One of life’s simple pleasures is meeting up with friends at the end of the day for a cocktail. Whether it’s a prelude to dinner or the center of a let’s-play-it-by-ear evening of small plates, there’s something celebratory about raising a toast with a well-prepared drink served in a beautiful glass.
At CRU Oyster Bar Nantucket, Carlos Hidalgo has elevated the art of the cocktail to its deserved status: fine spirits are combined with thoughtful inventiveness to suit the time of year and the cuisine du jour. He and his staff have created a drinks menu that tips its hat to your favorite classics while simultaneously departing from tradition to focus on local seasonal fruits, vegetables, and herbs. “We’re proud of the fact that CRU was one of the first on the island to adopt the ‘farm-to-glass’ approach,” he says. Locally grown chamomile shows up in the Lady Juju; just-picked strawberries distinguish the Valentina; and fresh-from-the-vine cucumbers make the CRUcomber exceptionally refreshing. Naturally enough, the cocktail menu changes to reflect the season.
The results are fragrant, jewel-colored, perfectly chilled concoctions that are pleasing to all the senses, precisely why the cocktails at CRU have been extolled in Travel & Leisure, Food & Wine, and other leading publications.
Now, with this collection of a baker’s dozen of never-before-published recipes for elegant drinks, you can re-create the marvelous experience of sipping a cocktail at CRU Oyster Bar Nantucket. Cheers!
Note: We are listing the brands we use in these recipes, some of which your local liquor store may not carry. Talk to a knowledgeable salesperson to find out what makes for good substitutes.
