Wine Loving Tria Taproom Adds Cocktails to the Boozy Menu
Story by Tiffany DuBois, photos by Eric Morales
On a beautiful and warm afternoon, local Philly favorite Tria Taproom launched a new series of cocktails that will leave you feeling really good. The trio of Tria restaurants have always been known for their incredible selection of wine and craft beers but now they have thrown their hat into the cocktail ring with four new cocktails and all four were delicious. Your hardest decision will be which one to try first. I recommend you try them all but make sure you have a safe way to get home afterwards!
Tria has always been in the forefront of being environmentally conscience. There are no bottles on site at their 20th and Walnut site. Everything is on tap. They recycle the bottles and send them back to the distributors. Their cocktails are no exception. The recipes are pre-made to perfection. When asked way they do it this way, they said when you order a drink, you may get two different tasting cocktails if two different bartenders make them. When the cocktail is pre-made, each one will taste the same each and every time. And boy where they right! They use local distilleries, like Bluecoat Gin and Stateside Vodka which is nice to see that they have a great relationship with local businesses.
Tria also uses technology to their advantage. Customers are given a tablet that they can view their drinks menu and read the description of each and, here’s the cool part, how much of a specific drink is still available. So, picture this. You’re at work and it’s almost quitting time. You’ve been to Tria before and have a favorite drink. If you go to their website, you can actually see how much of your favorite drink they have left. So, make sure you get out of work on time so you can get to Tria before they run out!
On to the good part, the four new cocktails. First up was the “Continental Sour”. Also known as a New York Sour, this super cocktail is a new take on a whiskey-sour. It uses Philadelphia distilled Kinsey rye, fresh lemon and house made simple syrup, then topped with a red wine float. Little note, the red wine float is a Cab Franc. And just a friendly warning, this was incredibly delicious and addictive!
Next on the list was the “Black ‘n’ Stormy”. It’s their take on the classic Caribbean cocktail “Dark and Stormy”. Their twist updates the original with Cruzan Black Strap, which is a deeply aromatic rum from St. Croix, Kelvin Organic Ginger Syrup, Pickett’s Hot ‘n’ Spicy Ginger, locally distilled Bluebird Dark Rum and finally a ripe Persian lime. If you’re thinking to yourself, this sounds fantastic, it is! It is a perfect cocktail on a warm spring or summer evening.
The third cocktail we tried was the “Sparkling Vesper”. It is made with Philadelphia’s own Bluecoat Gin and Stateside Vodka, as well as Cocchi Americano, which is an Italian aperitif wine flavored with herbs and spices, topped off with a lemon twist. I can’t rave enough about this cocktail! It was absolutely to die for and looked beautiful!
Last, but certainly not least, was the “Oaxaca Old Fashioned”. This incredible cocktail is made up of Cimmaron Reposado Tequilia and Dock Street Spirits Vicio Mezcal, Angostura bitters and an orange twist that lightens and brightens the aroma of this simple but perfect cocktail.
And of course, if you are trying all their new cocktails, you should eat something. Order anything on the menu and you can’t go wrong. Like the other Tria locations, the food here was delicious. We ordered the chicken wings which may have been the best chicken wings we’ve ever tasted. This is because the wings were cooked with a spicy chili sauce, and blue cheese crumbles. Next on the chopping block was the Tuna Tartare. This was a classic but for one thing, the tortilla chips! This was followed by two flatbreads that are more than filling enough without ordering a large plate entrée. The first flatbread was a three-cheese masterpiece made up of ricotta, fontina, smoked mozzarella, along with tomato conserva and basil. The second flatbread consisted of fennel sausage, smoked mozzarella, roasted shishito pepper, marinara and pistachio. Both were perfectly made and absolutely delicious.
Tria has been around in Philadelphia for quite a while and it’s pretty obvious why. The décor and incredibly friendly service are just for starters. The food and drinks just add to the warm and cozy atmosphere of the restaurant. Tria quickly became one of our favorite go to spots in the city. If you haven’t been to a Tria restaurant yet, you really need to go. And now that they are offering perfectly made cocktails, you have absolutely no excuse not to try this wonderful and exciting restaurant.
