Each week, we order the same cocktail at two different bars for a friendly head-to-head battle. Go to the bars, taste both drinks and tell us what you like about each by tagging @pghcitypaper on Twitter or Instagram and using #CPBoozeBattles. If you want to be a part of Booze Battles, send an email to food-and-beverage writer Celine Roberts, at celine@pghcitypaper.com.
Evangeline
453 Boulevard of the Allies, Downtown
Drink: Scarlet Hourglass
Ingredients: Sauza Blue bianco tequila, blackberry, sweet basil, lime, sugar, Angostura bitters
Our take: Earthy notes, reminiscent of black tea, are the first elements of this cocktail. Very smooth and sweet from fruit and basil, this is an ideal drink for back-porch drinking during the last days of summer.
Yuzu Kitchen Ramen & Robata Grill
Downtown
Drink: Purple Haze
Ingredients: Faber vodka, blackberry, mint, lemon
Our take: This cocktail is very berry-heavy and coats the mouth with the summer fruit. Sweet and satisfying. Mint wafts through on the nose, and the flavor profile is lightened with the acidity of the lemon.
This article appears in Sep 13-19, 2017.




