Golden Ratio

Some of the City’s Most Interesting Nonalcoholic Drinks Have Landed in Brooklyn | Eater NY

"From the team behind all-day Cafe Mado and neighboring Place des Fêtes, this Brooklyn bar leans hard into inventive, seasonal ingredients rather than classic cocktail templates, reminding me of West Coast spots like True Laurel or high-concept European programs like Röda Huset. The menu is structured so that each featured ingredient — ranging from “apple” and “Mexican mint marigold” to more unusual picks like “toothache tree” — appears in both a full-proof and a nonalcoholic cocktail, making for 32 drinks in total and an experience that can feel like a lot to parse. With a short list of mostly small plates, the emphasis is clearly on the drinks, though snacks like the chilled cucumber with kombu and a lighter, bright tartare with pomelo and crispy chips made from salsify are very good accompaniments. While the full-proof cocktails are enjoyable, the spirit-free ones stand out most, especially the N/A Wild Cranberry highball, which is nothing like a basic “vodka-soda-splash-of-crans” and instead feels nuanced, layering Meyer lemon and bay leaf. For a boozy option, the Quince, with rum and whey, delivers a satisfying round texture. Because the menu is organized by ingredient rather than style, it can be hard to tell whether a drink will be served up, on the rocks, or long, and sometimes even what the base spirit is, so it’s worth asking your server if those details matter to you." - Mary Anne Porto