The menu is the first for Cody Mayes, who takes over Raduno’s bar program after doing an excellent job behind the bar at Heights Taco. For this menu he collaborated with the existing beverage team to capture the spirit of fall and the environment of Raduno.
“We wanted to build a menu structure that featured three classic American cocktails, two classic Italian cocktails, and six seasonal featured drinks,” owner Bart Barlogie says. “It really captures what we are on the food side.”
The classic Italian portion includes an Italian Spritz and a Negroni. The two balance well between a very light cocktail and a very heavy one, and both very solid options at any good bar.
The drinks start to get more interesting moving to the classic American side with three of my personal favorites. First up is the New Orleans classic Sazerac, if you are not familiar it is on the boozy side, but unlike a Negroni has a slightly sweeter finish thanks to the added sugar. Next is the Aviation, a much lighter option featuring Gin and Maraschino liqueur. Finally, and one of my favorites, Blood and Sand. This blends scotch, cherry heering, sweet vermouth, and orange juice. The scotch brings out a strong fall vibe, but overall is a very easy drinking drink.
“The fall seasonal cocktails really work in the spirit of fall, it is a menu I was very excited to take on,” Mayes tells us. “We balanced some heavy, slow drinking cocktails with some very light and approachable drinks that anyone would be happy with. Almost all of the cocktails have a lot of amber, red, and orange tones to go with the flavors that signify fall.”
Two quick favorites from the menu are the Dram It, and Sweet Eve. Allspice Dram has become very popular on cocktail menus lately, and the Dram It is built around the spicy and sweet liqueur. It is a slightly heavier than expected cocktail, perfect for pizza eating on a cool day. The Sweet Eve is easily the most approachable of all the drinks. They infuse bourbon with cinnamon for 48 hours before combining it with Apple Brandy. The result is a very apple pie-like cocktail that people are really going to love.
The Night Cap was easily the favorite out of the six. As the name suggest, it is best as a last cocktail of the night thanks to the cardamaro, which is a natural digestif and (in theory anyway) helps aid with digestion besides being a really excellent cocktail liqueur. The drink is very light and smooth thanks to the egg whites, which include a little dash of bitters on top that add to the overall presentation and aroma.
Rounding off the menu are the Charlie Murphy, Nonna Rosa, and Italian Galgo. The Charlie Murphy is a heavy liquor cocktail that will fall in line with the Negroni and Sazerac. The rye whiskey based cocktail is solid as a slow sipper. On the other end of the spectrum is the Nonna Rosa, which will be very much in line with the spritz earlier. The Cocchi is a herbal wine and is mixed with Bonal which is an aperitif, and soda water. It is a great beginning of the dinner drink. Finally the Italian Galgo is the only Tequila drink on the menu, but has been a fan favorite in the past which should keep regulars excited.
In addition to the cocktails the team is in the process of overhauling the beer and wine lists to bring in some new options as well as establish a few standards that will stay on the bar. Mayes says he plans to frequently roll out cocktail specials that are off menu to keep things fresh and new for people who love to stop in.
