Bruleed sugar and spices marry with a fluffy egg white on a pineapple rum base in one of Westport Cafe’s latest cocktail creations. As his first order of business, new bar manager Andy Weathers composed a funkified list of classic provisions for the winter season and with it, an unexpected tiki-adjacent beverage hit the menu.
The Yellow Datsun combines classic punchy summertime flavors with grounding winter tastes like Weathers’ from-scratch turmeric falernum. Tiki-adjacent cocktails seem to be an emerging trend: The city’s best restaurant, Corvino, planned something similar for their New Year’s Eve party, a tropical-themed event they call Corvino Cove.
The turmeric falernum is the standout in Weathers’ opinion. He’s taking over a post that has historically been a launchpad for the city’s mixologists, including Bronson Kistler of milk punch fame.
“Falernum is a very common ingredient in tropical cocktails, usually focusing on ginger, lime zest, almond, baking spices and a bit of overproof spirit,” Weathers says. “My version focused on turmeric’s earthy, spicy and slightly bitter notes, which also gave the falernum a beautiful yellow glow.”
Before Westport, Weathers worked at Town Company downtown. “Westport Cafe has such a history of great bartenders and managers alike,” he says. “My goal is to carry on the tradition while focusing on a modern approach, with a focus on French spirits.”
The Yellow Datsun is one of several drinks with a touch of tiki on Weathers’ new menu—blue curacao, demerara and dark rum also make cameos. The Yellow Datsun is the standout. It’s just tiki enough to intrigue the less-adventurous bar guest while still providing a tart classic that’s not unlike a Capri Sun.
