Tiny drinks, tiny prices at Lifted Spirits
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Lifted Spirits Distillery is shrinking its cocktails and the tab that comes with them, joining our running list of KC happy hours that won't break the bank.
The big picture: The East Crossroads distillery is in on the mini cocktail trend with a new happy hour menu of $6 in glasses about half the size of a standard cocktail.
Zoom in: The new happy hour menu features five mini cocktails, each one a downsized take on a classic. A mini lets you sample more of the menu, order a second round or stop at one.
- The Mini Gimmy is Bright gin, lime and simple syrup, a stripped-down gimlet that lets the gin do the work.
- The Mini Dirty is vodka, olive brine and water for a clean, salty pour that drinks like a martini without the commitment.
The Mini Espresso Martini is vodka, cold brew, coffee liqueur and simple syrup, the order for when you're not ready for the night to be over.
- The Mini Necromancer is absinthe, elderflower liqueur, Cocchi Americano and lemon. Head bartender Torbis Laughlin diplomatically calls absinthe a polarizing flavor, and the mini is a low-stakes way to find out where you land.
- The Mini Collins is Bold gin, lemon, simple syrup and club soda, a fizzy, citrus-forward drink that goes down easy on the patio.
The vibe: Lifted feels less like a bar and more like a neighborhood the bartenders happen to live in. The lights are low, the staff members want to talk to you about what's in your glass, and the regulars are settled in their favorite spots by the time the sun goes down.
- "It's not hoity-toity, we're not upscale, and you don't have to spend $60 to come here. Stop by, have one or two little tiny drinks, and call this your space too," Laughlin tells Axios.
💭 My thought bubble: I'm a gin girl, so Lifted has had me from the start. Their gimlet is one of my favorites, and their Bee's Knees is right behind it.
- If you want to know if a bar is any good, order a gin drink and see what happens. Lifted always passes.
The bottom line: Happy hour runs Wednesday through Saturday from 5-7pm, so pull up a stool and stay a while.