by Jim Janesheski0 comments

07Sep

Cocktail Cheat Sheet | Valpo’s Restaurants with Bars

This is your guide to Valpo’s Restaurants with Bars. This Cocktail Cheat Sheet is essential for exploring Valparaiso’s culinary cocktails. You’ll discover 20 great cocktails, the ingredients, and what alcohol goes into them. Finally, you’ll find a gallery of 36 drinks and where to find them!

In Valparaiso, cocktails and drinks come in a plethora of flavours and combinations. This guide will help you expand your knowledge of mixed drinks. It will also serve as a benchmark for ordering some of Valpo’s most innovative and exciting concoctions.

Cheat Sheet- Cocktails
Cheat Sheet | Guide to Alcohol & Drinks
Gallery- Featured Valpo Cocktails
Tutorial Videos | Confessions of a Chef

Photo by Martinis-Valpo

Bloody Mary

The Radius Bloody Mary

This classic cocktail is popular due to its unique flavour combination. The combination of vodka, tomato juice, and various spices results in a savoury and satisfying drink that’s ideal for breakfast, brunch or as a jump start to the weekend. In Valpo, you’ll even see a complete meal stacked on top.

The battle for Valpo’s best bloody mary drives greatness among restaurants with bars. It even causes sibling rivalries. Radius and Maple + Bacon might be sister restaurants, but when it comes to the title, of best Bloody Mary, the rivalry is fierce!

2 shots Vodka
4 shots of Tomato Juice
3/4 shot Fresh Lemon Juice
3 Dashes of Tobasco
3 Dashes of Worcester Sauce
1/4 of a Teaspoon of Horseradish (optional if available)
Salt & Pepper to Taste (celery salt works best)

Sangria Martini

Photo by Don Quijote

One of the best-kept secrets in Valpo is that Don Quijote Restaurant has a complete bar with Mediterranean cocktails and liquor that includes imported brandy, grappa, and port. Perhaps the best mixed drink is a Spanish mixed drink called Sangria Martini. Chef Carlos describes the sangria martini as the perfect cocktail for wine lovers who on occasion want a bit more kick.

How much kick? Just watch our sangria martini tutorial below. After two takes, you can see Carlos slurring and butchering the English language. Salud!

2 oz. Red Wine
1/2 oz. Cointreau
1/2 oz. Brandy
1 oz. Sweet Vermouth
1/2 oz. Seltzer Water
Ice/Fruit/Shake/Strain

Old-Fashioned

Photo from Pikk’s Tavern

A perfect blend of whisky, sugar, and bitters, this classic cocktail has been around since the late 1800s. Its simplicity allows the whiskey’s flavours to shine through, making it a favourite among whisky connoisseurs. For a special treat, watch Pikk’s Paul Loduca tutorial at the bottom of this article.

Paul shares the secrets to making an old fashion the way his father taught him. Loduca’s father was a legendary Chicago chef who inspired Pikk’s Tavern.

4 Dashes of Orange Bitters
1 Sugar Cube
1 Orange Wheel
2 Masasschino Cheeries
1 Splash Club Soda
2 oz. Bourbon

Martini

Photo of Esspresso Martini by Martinis-Valpo

For decades, this iconic cocktail has been a favourite, and it is the epitome of sophistication. The combination of gin and vermouth produces a crisp, clean flavour that is appropriate for any occasion. For fans of the martini, you’ll want to try one of the 40 martinis at Martinis-Valpo.

This restaurant takes its namesake seriously and even employs a full-time mixologist. At Martinis, you can have any type of martini you want, check out the Martinis’ martinis page. Just make sure mine is shaken, not stirred!

1 1/2 shots vodka
1/2 shot coffee liqueur (like Kahlua)
1 shot of freshly brewed espresso
1/2 shot vanilla syrup

Margarita

Photo by Don Quijote

For good reason, this tequila-based cocktail is a classic. The combination of sweet and sour flavours, combined with the distinct flavour of the tequila, results in a refreshing and satisfying drink.

1 1/2 shots blanco tequila
1 shot triple sec
3/4 shot of fresh lime juice
Half salt rim

Bellini

Restaurants with Bars mixed drink cheat sheet

Photo by Schiralli Gallery and Cafe

A Bellini is a cocktail made with Prosecco and peach purée or nectar. It originated at Harry’s Bar in Venice, Italy. This cocktail is often served in Italy’s finest art galleries, and now you can experience it at Schiralli Gallery and Cafe. But like everything at Schiralli, the Bellini is authentic, original and made with sparkling wine and real white peaches.

2 oz Fresh peach purée
4 oz Prosecco
White peaches
Pour peach puree into a chilled flute, and add Prosecco. Stir gently.

Daiquiri

Daquari from Veleros, a restaurant with a bar and mexican food!

Photo by Veleros Mexican

This rum-based cocktail is refreshing and simple to make. The combination of rum, lime juice, and sugar creates a pleasing balance of sweet and sour flavours.

2 shots white rum
1 shot fresh lime juice
3/4 shot simple syrup

Manhattan

Manhattan

This traditional whiskey-based cocktail is known for its flavour balance. The blend of whisky, sweet vermouth, and bitters produces a smooth, complex flavour that is ideal for sipping.

2 shots bourbon or rye whiskey
1 shot sweet vermouth
2 dashes Angostura bitters

Negroni

Photo from McGowan & Sons

This gin-based cocktail has a distinct flavour profile that makes it a favourite among gin connoisseurs. The combination of gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth yields a bittersweet flavour that is sure to please. The Negroni was once described to me as the perfect balance of sweet, sour, and bitter.

