French-Asian bistro Parallel 17 has revamped and reopened the doors with a whole new look and a new cocktail menu and we all get to drink in the benefits. Now simply called P17, Bar Manager Charles Kollmann has a few special tricks he brought to the bar with these unique and crafty cocktails. The cocktails reflect the restaurant's new cozy neighborhood feel. 

The food at P17 has always included organic, fresh and if possible, locally-sourced ingredients and the cocktail menu reflects that with house-made juices and infusions and even the sugar and salt mixes. The Harvey, which is based on the Paloma, uses tequila, grapefruit, house-made mint/lime syrup and Kollmann’s special jalapeno sea salt. He dehydrates jalapenos and then grinds them into a fine powder, which is mixed with sea salt. The basil is muddle to extract as much flavor as possible. With its spicy salt rim, the cocktail has all the flavor of jalapeno and tequila without the burn. The Harvey is a very spicy, yet fruity drink and a great way to start the afternoon.

The Smoking Gun is another crafty cocktail that contains not one, but two surprises. First is the mescal rinse that Kollmann uses to coat the inside of the glass. The other is a smoked ice cube that he makes using what is actually called a smoking gun. It’s a handheld contraption that looks like a gun that pushes aromatic smoke into water to give it flavor. Kollmann says that as the ice melts in the glass, the smoke continuelly adds flavor. The cocktail is made with Buffalo Trace Bourbon, rhubarb bitters, and orange, but it is the mescal rinse and ice cube that complete the drink. The mescal, which he sprays on the inside of the glass, is an extra way to impart even more smokiness into the cocktail without adding to the alcohol content. As guessed the cocktail’s aroma is reminiscent of a campfire, but with a hint of orange and cherry (which might be the rhubarb bitters). While an homage to the Old Fashioned, the different flavors in the Smoking Gun will only intensify with each sip making it a new experience each time you sip.

The georgous Red Coral features vodka, agave nectar, strawberry and Kollmann’s special Kaffir lime leaf sugar. Using the same process as the jalapeno salt, Kollmann dehydrates Kaffir lime leaves and then grinds the leaves into a powder and mixes it with ordinary table sugar. The sugar has the cinnamon color of something fancier than store-bought sugar and the taste is extraordinary. Consider the cocktail worth ordering just to try the sugar. The Red Coral is made with house-made strawberry puree then marinated with agave nectar. The cocktail is not as sweet as you’d think. It’s a subtle sweetness that makes it way too easy to enjoy more than one.

Happy hour at P17 is from 3 to 6 PM Tuesday through Sunday and all night long on Mondays.The new happy hour menu includes House Frites for $3 and hot and fluffy Brandade Fritters (salt cod) for $5. Enjoy special prices on draft beers, house wines and select cocktails. 

Photo: Carrie Dow