Best Places: Frilly and Fun Cocktails and Mocktails
The sun is (finally) shining, and there’s a warm breeze in the air … that means it’s time to bring on the fruity flavors. Who doesn’t love sitting down to a delicious fruity cocktail or mocktail on a beautiful warm day? New Hampshire’s bartenders are always mixing up delicious drinks that are tropical and fun, but here are some specific bars to check out if you’re in the mood for fun and frilly cocktails and mocktails that shine like the summer sun.
The Library Lounge, North Conway
www.thewildroserestaurant.com/library-lounge
If you’re looking to unwind by a roaring fireplace, seated in a leather chair with a martini in hand, look no further than the Library Lounge at the Wild Rose Restaurant at Stonehurst Manor. Whether you enjoy a traditional martini or not, the Lounge’s “Taste of Tradition” martinis are delicious enough that they may just make you a martini fan. Fruity, sour, refreshing — you name it, the Library Lounge has a martini that will suit your tastes. Don’t drink? Not a problem — the Library Lounge has delicious nonalcoholic options, like their manor mocktail and nonalcoholic wines.
“Starry Night” mocktail from The Hearth Community. Courtesy photo
Hearth Market, Portsmouth
www.hearthmarketportsmouth.com
The Hearth Community has only been open for a little under a year, but in that short amount of time, they’ve made a major splash in the Seacoast. Their mission to be a “market built for the local community, from the local community” is being met through community partnerships, delicious food and a welcoming environment for locals to meet and hang
out. They describe their Elixir Bar as a “collection of familiar, reimagined and functional libations that elevate the mind and body.” Their Mother-Nature-inspired cocktail menu features drinks with delicious fruity flavors and earthy tones, while incorporating zesty spirits. Hearth Community’s “Potions” menu, and their nonalcoholic cocktail menu, are full of delicious mocktails made with wellness in mind. Drinks mixed with green matcha tea, aquafaba, fresh hibiscus tea and more are sure to leave you feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.
Green Elephant, Portsmouth
www.greenelephantnh.com
The Green Elephant in Portsmouth is no stranger to cooking up something creative and delicious. The vegetarian Thai fusion restaurant is known for their creativity and for bringing the flavors of Asia with a vegetarian twist home to New Hampshire, and it’s no surprise that this creativity extends all the way through their mocktail menu. Their cocktail menu is refreshingly inspired, and their mocktails truly shine. With delicious flavors that are as creative as their cuisine, the Green Elephant’s cocktail and mocktail options will leave you feeling thirsty for more.
Cocktail Special from Machina Kitchen and Artbar. Courtesy photo.
Machina Kitchen and ArtBar, Keene
www.machinaarts.org
Keene’s Machina Kitchen and ArtBar is an inspirited farm-to-table restaurant and craft cocktail bar that transforms your meal into a work of art. The restaurant/craft cocktail bar/art gallery is innovative and eclectic, and their weekly rotating menu ensures a new and exciting experience every time you visit. Their fun and flirty cocktail menu takes the classic cocktails that you love and gives them an unexpected twist that will take your tastebuds to new heights sip after sip. Their always available spirit-free menu uses alcohol-free spirits, teas and juices that blend together to create signature mocktails, without sacrificing that cocktail flavor. They even have a selection of nonalcoholic hazy IPAs, for those who want the IPA flavor and taste with none of the alcohol.
