Cocktail roundup: Drinks with oddball ingredients

A number of interesting ingredients have found their way into cocktails across the city. Here are some of our favorites.

Born Under A Star

$13, GoldBar, 389 Broome St., 212-274-1568

With the haute lounge’s recent reopening comes innovative cocktails, like this porky take on a negroni. Head bartender Tim Cooper hits the famous Di Paolo’s meat shop for the signature ingredient in his Born Under Star — guanciale — which he then infuses into campari. The result is a less bitter version of the Florentine aperitif.

1.25 oz. Del Maguey Mezcal Vida
1 oz. guanciale-infused campari
1 oz. Carpano Antica vermouth
Combine ingredients, and garnish with a long orange peel.

Rum & Raisin

$14, Saxon & Parole, 316 Bowery, 212-254-0350

Greek yogurt in a cocktail? It works, according to S&P bartender Masa Urushido. “I wanted to create a drink with Greek yogurt, and after playing around found that the delicate acidity and silky texture of the yogurt work well with Jamaican rum’s caramel and toffee notes.

“The spiced honey syrup gives the cocktail a sweetness that’s balanced by the cinnamon and star anise garnish.”

1.5 oz. Appleton Reserve
1/2 oz. Licor 43
1/2 oz. spiced honey syrup
1 tbsp. Greek yogurt
Pinch of ground cinnamon
Shake and strain on fresh ice in a highball. Top with soda. Garnish with grated cinnamon and star anise.

Bell Boy

$12, Refinery Hotel, 63 W. 38th St., 646-664-0310

Alex Ott, the man behind cocktails at Sushi Samba, shakes up a unique mix of gin, yellow bell pepper juice and date palm syrup to create this sunny stunner. Find it at the new Refinery Hotel, a former hat factory slated to open May 1.

1 1/2 oz. Plymouth gin
2 1/4 oz. yellow bell pepper juice (to prepare bell pepper juice, blend one whole pepper with one quart of water and strain through a fine-mesh strainer)
1/2 oz. agave nectar
1/4 oz. fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pink peppercorn
Combine and ingredients and shake. To garnish, use end of pepper as lid for cocktail glass or create yellow sunflower star with mini bell pepper and place on rim of cocktail glass.

Signature Bloody Mary

$12 plain; $15 with shrimp, Sarabeth’s Tribeca and Park Avenue South

You know the famous spot for desserts, but the restaurant also boasts lunch, dinner and (like all good NYC restaurants should) brunch. Pair your scrambled egg popover with the eatery’s signature bloody mary, which can include jumbo shrimp if you’re so inclined.

Sarabeth’s Signature Bloody Mary
2 oz. vodka
4 oz. tomato juice
1/2 tsp. freshly grated horseradish
2 dashes of Tabasco Sauce
2 dashes of Worcestershire sauce

Bloody Mary Pickles
1 jicama, julienned
4 ribs celery, julienned
2 carrots, julienned
1 red bell pepper, julienned
1 yellow bell pepper, julienned

Pickling liquid
2 cups sugar
2 cups white wine vinegar
2 cups water
1 tbsp. each: fennel seeds, coriander seeds, caraway seeds
1/2 tsp. salt

Combine sugar, vinegar, water, spices and salt in small saucepan. Heat to a boil.

Place jicama, celery, carrots and peppers in a clean, dry glass jar or bowl. Pour boiling liquid over the vegetables, cover completely. Seal jar or cover bowl, refrigerate at least one hour. Leave vegetables in brine longer for more flavor. Will keep in fridge for about 10 days.

G.I.

$15, The General, 199 Bowery, 212-271-7101

At new celeb fave The General, sriracha isn’t just for the spicy food that “Top Chef” Hung Huynh cooks up. It also makes its way into this drink, a saucy concoction that head mixologist Colin Maxwell says “has a lot of ingredients in small amounts [that] come together to make a very deep, rich, complex flavor.”

2 oz. Blanco Tequila
1/2 oz. fresh grapefruit juice
1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice
1/2 oz. pineapple juice
1/2 oz. honey syrup (1:1)
1/2 oz. orgeat
1 scant bar spoon Sriracha (adjust to taste)
2 dashes Angostura bitters
2 fresh sage leaves
Shake and strain over fresh ice. Garnish with sage leaf.