Costera’s general manager, Steve Groom, heard Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain” and wondered what “clouds in my coffee” would look like. “The first interaction with a cocktail is when you see it,” he said. The drink is inspired by the ubiquitous Espresso Martini and the Spanish Carajillo. While working in Chicago, Steve met some bartenders from New Orleans and decided to move here if the Cubs ever won the World Series. When they won in 2016, Steve thought, “I guess that’s all the sign I need.” Steve helped open Costera, creating their popular gin and tonic. After Hurricane Ida he left for new opportunities, believing he would not return. “I ate and drank my way through Spain,” he said. On his travels he found constant cocktail inspiration. “I kept thinking, ‘This would be so cool to do at the bar.’ I wrote down all these ideas, which came in handy when I did end up returning here.” Maybe that was a sign, too.
Listen to Elizabeth’s podcast “Drink & Learn;” visit elizabeth-pearce.com
