Head bartender of New York's STK Shawn R. Sugrue calls Tempest Storm a "sort of a variation on the Aviation," a classic cocktail made with gin and Maraschino liqueur. Tempest Storm, at $13, is a signature cocktail made with blueberry vodka; Maraschino liqueur; "fresh sour," made to order with freshly squeezed lemon juice and a bit of sugar; and muddled seasonal berries. Currently the berries being used are blackberries, but Sugrue said raspberries will make an appearance at the end of the summer.
The cocktail shares its name with one of the private rooms at STK, which in turn is named after a famed burlesque performer.
Sugrue explained that the cocktails served at STK are a mix between those that have roots in the classics and those that are totally new concoctions.
There's the Rediscovered Cherry Cosmo: "It's actually a Cosmopolitan that's perfectly proportioned, but we subbed everything out," Sugrue said. For example, instead of Cointreau, the Cherry Cosmo uses Triple Sec. In addition, regular cranberry juice is omitted in favor of white cranberry juice.
Then there's the Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler, which Sugrue describes as "something out of left field." Made with lemon, muddled strawberries and rhubarb-infused vodka with a graham cracker rim. This drink is high seasonal because of its ingredients and will be shelved by the end of fall.