Pamplemousse without pomposity
Mid City Beer Garden serves the most widely loved cocktails in town. One ingredient makes it stand alone.
The Garden Paloma at Mid City Beer Garden is darn tasty, which is the first thing you notice. It is not one of those cocktails that asks the sipper to be serious. It is bright, balanced and easy to love, the kind of drink that makes people order another without much debate.
That comes from Kelli Paxton, who has spent years making cocktails that are thoughtful without acting precious. After returning from Nashville, she teamed up with Brian Baiamonte and Dave Remmetter to open Radio Bar. It was among the first bars in Baton Rouge to squeeze fresh juices for each drink. “I think that’s why we gained the reputation for the best cocktails in town,” she says.
Years later, the trio opened Mid City Beer Garden. It's open to let the light and air inside. The Garden Paloma fits the setting.
Paxton created it six years ago, as the first set of signature cocktails on the menu. She is a little fuzzy on the full origin story, but not on the ingredient that makes it special: Giffard Pamplemousse. “It has a beautiful tangy candy flavor, like a grapefruit Jolly Rancher.”
The fresh grapefruit and lime juices stay with the tequila. Sweet agave is eased back. The Pamplemousse enters. “It's magic.”