Cool Off On The Terrace At The Trump
By Staff in Food on Aug 8, 2014 4:00PM
If you’ll be downtown this weekend and looking for a place to escape the sweaty masses of tourists, consider cooling off with some inventive cocktails at The Terrace at Trump Tower (401 N. Wabash Ave.).
I had a chance to taste the new menu at a press event. This year, ice is an area of particular focus for at The Terrace. Four out of the seven Terrace cocktails feature an inventive and playful take on ice, including a Manhattan/Boulevardier and a Vesper chilled with cocchi rosa/lemon sorbet.
The Manhattan/Boulevardier, made with Larceny bourbon, Carpano Antica, Angostura bitters, and Campari cubes, borrows upon the concept developed by Jeff Faile of Washington, DC’s Casa Luca. As the Campari cubes melt, the drink transforms from a Manhattan to a Boulevardier.
Though a fun concept, the transition creates a rather unbalanced Boulevardier—unless you drink at a rate proportional to the melting of the cubes, you’ll be left with cold Campari rinsed with a splash of bourbon and vermouth.
A low-proof option is the White Radiance cocktail, which contains Fonseca Porto Siroco, Griffard apricot liqueur, honey ginger syrup, and lemon blood orange ice. Initially delicious, as this drink melts, it becomes velvety and sweet with a hint of tang.
If you hit The Terrace after dark, you’ll be handed a black-light flashlight to access the Reserve List. The list features three shareable cocktails, all of which are contained in a sculpted ice block. I sampled The Tower for its “homemade rhubarb snow”—the presentation, much like the persona cultivated by The Trump’s eponymous founder, is both ridiculous and impressive. Concocted from an interesting blend of Armagnac, Madeira, Verjus Rouge and Champagne, the drink’s parts combine into an almost savory whole, which is substantially sweetened by the ice.
Unlike other hotel rooftop bars such as J. Parker or ROOF, The Terrace at The Trump is only open seasonally, so if sipping summery cocktails while drinking in beautiful panoramas of the city appeals to you, stop in before the weather turns chilly. If you’re thirsty for The Trump but ambivalent about al fresco, Rebar and the bar at Sixteen are indoors and open year-round.