Whether you like your liquor light or dark, sweet, spicy, sour or savory, there's a local cocktail waiting to blend with the different flavors of your three-course Restaurant Week meal.
Go light, and you'll find gins and vodkas from Dry Fly, Warrior and Idaho-based Warfield are popular choices across menus this year. Get a little darker, and there's rum from BARDENAY RESTAURANT AND DISTILLERY'S sister restaurant in Boise (as well as their own house-made vodka), while Dry Fly and Warrior whiskeys are playing prominent roles on menus throughout the region.
Looking for a kick of heat? BACKYARD PUBLIC HOUSE is offering a spicy lemonade made from Dry Fly vodka infused with jalapeno, mixed with a house-made lemonade.
Does more of a fruit-herb or fruit-spice medley tickle your fancy? At WILD SAGE, the Spok-hattan features Dry Fly triticale whiskey, an apple-thyme shrub, and Bonal liqueur. Over at CASPER FRY and DURKIN'S LIQUOR BAR the CFF mixes Warrior whiskey with an apple persimmon shrub, pink peppercorn, lemon and bitters. Or try the Eclectic Sunsette at 315 CUISINE in Coeur d'Alene, which has Warfield No Return Gin, Peychaud's bitters, sage, pepper and anise.
Then, there's the dessert. While the sweet, warm notes of coffee and cinnamon can be enjoyed anytime, there are some special cocktails this year that seem ideal to cap off the night. Take the No Sleep for the Nightowl at GANDER AND RYEGRASS, which features Night Owl Coffee liqueur with angostura bitters, Owney's Rum, Anvil coffee and egg white. Head to HERITAGE BAR AND KITCHEN to get a Warrior Coffee Slide, made from Warrior coffee vanilla vodka and Irish cream, served in a chocolate martini glass with a cinnamon rim. Or find dozens of other local options at the more than 100 participating restaurants this year.
