Liven up a steakhouse meal with these cocktails. Better yet, batch them.
Thoughts of old fashioneds and expensive wine bubble up when a steakhouse’s wine and spirits program is mentioned. But the great American restaurant category and its long-associated quaffs needn’t be stuck in the past—as much as we like the classic steakhouse trimmings and trappings. Enter Dakota’s Steakhouse in Dallas, where cocktails are fresh expressions that don’t completely eschew the past. A prime example is the Oil Money, a “slightly Manhattan” — as the steakhouse bartenders put it — drink that reminisces on Texas’ Gusher Age of the early 1990s. The recipe for the Oil Money and two others are below. Pro-tip: Don’t sleep on the batch options.
Oil Money
2 ounces Redemption Rye (or your preferred rye whiskey)
½ ounce Lillet Rouge
½ ounce Dolin Rouge vermouth
¼ ounce Luxardo
Dash peach bitters
Batch
20 ounces Redemption Rye (or your preferred rye whiskey)
4½ ounces Lillet
4½ ounces Dolin Rouge vermouth
2¼ ounces Luxardo
10 dashes peach bitters
Orange peel-wrapped Luxardo cherry, optional
Combine 3 ounces of batch into a mixing glass filled with ice and stir. Strain into a rocks glass over a large ice cube. Garnish with orange peel wrapped luxardo cherry on a skewer.
Ruby Gimlet
1½ ounces Botanist Gin (or your preferred gin)
½ ounce St. Germain
¼ ounce Ruby Port
2 basil leaves
½ ounce lime juice
1 ounce grapefruit juice
Splash soda
Batch
22½ ounces Botanist Gin
7½ ounces St. Germain
3¾ ounces Ruby Port
Add 2½ ounces batch to shaker tin with 1 basil leaf, lime juice, and grapefruit juice. Shake with ice. Strain into chilled Martini glass. Add splash of soda and garnish with basil leaf.
Spicy Skinny Smoky Rita
1½ ounces Maestro Dobel Diamante
½ ounce Cointreau
½ ounce lime juice
¼ ounce orange juice
¼ ounce jalapeño agave syrup
Mezcal
Batch
21 ounces Maestro Dobel Diamante
7 ounces Cointreau
3½ ounces jalapeño agave syrup
Batched Cocktail
2¼ ounces batch
½ ounce lime juice
¼ ounce orange juice
Mezcal
Combine all ingredients in mixing glass, and shake with ice. Strain into chilled rocks glass with a ½ smoked salt rim. Float mezcal atop the drink with an upturned bar spoon.
For more information on Dakota’s Steakhouse, visit the restaurant’s website.