados. But it's time for the pretense-free casual bar, where cocktails and beer are relished in equal measure, to take over the spotlight. Here are five newish laid-back lairs in which to tie one on. l. Lost Lake • Tiki guru Paul McGee's {1} Logan Square hot spot, Lost Lake, is a chill, tropical reprieve where drinks can be sipped out of conch shells. Mongolian beef takeout, deliv- ered straight to the table, makes it even easier to settle in with a vintage Don the Beachcomber mystery gardenia cocktail. LOS ANGELES 2. The Normandie Club • On-the-rise Korea-town is now home to the Normandie Club, a collabo­ration between cocktail hit-makers 213 Hospitality and Proprietors LLC. Inventive riffs on the classics are this bar's stock-in-trade, so expect a tequila collins with pear brandy and an old fashioned with coconut bourbon. 3-The Nightingale Room • A barrage of vinyl sets a low-key tone at the Night­ingale Room {2}, the downtown den from Mike Criss and Bobby Heugel. Dancing erupts here on the regu­lar, fueled by old fashioneds that flaunt cognac and clever shots like the Mexican razor blade, made with tequila, lemon and cayenne. SAN FRANCISCO 4-ABV • The cocktail list at ABV, the Mission lair from a trifecta of all-star bartenders (Erik Reichborn-Kjennerud, Ryan Fitzgerald, Todd Smith), is arranged by spirit. One fitting, goes-down-easy summer quaff: the sutro swizzle, a melange of Arma-gnac, lemon juice, grapefruit shrub, maraschino and Angostura bitters on crushed ice. 5. The Happiest Hour • At the vintage-resort-inspired Happiest Hour {3} in the West Vil­lage, there's so much freedom, guests decide which spirit they'd like their drinks to showcase. Head bartender Jim Kearns's link ray cocktail, with bitter Suze and lime and celery juices, goes especially well with jalapeno tequila. ¦ Link Ray Celery and French aperitif Suze marry happily with the spirit of your choice. '/i oz. cane syrup '/i oz. Suze V* oz. lime juice V/i oz. gin, rum or jalapeno tequila 2 oz. celery juice Combine ingredients in a collins glass hlled with ice. Garnish with celery stalk and black or cayenne pepper. "People have learned a good drink doesn't have to be a precious thing. At the end of the day, it's about being able to get quality drinks in a watering hole."-jiM kearns