Summer cocktails

SAID casually, with standard lazy tongue, the drink easily sounds like an unpleasant physiognomic stasis. Which is part of the point, of course. And part of the pleasure.

The Resting Peach Face is one of eight drinks on the new summer cocktail menu from chef-owner James Trees and bar manager Tucker St. John at Esther’s Kitchen in downtown Las Vegas. The cocktail presents an occasion to convene vodka, Seville oranges, Select aperitivo (founded in 1920 in Venice), our homophonic peach and some anisette.

Drink the Resting Peach Face before dinner, the tasting notes suggest.

Here’s a précis on the other seven comminglings:

■ Caminante: bourbon, La Quintinye Rouge vermouth, Gajardo bitters, orange peel; “on a big rock boulevardier style.”

■ Hotel Santa Fe: coffee-infused rye, Foro Amaro, aged rum, chile liqueur, mole bitters; “forward sipper with Southwestern flair.”

■ In for a Penny: prosciuttowashed mezcal, lemon, melon juice, simple syrup, celery bitters; “a sweet savory snack wrapped up in a glass.”

■ Modern Day Disco: tequila,

Aperol, Dolin white vermouth, watermelon, lime; “a lush watermelon crusher”; “bitter and sweet!”

■ The Passion of The Fruit: rum, Gran Classico Bitter, passion fruit, hibiscus, Peychaud bitters; “boozy tangy tiki banger.”

■ Sasha Velour: gin, crème de violette, absinthe, Amarena cherry (from Northern Italy), lemon; “refined and elegant,” fit for a queen.

■ Serenitea: gin, chamomile, honey, elderflower, lemon; “mildly floral”; “gently dry.”

The cocktails are $15. Beverage selections also include Meletti amaro on tap for $10, local and imported beers, a value- and character-driven wine list, and a sweep of independent spirits.

Chef-owner James Trees, who opened Esther’s Kitchen in 2018, was named a finalist in the Best Chef: Southwest category in the 2020 James Beard Foundation Awards. Esther’s Kitchen has been recognized as the best Italian restaurant in Vegas and one of the best Italian restaurants in the U.S. by several publications.

For more information, visit estherslv.com.

Esther’s Kitchen Four pours on the summer cocktail list at Esther’s Kitchen in dowtown Las Vegas.