When it comes to crafting the cocktail list, which gets updates at least once a month, The Little Dipper’s Ben Neal will often go “Iron Chef ” on his bartenders. “He’ll say, ‘OK, your secret ingredient of the day is this liqueur or fruit or something,’ and then we toss around ideas until something sticks,” says bartender April Marcuz. “We stretch ourselves to think outside of the box when we come up with the cocktails.”
Which is how the Mystic Waters came to be. April takes four or five plum slices, adds a splash of lemon and muddles it, drawing out the flavor of the fruit, then pours an ounce and a half of Durham-based Mystic Bourbon Liqueur and a bit of Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur. A few good shakes, and she tops it off with Naked Apple blackberry cider in a coup glass. Add a wedge of plum for garnish, and enjoy the cinnamon spice that pulls through from the Mystic and blends with the sweet plum and tart apple notes. Whether you’re going for chocolate or cheese or a full entree at the fondue joint in Brightleaf Square, the Mystic Waters is sure to pair nicely. “What I love about Mystic is that it’s pretty versatile,” Ben says. “We’re not going to do another take on a Manhattan with Mystic – we want to do something different that tastes good.” Mission accomplished.
