Long cocktail menus with even longer lists of ingredients have their place in the restaurant and bar worlds, but there’s something truly satisfying about picking up a menu with only a smattering of carefully considered offerings. There are still choices to make, of course, but the options are trimmed to offer only the most gratifying flavors ¬— ones that work well with whatever might come with or after them, like Sag Pizza’s outstanding, craveable wood-fired pizzas a la Napoli and other Amalfi-inspired dishes and nibbles.
At the restaurant (103 Main St., Sag Harbor, 631-725-3167), the tight drink offerings come from a place of flavor but also practicality. “There’s not too much space, number one, but I think it makes a faster decision for people to choose,” says chef and Springs resident Laurent Tourondel, who co-owns Sag Pizza and nearby LT Burger with Michael Cinque. “Also, in the off-season, we don’t have the bartender every day, so we keep a shorter cocktail list.”
But that doesn’t mean the drinks are short on flavor, especially when it comes to the multi-continent-influenced Franco-Italo-Mexi cool Rossa Arancia Margarita. Tourondel and longtime general manager Charlie Pirollo crafted Sag Pizza’s half-dozen offerings to hit most tastes, and their Italian-influenced riff on the ‘rita is one of their most popular.
“Oh, it’s fantastic! It’s such a great cocktail; I really love it,” says the chef. “It’s just a little sweet. We use great tequila and the limoncello gives it a lovely flavor.”
Head to Sag Pizza for a sunny sip of this Mexico-by-way-of-Italy classic — or, better yet, shake one up at home and bring the warm, coastal vibes right to your doorstep.
Rossa Arancia Margarita
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 orange, zested
- 1 1/2 oz Teramana tequila
- 1 oz limoncello
- 2 oz blood orange juice
- 1/2 oz lime juice
- 1/2 oz simple syrup
Directions
- On a small plate or saucer, combine the salt and orange zest. Set aside.
- Pour all liquid ingredients into a shaker with ice. Shake well, about 10 to 15 seconds.
- Using the squeezed-out inner rind of the lime, wet the rim of a double-rocks glass. Dip into the salt-zest combination, coating the rim completely. Fill the glass with ice and strain in the cocktail. Cheers!
