Enthralling Cocktails at Golden Beetle

Bar manager Andy McClellan's drinks have been grabbing attention lately.

By Seattle Mag January 29, 2013

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This article originally appeared in the January 2013 issue of Seattle Magazine.

Nestled in the old Market Street Grill space in Ballard, the almost 2-year-old Golden Beetle has garnered notice for the Eastern Mediterranean–inspired cuisine created by executive chef and owner Maria Hines (Tilth). But lately the cocktails from bar manager Andy McClellan (previously of Lola and Palace Kitchen) have been grabbing attention.

Amiable Atmosphere, Menu
Twinkling multicolored lights, muted earth tones and dark wood creates an inclusive, mysterious feel.

The host of tasty food choices on the bar and dinner menus is ideal for intimate sharing—the light carrot couscous spiked with hazelnuts ($7) and the savory chickpeas with yogurt and paprika ($15) are especially nice.

Enthralling Cocktails
The menus rotate seasonally, but what seems constant is the desire to play with a wide assortment of flavors.

One success on a recent menu was the Soil ’n’ Green ($10), which brings together the Indonesian sugarcane-based spirit Batavia arrack, a Murray River salt tincture, lime juice and house-made cilantro syrup. The result is a cocktail with lustrous citrus and spice notes on the front end, and a whisper of the garden on the tail. But don’t think that the bar is only into avant-garde craft cocktails. A recent special, the Pasadena ($9), showed off a more classical bent, combining gin, the Italian aperitif Cocchi Americano, Campari and maraschino liqueur. Its balance and poise seem to sum up the Golden Beetle perfectly.

1744 NW Market St.; 206.706.2977; golden-beetle.com

 

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