Have Your Cake, Drink it Too: Dessert Inspired Cocktails in the D

By: Toni Cunningham | September 17, 2014
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Do you ever find yourself out to dinner, post meal, contemplating whether you should order just one more cocktail or indulge in dessert instead? Well, my friends, there is a very simple solution for this ever so stressful scenario: the dessert cocktail. Why order an actual piece of pumpkin pie or tiramisu when you can drink one out of a martini glass instead?

Sorry not sorry to those of you who a) don’t drink alcohol b) have an aversion to desserts or c) are unfortunately under the age of 21. However, those of you readers who don’t fall into any of the aforementioned categories, please proceed.

The next time you and your sweetie, group of friends or family members head out to dinner, try and sway the gang to head to one of the following restaurants in the D with a great selection of dessert cocktails:

Public House, 241 W. 9 Mile Rd., Ferndale, is owned and operated by the same fine folks who run Imperial. After a lunch or dinner full of snacks and sandwiches like Tempura Fried Green Onions, Pan Seared Sardines, Bacon Jam Burger and Buttermilk Fried Chicken sammy, you’ll be ready for a dessert drink. And here, you can order a boozy milkshake.

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You can choose between orange and root beer flavors, and each boozy shake is served with a little plastic mermaid trinket on the glass. Trust me, this shake is much better than the ones you had when you were a kid—because these contain an extra punch!

Amici’s, 3249 12 Mile Rd., Berkley, has some great pizza and an extensive menu of choices, including the cocktail list. It doesn’t matter whether you order your dessert martini after your meal or while you chow down, just as long as you try one at some point!

Highlights include the Pumpkin Pie-tini (made with vodka, pumpkin liqueur, Kahlua and buttershots), Tiramisu (with vodka, Frangelico and espresso) and Banana Split (chocolate liqueur, crème de banana, cream, whipped cream and a cherry).

Additional dessert-inspired martinis at Amici’s include the Grasshopper, Banana Cream Pie, Thin Mint, Samoa Cookie, Chocolate Strawberry, Milk Dud, Mounds, Almond Joy and Key Lime Pie.

Centaur Bar, 2233 Park Ave., Detroit, has a menu full of small plate dishes like Bacon Wrapped Dates, Blackened Chicken Rolls and Mini Crab Cakes. Follow your meal up with one of the bar’s dessert-like martinis including Gingerbread (essentially a cookie in liquid form) and Pumpkin (with spiced rum, coffee liqueur and pumpkin spice).

The good news is that Centaur Bar holds happy hour every day from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., so if you go within that window, you can get a cheaper drink and a not-as-empty-as-usual wallet.

Alexander’s Land & Sea Grille, 10180 Grand River Rd., Brighton, is a steak and seafood restaurant that serves seafood flown in daily from Boston. The steaks are Certified Angus Beef from Chicago, and the restaurant is committed to serving its patrons the best of the best, including its cocktails.

Alexander’s specialty cocktail menu consists of several great after dinner dessert drinks, including a Chocolate Martini (made with Stoli vodka, Godiva white chocolate, chocolate liqueur and a splash of cream) and Gingerbread Martini (made with vanilla vodka, ginger liqueur with hazelnut and butterscotch, a splash of cream and a graham cracker crumb rim).

The Bosco, 22930 Woodward Ave., Ferndale, has been around for quite a few years, but the newly renovated café and dessert lounge has a heated patio for those chilly fall evenings. Shared plates can be accompanied by specialty drinks including the Snickers Martini (Pinnacle Chocolate Whipped, Godiva Chocolate and Caramel Liqueur, Butterscotch Schnapps and Frangelico, topped with Frangelico-infused whipped cream and a Snickers candy rim) and Key Lime Pie Martini (Pinncale Vanilla, Coconut and Key Lime Whipped with coconut cream and lime juice, topped with Amaretto-infused whipped cream and a graham cracker rim).

Additional cocktail choices that will satisfy your sweet tooth include the White Chocolate Raspberry Martini and Chocolate Martini.

The Root Restaurant, 340 Town Center Blvd. E106, White Lake Twp., is home to famed chef James Rigato, who is competing on the upcoming season of Bravo’s “Top Chef,” premiering on Wednesday, Oct. 15. The Root has a seasonally changing food and drink menu, but this fall you may find dishes like Pan Seared Scallops, Michigan Beet Salad and Grilled Ham Chop among the choices.

After-or-during dinner dessert drinks include Spanish Coffee (with brandy, Kahlua, Grand Marnier and coffee, topped with fresh whipped cream and a caramelized cinnamon sugar rim), Gypsy Kiss (Piece of Cake liqueur, Malibu, Chambord, Godiva liqueur and a splash of cream), Espresso Martini (Vanilla Stoli, Kahlua, Baileys, Van Gogh Espresso vodka and espresso, topped with ground espresso beans) and Lemon Meringue (chilled Limoncello with Vanilla Stoli and an egg white).

Bayview Yacht Club, 100 Clairpointe St., Detroit, isn’t just a place to learn how to sail. There is also a restaurant on the premises that serves up lunch items, dinner entrees and daily specials. If you’re looking for a dessert drink in Metro Detroit, the Bayview Yacht Club should be high up on your list. Bartender Jerome Adams invented The Hummer, a famed cocktail made up of Bacardi Rum, Kahlua and ice cream that will be sure to make you hum with joy.

There are a few more places in Metro Detroit that deserve an honorable mention in this category, including Goodnite Gracie, 224 Sherman Dr., Royal Oak; Valentine Distilling, 161 Vester Ave., Ferndale; and The Sugar House, 2130 Michigan Ave., Detroit. All of the aforementioned cocktail bars have seasoned bartenders who will be able to whip you up the dessert-inspired cocktail of your dreams.

Be sure to enjoy your decadent beverage, and as always, be responsible. 

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