Golden Hour – Light City Baltimore

Becky from Our Endless Adventure chose the Golden Hour, which was created as the official cocktail for Baltimore’s Light City festival.

The drink includes Sagamore Rye, Luxardo Maraschino, Angostura bitters, citrus juices, and a cherry garnish. It was created during a cocktail competition organized by the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts.

Blinky Slushies – Wet City

Taylor from Stylishly Taylored took a slightly different approach and picked a machine rather than a specific drink.

At Wet City in Baltimore, a slushie machine named Blinky produces rotating frozen cocktails during warmer months. The flavors change frequently, but Taylor’s favorite so far has been the Passion Fruit Guava Typhoon.

Frozen drinks paired with Wet City’s Nashville hot chicken make for a pretty memorable combo.

Clavel Margarita – Clavel

Amy from Charm City Cook chose a Baltimore classic: the Clavel Margarita.

Made with Tapatio blanco tequila, lime juice, agave nectar, and a pinch of pink salt, it’s a simple cocktail that highlights great ingredients. Clavel is one of my personal favorite restaurants in the city, and their margaritas are always worth ordering.

Margarita photo credit: Isaiah Winter

Old Fashioned – Bluebird Cocktail Room

Leandro from Food Nomad went with a classic: the Old Fashioned at The Bluebird Cocktail Room in Hampden.

The description says it all: whiskey with a touch of sugar and bitters. Sometimes the best cocktails are the ones that stick to the basics and execute them perfectly.

Smoke & Fire

Love and Happiness – Ida B’s Table

Nikki from Cocktail Crafty chose the Love and Happiness cocktail at Ida B’s Table.

The drink includes reposado tequila, satsuma orange, lime, sweet corn, and aquafaba (chickpea brine), which replaces traditional egg whites to create the cocktail’s foam. It’s a creative example of how bartenders are experimenting with vegan ingredients in cocktails.

The False Idol – La Cuchara

Celine from Celine’s Eats selected the False Idol from La Cuchara.

It’s similar to a whiskey sour, made with Buffalo Trace bourbon, lemon juice, and agave. The lemon peel garnish is charred on top of the drink, adding a subtle smoky flavor.

The False Idol

A Late-Night Piña Colada – Alma Cocina Latina

For me, the drink that stood out most came from Alma Cocina Latina.

I stopped in during a late-night happy hour after First Thursdays at the waterfront on a particularly warm summer evening. With help from Argie, the bartender, I ordered a Piña Colada.

It had the classic flavors of coconut, pineapple, and lime with light rum, but it was lighter than the typical frozen version. Refreshing and easy to drink, it ended up being exactly what I wanted that night.