Mixology Report: Craft’s Dos Agaves Margarita
Deborah Schoeneman
July 24, 2008
When Craft opened in Century City last year, the talk was all about the food. The LA outpost of the popular New York restaurant opened by Top Chef star Tom Colicchio promised to be a surefire success, particularly because the menu concept is California-friendly. Instead of subbing, say, greens for grits, you could customize your entrée with pricey side dishes. The calorie-conscious poured in from the surrounding office buildings, only too happy to dine in the shadow of the Death Star (aka CAA). Now, they're going for the cocktails, particularly on Thursday nights -- most of the 8,000 employees who work in the surrounding offices have three-day summer weekends.
The cocktail menu—created by beverage director David Lusby—is reason enough to venture into corporate culture. Organic produce and creative mixology make for one of the best selections in the city. The outdoor seating may look a bit sterile, but it starts to matter less after a few drinks.
I checked out Craft on a Monday night around 6 p.m. with a friend; it was pretty empty until around 7:30. I started off with the Dos Agaves Margarita, as a margarita is a pretty good way to judge a place. How fresh does it taste? Too sweet? Too sour? It was just right. The combination of fresh lime juice, organic agave, and Tito vodka made for a light drink and reminded me of those in the authentic Mexican margarita towns of Marfa, Texas, and Todos Santos. Using agave instead of sugar makes the drink taste tangy but not cloying. The worst thing is supermarket pre-made mixer, and this was nothing like it. It’s served without salt—much like how really good sushi is served without soy sauce.
“If something would be good for you, that would be it,” said Lusby about the margarita on the menu, which he named for the two kinds of agave in it: agave nectar and tequila. “It’s our biggest seller year round.” I tried some other cocktails, including the Elderflower Collins ($13), which tasted a bit like a crisp mojito but used elderflower liqueur (emerging as the trendy, quality newcomer of mixological ingredients). The Ginger Mai Tai reminded me of a tropical mouthwash. East Meets West was a lovely pink party of a drink, served in a martini glass (Hangar One, Buddha’s Hand Citron vodka, lychee puree, fresh muddled strawberries, Grand Marnier). My male drinking buddy sneaked a sip of the girly drink. “I would get it, but in a rocks glass,” he said.
They’re all worth trying, but I’m sticking with the bestseller. Summer is hardly the time to go against the grain.
Dos Agaves Margarita
• 2 1/4 oz. Partida Blanco tequila
• 1 1/2 oz. lime juice
• 1 oz. (or to taste) Partida Organic Agave Nectar (or to taste)
Shaken and strained over fresh ice. No salt. $12.
Posted by abrodite on Thu Jul 24, 2008 at 07.23 pm
is that the Margarita we had at Socialista?