bairdley legal

1 oz Mezcal
1 oz Cynar
1 oz Passion Fruit Nectar (*)

Shake with ice and strain into a tall glass. Add 2 oz grapefruit soda and top with ice. Garnish with mint sprigs and add a straw.
(*) I had originally written passion fruit syrup, but in retrospect, it would have been too sweet.

Two Mondays ago, I decided to visit Yvonne's on their opening night. Normally, I would give a bar program a few weeks to find themselves, but I had faith in Will Thompson, Sean Sullivan, Sean Frederick, and the rest of the crew to have things in order by the time the curtains opened. Yvonne's had some big shoes to fill in taking over the home of the Ward Eight, namely the old Locke-Ober space. And history was just one of the things for the space is rather immense. To combat that second aspect, the restaurant is broken up into two rooms each with a unique bar and distinct drink menu. My first stop was the "supper club bar," a long classic-feeling bar with lots of dark wood that runs the length of the dining room; my second stop was the library bar with a shorter bar and lots of lounge seating. The former bar has taller, more refreshing offerings including their take on a Ward Eight, and the latter has reinterpreted cocktail classics.
I started my evening out on the supper club bar in front of bartender Sean Sullivan and requested the Bairdley Legal. The name pays tribute to one of Will Thompson's Bon Vivants collaborators, namely Scott Baird of San Francisco's Trick Dog. Originally, the drink name started as a different cocktail that was rather "west coasty"; however, that concept did not work out as well as intended and instead they started over to create this tropical number. Once prepared, the Bairdley Legal offered mint and tropical fruit notes on the nose. A carbonated passion fruit and grapefruit-laden sip transitioned into a passion fruit and Cynar herbal swallow with a light smoke finish.