1 shot gin
1 shot Campari
1 shot sweet vermouth

Aperol Spritz

Photo by Jano-Digital

The Aperol Spritz has taken Valpo by storm and many give credit to Pikk’s Tavern. It’s a fan favourite with Pikk’s outdoor dining crowd, especially around sunset. The cocktail is stunning and a perfect compliment to a night out with friends.

A spritz is an Italian wine-based cocktail, commonly served as an aperitif in Northeast Italy. It consists of prosecco, digestive bitters and soda water.

2 shots Aperol
2 shots prosecco
2 shots soda

Mojito

The Mojito has taken Valparaiso’s restaurants with bars by storm. You’ll find people drinking them with burgers, steaks, seafood ordering them at almost every bar, restaurant,
4-6 lime wedges
6-8 fresh mint leaves
2 shots white rum
2-3 teaspoons of granulated white sugar
Top with soda

Whiskey Sour

Photo from Jano-Digital

This traditional cocktail is a favourite among whisky connoisseurs. A refreshing and satisfying drink is created by the combination of whisky, lemon juice, and sugar.

2 shots bourbon (or pisco, or amaretto)
1 shot fresh lemon juice
3/4 shot simple syrup
1/2 an egg white

Mai Tai

The tropical Mai Tai makes it a popular choice for outdoor dining at Valpo’s restaurants with bars. The combination of rum, lime juice, and various syrups results in a sweet and fruity flavour that is ideal for sipping on a hot day in the Vale of Paradise.

1 shot dark rum
1 shot white rum
1/2 shot triple sec
3/4 shot orgeat syrup
1 shot fresh lime juice

Irish Coffee

Maple and Bacon coffee is Valpo’s best

Irish coffee is a caffeinated alcoholic drink consisting of Irish whiskey, hot coffee and sugar, which has been stirred and topped with cream.

Our Valpo Restaurants with Bars are always coming up with culinary cocktails inspired by their menus. Maple + Bacon is a shining example of this when they combined their coffee bar with their liquor bar to create Irish Coffee. Their Irish Coffee is made from their M+B Blend 210 coffee beans and Irish Whiskey.

It was an instant hit and now their Maple Room is Valpo’s hottest venue for meetings and social clubs. Now that’s what we call a meeting with perks!

1 1/3 oz (2 parts) Irish whiskey
1 oz (1½ parts)
Fresh cream, 1 tsp.
Brown sugar, 2 2/3 oz (4 parts)
Hot coffee

Pina Colada

This traditional tropical cocktail is a fan favourite with Valpo’s outdoor dining crowd for its sweet and creamy flavour. A refreshing and satisfying drink is created by combining pineapple juice, coconut cream, and rum.

2 shots white rum
2 shots pineapple juice
1 1/2 shots coconut cream

Long Island Iced Tea

This classic cocktail is popular due to its unique blend of flavours. The combination of vodka, gin, tequila, rum, and triple sec sets a perfect balance of sweet and sour flavours.

1/2 shot vodka
1/2 shot of white rum
1/2 shot blanco tequila
1/2 shot gin
1/2 shot triple sec
1/2 shot of fresh lemon juice
1/2 shot of simple syrup
Top with cola

Moscow Mule

Photo by Radius

This classic cocktail is popular due to its unique flavour combination. A refreshing and satisfying drink is created by combining vodka, ginger beer, and lime juice.

2 shots vodka
1/2 shot fresh lime juice
Top with ginger beer

Champagne Cocktail

Photo by McGowan & Sons

This classic cocktail is popular due to its unique flavour combination. The combination of champagne, sugar, and bitters produces a refreshing and bubbly drink ideal for celebrations.

The Champagne cocktail has been popular since the mid-1800s, but Chef Rob McGowan of McGowan & Sons has turned it into a culinary experience by serving it at his catering events- where guests can choose fruits and other ingredients to create their own concoctions. The social media posts after a McGowan catering event speak volumes for the amount of fun people have creating their own culinary cocktails.

1 sugar cube
Angostura bitters
Top with champagne

Sangria

Sangria is an alcoholic beverage originating in Spain and Portugal. Under EU regulations only those two Iberian nations can label their product as Sangria. But in Valparaiso, Sangria is served by everyone. But while everyone has their own Sangria recipe, it was the Sangria of Don Quijote that helped spark the outdoor dining movement.

The red sangria is legendary at Valpo’s longest-running restaurant, but more and more people are ordering the Lemonade Sangria. To learn more, here is a link.

Red Wine
Brandy
Triple Sec
Fruit Juice
Soda or Carbonated Water
Fruit

Black Russian

The Black Russian is a simple yet tasty coffee cocktail. Add Kahlúa coffee liqueur and Absolut Vodka to a glass with ice and stir.

2 shots vodka
1 shot of coffee liqueur

Cosmopolitan (Cosmo)

A cosmopolitan, or, informally, a cosmo, is a cocktail made with vodka, Cointreau, cranberry juice, and freshly squeezed or sweetened lime juice. Made famous by Madonna and Sex in the City, this cocktail is a popular choice at Martinis.

1 1/2 shots citrus vodka
1/2 shot triple sec
1/4 shot simple syrup
1/2 shot fresh lime juice
3/4 shot cranberry juice

Flavored Ciders | Frozen Slushies

Great culinary towns have a drink that you won’t find anywhere else. A drink so unique and different, people that are from out-of-town feel they need to have one before leaving. In Valpo, we have the Mega Slushy from AfterMath.