It’s no secret that Applewood is serving some of the borough’s best food, but — since the restaurant is a bit of a splurge for the low-budget gourmand — we never had the opportunity to sample their adventurous cocktails. Thankfully, though, the inexpensive menu offered during Restaurant Week allowed us to taste a couple of their specialties. In their version of the Tom Collins, the gin was infused with tarragon, and the aromatic herb saturated the cocktail with an almost overpowering anise-like flavor. Simiarly, the cardamom-steeped vodka was the most intense flavor in their Maple Manhattan, a potent concoction that also included Maker’s Mark, maple syrup, and a dash of bitters.

When it comes to classic cocktails, we tend to be of the if-it-ain’t-broke-don’t-fix-it school of thought — but we were intrigued by these new spins on our old favorites. The Applewood cocktail menu has more to offer, too — a Blood Orange-Thyme Margarita, a Savory Onion Martini, and the Lavender-Quince Cosmopolitans pictured above. Can any Applewood regulars recommend the best one of the bunch?

Photo by faerygrrrl