The world of imbibers is largely divided into three worlds: cocktail drinkers, beer drinkers and wine drinkers. There are still plenty of consumers, myself included, that are what I refer to as “equal opportunity drinkers,” imbibers who find pleasure in alcohol of any kind. So what do you do if you’re a beer-centric restaurant and bar wanting to entice the cocktail-loving crowd? You create cocktails with a splash from one of the taps.
That was the goal of Megan Coombes, the chef and general manager at Altstadt in Seattle’s historic Pioneer Square district. The restaurant is largely focused on the foods and flavors of Germany, so naturally beer is a central focus on the drink menu. Coombes teamed up with Donald Tillman, the locale’s bar manager, and they put their heads together to highlight the bar’s beer offerings, while appealing to the cocktail crowd.
“Beer cocktails are a bridge to the cocktail world for beer drinkers,” says Coombes,. “And vice versa for cocktail lovers.”
Coombes, who lived in Germany for a time, developed Altstadt’s menu with a distinct emphasis on traditional German foods like vinaigrette-dressed potato salad, currywurst, dark rye bread, wiener schnitzel and more, yet she found herself wondering how to define the food culture category in general. Beer cocktails, and cocktails in general, are largely rooted in the U.S., and Coombes saw the opportunity to offer something appealing to Germanophiles and cocktail enthusiasts alike.
Tillman looked to Coombes’ kitchen for inspiration and ingredients when developing cocktails for the menu. “She wants every garnish to be edible,” he says, teasing Coombes for her details. Luckily for Tillman, there are things like homemade jams, candied citrus peel, pickled ginger, rhubarb and cherries at his disposable. Tangy brines from these pickled items also work like a shrub in many cocktails.
“I look for what’s good and what’s in season,” Tillman explains of his process. “I am ultimately focused on what interesting and unique flavors I can pull in from the kitchen.”
On the menu this summer at Altstadt is a cocktail called Amber Waves, which combines bourbon, lemon, juice, orange marmalade and a German wheat beer together. The beer lowers the alcohol content while providing a tall, refreshing drink that can be sipped over a stretch of time. The Sunset is a another beer cocktail on the menu, which uses fresh citrus along with muddled fresh raspberries, blanco tequila and some sweetener, which is then shaken together and topped with a Belgian-style witbier from Holy Mountain Brewing.
Coombes combed breweries in and around the Seattle area for European-style beers to add to the menu and use in cocktails. Holy Mountain’s Belgian-style wit used in the Sunset cocktail was just one: Taps from other Washington breweries like Seapine Brewery, Alpine Brewing, Chuckanut Brewery and Silver City Brewery will be added soon, and will be highlighted during Altstadt’s Oktoberfest celebration in mid-September.
Sunset
Recipe by by Donald Tillman of Altstadt
3 raspberries
1 ½ ounces blanco tequila
¾ ounce fresh grapefruit juice
½ ounce fresh lime juice
½ ounce agave syrup
2-3 ounces Holy Mountain White Lodge witbier
Garnish: two raspberries
Muddle raspberries in a cocktail shaker. Add ice and the remainder of the ingredients except the beer. Shake and double strain into chilled beer stein filled with crushed ice. Top with Holy Mountain witbier. Garnish with two fresh raspberries.
Amber Waves
Recipe by by Donald Tillman of Altstadt
1 ½ ounces bourbon
1 ounce fresh lemon juice
½ ounce simple syrup
1 bar spoon orange marmalade
2-3 ounces wheat beer
Garnish: lemon peel or candied lemon
Build all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and fill with ice. Shake and strain into tulip-shaped glass. Top with wheat beer and garnish with lemon peel or candied lemon.
