Audio By Carbonatix
Is there enough room in this town for two spicy passion fruit cocktails? When we wandered into the Setai to sample the chic hotel’s signature drink, Billy the bartender immediately said, “Chili Passion.” Huh, that’s funny. We just had one of those last week at the Sagamore. “Well, they stole it from us,” he insisted. “Ours has been written about in the New York Times.” But that’s not the first time the recipe has been lifted. “A celebrity chef came in and had the drink and then passed it off as his own recipe on his show,” the boyish mix-master snorted. As Billy rattled off the ingredient list, we realized it was different enough — vodka versus rum — and warranted a sampling. The mixture of Parrot Bay passion fruit rum, passion fruit purée, orange and cranberry juice, a splash of fresh ginger juice, and a sprinkling of red pepper flakes did make for a spicier concoction — and an addictive one at that. “On a Saturday night, you’ll see these lined up all along this bar,” boasted Billy as he ran his hand across the glowing iridescence of the mother-of-pearl finish. “Probably a third of the bar sales come from this drink.” Get your own for $16. Call 305-520-6000, or visit www.setai.com.
Starts: Oct. 16. Daily, 2006
