Dining Guide: Toast to spring in Philadelphia

SoWe is whipping up a Chocolate Bacon Bourbon Milkshake. SoWe is whipping up a Chocolate Bacon Bourbon Milkshake.

Center City Sips doesn’t start for a few weeks, but that’s no excuse to hold off on sipping the season’s newest cocktails. Local bartenders are pulling out all the stops this spring, with ingredients like bacon and coconut sugar on the drinks menu. We’ll have another round, please.

The 6th Thyme
Wet your whistle with this blend of Irish mead, honey, Aperol, thyme and white cranberry, part of Serrano’s new “craft-tails” list. Then head upstairs to catch live music at Tin Angel.
Serrano
20 S. 2nd St.
www.serranophilly.com

Caprese Martini
Noir is taking garnishes to the next level with an Abolut Vodka and muddled basil martini, served up or on the rocks with mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and green olives. Chef Marco DeCotiis and bar manager Donnamarie Motto, who doubles as DeCotiis’ girlfriend, collaborated on this boozy, salad-y beverage.
Noir
1909 E. Passyunk Ave.
www.noirphiladelphia.com

Rittenhouse Rascal
Refresh with Barclay Prime’s mix of Ketel One Oranje, Lillet White, concentrated green tea and lemon in their posh bar/lounge space. If $14 is a bit steep for your budget, swing by for happy hour, weekdays from 5-6:30 p.m., and sample a Seersucker: Bombay Sapphire, ginger beer, mint, lemon, and St. Germain for $6.
Barclay Prime
237 S. 18th St.
www.barclayprime.com

Mama’s Squeeze Box
The newly renovated Square 1682 has a new head bartender. Chauncey Scates, formerly of Franklin Mortgage and Investment Co., is serving up a Tanqueray, Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao, Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth, lemon and coconut sugar concoction the restaurant is describing as “boozy, light, sophisticated.”
Square 1682
121 S. 17th St.
www.square1682.com

Chocolate Bacon Bourbon Milkshake
Salty, sweet, and alcoholic? Sold. Satisfy your taste buds with SoWe’s adults-only milkshake, featuring bacon-infused Maker’s Mark, vanilla ice cream, and chocolate syrup.And yes, that’s a chocolate-covered-bacon garnish.
SoWe
918 S. 22nd St.
www.sowephilly.com