Rhubarbarita & More at Nor'East Beer Garden

“I don’t like tequila, I hate the smell of lavender and what precisely is a rhubarb?” Ah, not exactly the ideal response a mixologist hopes to hear when asked for a recommendation on a house favorite cocktail. At Nor’East Beer Garden in Provincetown, the reply to your inner reservations about trying concoctions with some very unique combinations should always be, “Yeah, but try it anyway. I’ll be glad I did.”

Nor’East Beer Garden is as close to a hideaway as one can find in the middle of a bustling Commercial Street in P-Town. At less than 16 feet wide, it can be easy to miss, but once discovered, impossible to forget. Lush ivy-covered walls of adjoining buildings provide a snug feeling, and the multi-tiered covering of sailcloth overhead protects the ornate woodwork and patrons below. Sister/brother owners Vida Richter and Erik Hamnquist are into their ninth season, and continue to opt for the winding path instead of the straight and easy way.

At Nor’East Beer Garden, much of what’s on the drink menu is house-made: the bitters that Richter makes over the winter, the weekly batches of shrubs and tinctures, even the tonic water is made on the premises with orange, lemon, lime, clove and lemongrass. Nor’East has put a tremendous amount of thought and effort into all aspects of the libations (not to mention the food) they offer. Areas where other establishments might relax their attention to detail do not escape notice at Nor’East Beer Garden. They have creatively replaced plastic straws with tubes of uncooked pasta. Something as simple as ice cubes has been addressed, as well. Two-inch square cubes and spheres are made daily for rocks glasses. Six-inch oblong ice pieces are used for highball glasses. Bartenders will go so far as to crush ice as needed for individual cocktails using a mallet resembling a mortal-sized Hammer of Thor.

The list of beers on tap changes daily, and the wine list is an eclectic assortment that features women vintners. The cocktail menu is where the inventiveness truly shines, however. It’s a mixture of classic and in-house creations like the Cascade Lemonade with house-made cascade hop syrup; the After Beach, featuring Farmer Willie’s Ginger Beer and house-infused hibiscus and bitter orange gin; and Persephone’s Dream made with a pomegranate-rosemary shrub.

The Rhubarbarita, Richter’s favorite at Nor’East Beer Garden, has all the trappings of something that would scare off the unadventurous drinker. As with a great many things, the whole is more than the sum of its parts. The lavender rose sugar rim awakens the tongue a fraction of a second before mingling with the tequila, fresh lime and house-made rhubarb syrup. The resulting flavor is something not often experienced in a cocktail featuring tequila: delicate. The rhubarb balances the lime and tequila, with the lavender rose sugar adding another subtle dimension.

Even the well-intentioned and open-minded of us can fall into a beer, wine and occasional G&T rut. Step outside your comfort zone; there’s an amazing world of shrubs, bitters, infusions and tinctures awaiting you. I’m glad I did. Just don’t miss it. The world is just over 15 feet wide.

Nor’East Beer Garden
206 Commercial Street, Provincetown
thenoreastbeergarden.com