If you have not experienced Lingr, now is a great time to visit St. Petersburg’s newest upscale-casual eatery and bar. Not only will you taste unique dishes that fuse Asian and Norwegian cuisines, but you can pair them with creative craft cocktails that utilize complementary flavors. A lot of our focus has been on showcasing our original menu and how the Lingr concept came about. Now we would like to highlight the innovation and intention behind each of the five drinks on our craft cocktail list. “Only five” you say? Don’t worry. Each of our signature drinks are filled with incredible flavors and run the gamut of smooth, sweet, and bold.
First, let’s define “craft cocktails.” For us, it means doing things the right way using only fresh juices instead of sour mixes and making in-house syrups and liqueurs. We even make our own aquavit (a word you will see often in the below descriptions), the goal being that our beverage offerings share the spotlight with our food and work together to create an incredible dining affair.
Once expectations were set, it was time to choose. Inspired by classic drinks, our rather ingenious team selected five traditional favorites and tied them to the five Chinese elements: Wood, Earth, Water, Fire, and Metal. Rather than completely changing the well-loved drinks, we broke down the components of each and included ingredients that would best enhance Lingr’s cuisine. Take a look at our five craft cocktails and determine which ones you will want to taste first!
Wood
Our most popular drink, Wood is very similar to an Old Fashioned but with the addition of a house made 5 Spice syrup to bring in a Chinese element. We named this drink Wood because it is made with two different whiskeys aged in wooden barrels. Lingr patrons enjoy the flavor combination of smoky rye, butter washed Japanese whiskey, and 5 spice.
Earth
Fun and flavorful! We wanted a tiki cocktail like a Queen's Park Swizzle but with fresh spices, fruits, and other earthy ingredients. This colorful drink also includes Baijiu, a Chinese spirit that is very rare in the US, to solidify our commitment to authenticity. Topped off with an orchid and a mint garnish, you will want to circle earth several times in one evening!
Water
Think Gin and Tonic… Lingr style. Part gin, part aquavit (a typical Norwegian spirit with caraway and fennel seed which gives it a rye bread characteristic with a licorice finish), this refreshing concoction introduces cucumber, dill syrup, and an elder flower tonic into the mix. And just think, you can say that you had nothing but Water all night long!
Fire
They say that fire draws us in, captivates us. Our Fire drink is no exception as you will be mesmerized by the vibrant hues of this bright red drink. Based on the Negroni, an Italian cocktail, we replace gin with aquavit and infuse the sweet vermouth with beets. You will also still get a hint of Campari, a traditional aperitif. Just take it slow and you won’t get burned!
Metal
This interesting mixture is a culmination of the other four elements and is loosely based on a modern drink called a Paper Plane. The most hard core or heavy metal of the quintet, Metal has equal parts aquavit, Baijiu, lemon juice, and Aperol (a bitter Italian aperitif) and then is sprinkled with 5 Spice bitters to finish. The complex combination perfectly blends Cantonese and Nordic flavor profiles and is suited for a more mature palate. We are not sure it will make you sharper, but it will definitely take the edge off!
Ready to imbibe? Come meet our experienced bartenders and discover new flavors in a brand-new atmosphere. We invite you to Lingr!