We visited Sona Creamery & Wine Bar in Eastern Market and sipped on its new Elder-Spring Royale cocktail (and some Prosecco). The drink was created by General Manager Michael Mlyniec, and is so refreshing it reminds us that spring is just days away. Go ahead and make it at home.
Since Sona’s main focus is cheese, we couldn’t resist asking about a cheese pairing. Mlyniec suggests Evalon, a raw goat’s milk cheese from LaClare Farms in Wisconsin that’s aged for over four months. “The cheese is tangy and nutty with with a fruity finish,” says Mlyniec.
“When paired together they bring out herbaceous qualities in the cocktail and butteriness in the cheese that isn’t immediately apparent in either.” Cheers (especially to spring)!
Photo: Sona Creamery
Sona Creamery’s Elder-Spring Royale Cocktail
½ oz St. Germain elderflower liqueur
½ oz Hendricks gin
½ oz homemade rosemary orange blossom syrup
Dash of orange bitters
Drop of hibiscus essence
Shake all ingredients and strain into a flute. Top with Polo Club and stir. Garnish with a rosemary sprig.
Tricia is a native Washingtonian, born and raised in Columbia Heights. She loves DC so much that she was only able to leave the city for one year after college and immediately came running back. She’s lived in Navy Yard for the last few years and is excited to see all the new restaurants finally moving into the neighborhood. Tricia works in PR during the day, and spends her nights trying out new restaurants in DC with friends or watching The Good Wife, Scandal, Bones and Grey’s Anatomy. A couple of years ago Tricia decided to eat at all of the 100 Very Best Restaurants until she realized she would be old and broke by the time she finished. Unfortunately, part of that fate might still come true due to her obsession with Uber.