Though you can’t order your favorite vodka or tequila up-Island, you can bring it to a few of your favorite restaurants and they’ll make you a Cape Codder or margarita.
State Road Restaurant debuts their drink menu this week, which features house mixers ($8) and standards ($4). The unique mixes include Vineyard Thyme: lemon, honey water, and State Road garden thyme. The Basil Gimlet is made with lime, sugar, and State Road garden basil. The Sunset Tea is tea, lemon, honey, cranberry, and State Road garden lemon verbena. The choice is yours for what alcohol to add, but the restaurant will make suggestions.
In addition to the special mixers, the restaurant has tonic, soda, juices, Coca-Cola, ginger ale, ginger beer, espresso, chocolate, and vanilla for standard mixers. Standard drinks include a Madras, Salty Dog, Sea Breeze, and Manhattan (The Other Island).
The proprietors of Chilmark Tavern assure they have the ingredients to make most cocktails, in addition to non-alcoholic pilsner beer ($2), and their own Bloody Mary mix ($5) and Mojito ($4). Alcohol storage lockers are available for the season, where you can safely store your bottles.
At the Home Port in Menemsha, they’ll mix your vodka or champagne with the Cranberry Cosmo: a classic Cosmopolitan base with local Cape Cod cranberry juice. Or, bring tequila (or vodka) for their homemade margarita mix made with fresh lemon, lime, and orange juices. During Sunday Brunch only, try their Bloody Mary mix with vodka, or make it a Redeye and mix with beer.
Unlike most up-Island restaurants, Menemsha Café does not charge for corkage. Owners Josh and Angela Aronie encourage you to bring your own spirits to mix with their juice and soda, or bring your own drink mixers for more elaborate concoctions.
Tisberry
A new frozen yogurt shop opened up in Vineyard Haven last Thursday. Tisberry, located next door to Riley’s Reads, features more than 25 toppings including many different kinds of fruit, chocolate bars, and cereal. They also sell fruit smoothies. For more information, call 508-693-1145.