After more than a year away from cocktail culture, people crave a well-crafted drink, prepared by an expert bartender who carefully thinks about the flavors and ingredients to produce a summery sip. A signifier of a thoughtful cocktail menu: local spirits.

“Restaurant enthusiasts expect an interesting and varied beer and wine list, so using the same five major spirits brands of 20 years ago doesn’t make much sense,” says Gallagher. He’s a sales manager for Bully Boy Distillers in Boston, which makes a wide range of craft spirits, so maybe a little biased, but we would agree nonetheless. “Customers like to see local spirits on menus because there’s a good chance that if a restaurant uses high-quality local ingredients in their cocktails, their cuisine will likely do the same.”

Indeed, Abbigail Hickey, manager of the bar at CK Pearl in Essex, is known for raiding the kitchen for a summer program of daily drink specials, featuring seasonal offerings from local farms. Combine the generosity of Côte-Nord artisans with our generous views of the water, and you have a recipe for a relaxing summer afternoon. Here are three places that blend local treasures with assorted views.

The bridge

Salisbury

The scene: This seasonal spot doesn’t have an indoor dining area at all, so no matter where you sit down you’ll enjoy the breezes of the River Merrimack and views of the Newburyport spiers bathed in beautiful sunsets. nocturnes opposite. On the ground floor, choose between high tables in the sun or a covered area to shelter you from the rays or a temporary shower. New this season, the second-floor covered patio changes from a limited-service lounge to a full menu, and diners can also enjoy a new waterside patio addition, not to mention new seating. railing directly on the pier.

Insider tip: Reservations are not accepted, but you can add your group to the waiting list through OpenTable before arriving and add a note to request your preferred table.

The spirits: Ryan & Wood Corsair Rum and Vodka

The drinks: Looking for a sensation on social media? Try the Frozen Painkiller, the restaurant’s personalized Privateer All Hands On Deck rum blend, hand-picked by the management of The Deck and Village restaurant (sister restaurant to The Deck in Essex), and juice pineapple, orange juice and coconut cream, garnished with freshly ground nutmeg and served in a real pineapple. “This is best consumed on our new jetty railing seats, directly above the water,” says general manager Monica Poisson. Do you prefer vodka? Try the new Truly Fishbowl cocktail: Ryan & Wood “Well Stocked” vodka, blue curacao, lemonade and Truly Wildberry Spiked Seltzer. When you’re done, you can take the fishbowl home.

Tuscan seafood grill

Newburyport

The scene: The whole living room vibe is a bit more Newport than Newburyport, with views of the River Merrimack providing the backdrop for elegant seating along a rail looking out to the harbor, as well as sofas and lounge chairs. comfortable tables. A bright roof and railings provide a wonderful view from every seat.

The spirits: Bully Boy offers the vodka of choice at all of the Tuscan brand’s restaurants, and the distiller has also crafted a special gin just for the company, infused with Sicilian lemon zest, oregano, basil, rosemary and juniper. . Boston Ghost Tequila infused with bhut jolokia pepper is the spirit of the restaurant’s spicy margarita.

The beverage: Try the new “Rosabella” cocktail, a nice blend of Bully Boy Vodka, Ramazzotti Aperitif, lemon, rose petal jam and prosecco, garnished with dehydrated rose petals. It’s sleek and sophisticated, just like the space.

CK Pearl

Essex

The scene: A sprawling, partially covered bridge sits directly over the River Essex, a perfect spot to enjoy the breeze as the boats pass by.

The spirits: Ryan & Wood Beauport Vodka, Ryan & Wood Knockabout Gin, Privateer Rum, Bully Boy Whiskey.

The drinks: Bar manager Abbigail Hickey enjoys making barrel-aged cocktails with local spirits. Take a trip to the tropics with the Banana Barrel: Privateer Rum infused with banana then barrel aged, mixed with guava and topped with a dark rum float. Do you prefer something witty forward? Try the Manhattan House, one of CK Pearl’s best-selling cocktails. It is made with Bully Boy American Straight Whiskey and Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth, aged in a 10 liter barrel. For dessert, sip the Espresso Martini, consisting of Ryan & Wood barrel-aged vodka infused with espresso and Kahlúa, then tossed with a touch of Bailey’s.

Drinks to take away

Unless local ordinances change, restaurants can still offer cocktails to go, but if you want something a little more portable, the area’s distilleries are here for you.

Alcoholic popsicles
Fabrizia Spirits, the leading limoncello producer in the United States, recently introduced ready-to-freeze packaging of its canned ready-to-drink cocktails. Like adult popsicles, spirits come in 100ml. tubes, using the same recipes as popular canned flavors: Italian lemonade (freshly squeezed lemonade and vodka), Italian margarita (freshly squeezed lemonade and tequila) and Italian breeze, made with Fabrizia Limoncello, freshly squeezed Sicilian lemons, premium vodka , and cranberry and raspberry juices.

Canned spritz
Bully Boy has introduced two canned cocktails, the Grapefruit Spritz and the Italian Iced Tea, both made from Bully Boy Amaro, which have crisp citrus notes that work well for boating and the beach.

Local hard seltzer
Great Marsh Brewing put their scientific approach to German beer to work on hard salts with Spass Craft Hard Seltzers. Made with water that mimics that found in the German cradle of seltzer water, in flavors like plum and blueberry, they contain just 4.5% blood alcohol and 80 calories. Prost!