Where to Drink
Where to drink in Dallas right now: 5 bars with fall cocktails for October
It's time to decide where to drink.
This edition of Where to Drink, CultureMap's monthly column offering advice on the best places to drink, has five places that have unveiled cozy cocktails with a decidedly fall twist. Bring on the cider, the cinnamon spice, and the extra-spooky dry ice.
This is an especially culinary-minded where to drink, featuring the bars at five restaurants, doing kitchen-driven takes on cocktails.
Here's where to drink for October:
Al Biernat's
Classy steakhouse has introduced special fall cocktails at each of its two locations. Oak Lawn has a Maple Manhattan, with Whistle Pig's PiggyBack 100 Proof Bourbon, Whistle Pig Maple Syrup, and M.R. Sweet Vermouth; and an Apple Pie Margarita with Avion Reposado, Orange Liquor, spiced apple cider, and lemon juice, fashioned to summon the comfort of a classic Apple Pie. Al Biernat’s North Dallas has the Fall 75, with Zephyr Gin, St. George Spiced Pear, lemon juice, and Cava Brut; and a Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Martini with Blackland Pecan Bourbon, Dorda Double Chocolate Liqueur, and Dark Crème De Cacao, both for $14.75.
Knife Dallas
Chef John Tesar has added new food and beverage items to the menu at the original Knife in Dallas, including a lineup of seasonal cocktails with many chef touches. The Out Smoked has smoked pineapple tequila, strawberry balsamic shrub, strawberry syrup, lemon, and rosemary tincture. Looking Plum has Japanese whiskey, sage syrup, yuzu, lemon, and fermented plum foam. Mis Con has mezcal, Tepache, demerara, Fernet Branca, Borghetti espresso liqueur, and lemon. The Gentleman No. 1 has Scotch, sweet vermouth, and Pimm’s No. 1. Twelve Mile Limit combines dark rum, rye whiskey, brandy, grenadine, and lemon.
Mi Dia From Scratch
For the month of October, Mi Dia From Scratch welcomes the Dulce Travesura, which translates to “trick or treat." It's a Halloween-inspired margarita with Osadia Blanco, Cointreau, mandarin puree, vanilla agave, and lemon water. But it's the presentation — garnished with dry ice for that spooky aura — that puts it over the top. It'll be at all three locations in Plano, Flower Mound, and Grapevine. Mi Dia's Southwestern bar program includes a Tequila Tower, housing 120-plus agave tequilas, which they use to make more than 60 specialty cocktails, margaritas, and tequila flights.
Rye
The Rye in McKinney may be closed for now (due to a fire in the kitchen) but the Dallas location at 1920 Greenville Ave. is still rocking, serving dinner and brunch, with a recent update that incorporates fun cocktails utilizing seasonal ingredients. The Honeydew Me has honeydew-infused gin, citric acid-adjusted honeydew juice - hm, what is that, salted honey syrup, lemon, and Cava. The frozen Subzero Monk has dark and white rums, pineapple, Peche liqueur, peach purée, mint tincture, and Peuchaud’s Bitter float. Somebloody to Love: has Reyka vodka, blood orange, Aperol, Buddah’s Hand, Cava, and soda. Blurred Limes has dill-infused tequila, cucumber, aloe, lime, and celery bitters.
Toussaint Brasserie
French-inspired restaurant and bar in the Renaissance Saint Elm Dallas Downtown Hotel has debuted new fall dishes and drinks. Entrees include the Chicken & Truffle Pot Pie plus many more but we are here for the cocktails incorporating seasonal ingredients: the Knit Sweater has Rittenhouse 100 Rye, Averna, Amaro Nonino, clove syrup, and orange bitters. The Cider Car has Calvados, apple cider, Cointreau, and lemon. And the Chai Rum Flip has dark rum, chai syrup, egg, and torched cinnamon.
Oloyo's Olivia Lopez and Jonathan Percival at work. Molino Oloyo 
The chef-owners have a passion for heirloom corn.Photo by Elizabeth Lavin