Beverage Direction by Kyisha Davenport and Danameche Terron
of “The Uphams Corner Connection”
Libations
CAN I KICK IT?
New additions to the fam…
Love Washes Ashore
Mezcal Yola, Daytrip Strawberry Amaro, epazote, elote, agave, lemon, bubbles
Stroll Down Lenox
Ten to One White, banana oleo, white chocolate, passionfruit, oj, egg white, sparkling water
Expresso Martini No. 3 aka Word to the Mother
Mezcal Yola, iru, kola nut syrup, Licor 43, espresso
Kanaval
Navèt 1804 Jus de Canne, Aperol, djon djon, guava milk, spiced syrup, lime
Lost in Cusco
SUYO Italia & Quebranta Pisco, cacao, plantain oleo, salt, rhubarb, coconut clarification
Tennessee Masala
Uncle Nearest 1884, chaat masala, tea, grapefruit soda
…Yes, you can
CLASSICS THAT NEED NO INTRODUCTION
Dream Street: Sorel, Orange Liqueur, Coconut, Lime
“Welcome to Dream Street — the best street in the world! Just ask the people who live here. The houses and dreams inside are different as thumbprints. The sidewalks are wide enough for huge chalk drawings and giant hopscotch boards. Children from all over the neighborhood come to play until the streetlights go on.” Tricia Elam Walker, Author, Dream Street
This daiquiri is a nod and an ode to the children's book, Dream Street. Both the book and cocktail are created by Roxbury natives, who are deeply familiar with the heart of the city, even in the face of its portrayal as the hurt of it. We use Sorel, the liqueur created by the first African American distiller on record, Jackie Summers, as its base, calling in one of the most prominent flavors of the African diaspora, hibiscus. Coconut, lime and rhum from Martinique further evoke the ingredients of our shared histories – where we came from, where we are now, and all of the places we will go.
Sumac Sour: Rhodium Gin, Timur Pepper, Sumac Syrup, Lemon, Egg White
Staghorn sumac berries can be foraged throughout the year in the northeast. You’ll also find it in ground form at Nepali markets, Tropical Foods in Roxbury, and specialty spice shops. Sumac is native to Africa, East Asia, and North America. The berry is used for dyes, and the spice is a staple in cuisines throughout North Africa and Western Asia. Turns out, timur pepper is the perfect pairing! The Nepali cousin of Szechuan pepper, timur is a dried wild berry with notes of citrus and a tropical, mild numbing sensation.
This cocktail was originally a collaboration between friends, which you can read more about in Edible Boston Magazine!
The Silver Box: Bombay Sapphire, St. Germain, Luxardo Bitter Bianco
Mildred Davenport was a dancer, educator, and community leader born in Roxbury. She was one of the first Black dancers to integrate – and more importantly, grace – Boston’s major performing arts stages. Mildred’s life and work has seemingly touched so many parts of Black history, from her professorship at the Tuskegee Institute, to serving in the Army as a Captain during World War II; perhaps it is these triumphs that make it all the more meaningful that she chose to open her dance academy, Silver Box Studios, in the heart of Black Boston at 596 Columbus Avenue in the South End.
Upon retiring from dance, Ms. Davenport served as a board member of the Boston Chapter of the NAACP, a twenty year career at the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, and a fundraiser for community performing arts programs.
When you think of a martini, we think of gin, class, elegance, and distinction. Served with a lemon expression, we love that twinkle of brightness that brings it all together, much like Mildred Davenport did throughout her trailblazing career.
One in a Million: Kasama 7yr Rum, Royal Jamaican Blackstrap Rum,
Smoked Coriander, Strawberry, Pineapple, Ginger, Lemon
A cocktail as iconic as the song and artist herself, One in a Million all started with a tribute to Aaliyah’s favorite fruit – strawberry. With some help from one of our OG cocktails(1962), we use some sage honey and shake it up with lemon, ginger, and Royal Jamaican blackstrap rum. The result is a cocktail that has elements of familiarity, but is an experience unto itself.
Black Caesar: Oh, you don’t believe in Harlem World?
Navèt 1804 Vielli, Uruapan Charanda Blanco, Punt e Mes, Sirene Bianco, cacao, sage, umami
There may be myriad opinions on the Blaxploitation film genre, ranging from the perception of stereotypical representation of Black people and culture, to highlighting the importance and emergence of Black film that starred and centered Black actors and historical and cultural themes and ideology. While opinions may differ, all can agree that the genre created a platform for soul and funk music to become an integral part of the film: the soundtrack.
Released in theaters in 1973, Black Caesar set this very tone, a film about a man scorned rising to prominence as a mob leader in Harlem, set to a full-on James Brown soundtrack. We took the funk out of the film’s score and put it in the glass: umami-rich mushroom tincture, highlighting cacao, sage, honey, bittersweet vermouth, charanda rum, and sugarcane-rich aged Haitian clairin. We’re especially proud to feature Navèt 1804, a Haitian-owned clairin by four friends who grew up right here in Brockton, resisting colonialist narratives that disempower small producers in Haiti. Santè!
Free-Spirited
Around here, we don’t call them “mocktails.” We prefer to be free spirited!
Baobab Cocktail
Baobab, ginger, orange oil, orange blossom water,
Nepali Tea Traders white tea selection
Baobab trees, also known as “The Tree of Life,” are indigenous to the African continent. They may grow as tall as 80 feet and as wide as 50 feet. A flowering tree, baobabs bear large, hard shelled fruit with a fleshy pulp inside. The fruit is nutrient rich, used as both medicine and for culinary purposes. The baobab tree holds deep cultural and spiritual significance across the continent, and we bring it here to Comfort Kitchen to honor and enjoy our connection to it.
Southern Margarita
Pecan likka, agave, orange, lime
Did you know that pecans are native to both the Southern United States, and to Northern Mexico? What do you even do with that information?! The obvious answer is that you of course make a margarita! Pecan is an Algonquin word that refers to various hickory tree nuts; even when it’s not apparent (intentional or not), indigenous cultures are ever present in the food we eat, the words we speak, and the land we live on. In our own small way, we make it a point to share the knowledge we are given, and put it back out into the world to be received.