Usually I can count on a handful of friends to announce that they’re doing a dry January. Perhaps it is a mark of how thoroughly 2020 sucked us dry that I have documented no such proclamations thus far. Or perhaps there are simply too many new restaurants and bars that have opened despite the pandemic that my friends are excited to try and support. In October, Goat & Rabbit opened on 39th Street, offering classic cocktails with a twist.
“The neighborhood is really casual and laid back, so I wanted drinks to be really approachable,” says Kelsey Earl, beverage director for Goat & Rabbit and sister establishment Dodson’s Bar & Grill in Waldo. “There’s a paloma with mezcal and grapefruit vermouth. I’ve got a cosmo that has a housemade cranberry cordial and an apricot foam on top.”
For her daiquiri, Earl upgraded the classic recipe—rum, lime juice and simple syrup—with a heavy dose of amaro, an herbal liqueur. Amaro translates to “bitter” in Italian, and there are several versions of this sweet-bitter digestif, including fernet. Earl opted for Montenegro, a dainty amaro from Bologna with notes of citrus and eucalyptus.
“In the amaro world, Montenegro is really approachable with all the orange and vanilla notes running through it,” Early says. “It’s a good introductory amaro.”
Earl’s daiquiri uses equal parts Montenegro and Probitas rum with lime juice, falernum and angostura bitters. It’s a drink with a friendly bite. Even though it’s unlikely any of us will be enjoying a daiquiri on the beach right now, you can carve out a tropical moment for yourself at Goat & Rabbit’s covered, heated patio.
GO: Goat & Rabbit, 1804 W. 39th St., KCMO. 4 pm-midnight Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday; 11 am-midnight Saturday-Sunday; closed Tuesday.
Amaro Daiquiri
Ingredients
1 ounce white rum
1 ounce amaro of choice (Earl likes Montenegro or Averna)
1 ounce lime juice
½ ounce simple syrup
Dash of angostura bitters (optional)
Lime wheel, for garnish
Directions: Combine first five ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain into coupe glass. Garnish with lime wheel.
