Photo Courtesy of Flowers of Vietnam.
Flowers of Vietnam, which began as a weekends-only restaurant in 2016, has grown into a go-to spot for not only Vietnamese dishes, but inventive cocktail drinks as well.
The Southwest Detroit restaurant is getting ready to showcase two new cocktails along with a new featured menu, SERIES-3. The new cocktails are concocted by award-winning beverage director, Marlowe Johnson.
The first drink being featured is the Piano-Wave-Mix. The drink is made with 2 oz. of Death’s Door Gin, 1 oz. Yuzu-Pomelo Honey, .25 oz. lime, 3 dashes of Shiso Tincture, a pinch of salt, shaken and served in a clay tea cup with edible flowers. This drink won Marlowe Johnson the top prize at the recent Death’s Door Gin competition.
Johnson described the drink as bright, citrus forward, and intensely aromatic. He added that the drink has a beautiful presentation, which plays into the restaurant’s desire for these featured drinks to compliment their entrées.
“We’re applying modern techniques to produce visually simple, elegant drinks that surprise and explode on the palette,” Johnson said “We don’t want our drinks to be shy or mild or muddied with many flavors. So, in that sense, these drinks fit right in.” The next drink being featured is the Funfetti Sour, which Johnson described as being more of a fun dealer’s choice. The drink is made with 1.5 oz. Limousin rye, .75 oz. Rumchata Limon, .75 oz. lemon juice, .25 oz. simple syrup, egg white, a pinch of salt, shaken and served up with a three color bitters art. Johnson added that this drink is rich and full of lemon with a very fun presentation. He wanted to make a somewhat irreverent drink that showcased how Rumchata can be applied to many different styles of cocktail. Even though the Funfetti Sour might be on the more irreverent side, Johnson says that all of the drinks on Flower of Vietnam’s menu are focused on pairing with the food. One of the very early conversations he had with Chef George Azar was about how to balance the palette and senses that both a cocktail and a meal demand. “To have a cocktail menu that can be a little more humble, restrained, something that is a part of the larger painting, not the subject, is my goal. There is a sense of deference and respect towards the food programs that are visible in our drinks,” Johnson said. Marlowe Johnson will be appearing on Live in the D on Local 4 WDIV tomorrow morning, March 12. You can also catch the segment on Live in the D’s Facebook page after it airs. For more information on the upcoming menus and events Flowers of Vietnam is hosting, be sure to check out their website and follow them on Facebook. — Remember to drink responsibly and plan ahead with a designated driver or take advantage of one of these local designated driving services.
