Fort Worth’s sip of the summer is at 44Bootlegger
When Tommy and Tammy Brown opened their hip retail shop on West Magnolia Avenue last fall, many visitors entered under the impression that 44Bootlegger was a bar. The husband-and-wife duo ultimately decided to revamp their concept into just that: a comfy beer and wine bar and lounge featuring an ever-evolving list of 44 wines and 44 beers, with several sold by the glass and on tap. The venue has been popular for on-site picnics from nearby restaurants like Nonna Tata and Benito’s Mexican Cuisine. Ask about the off-menu, wine-based cocktails, like the Blackberry Mojito. Bartender Matt Duran says the refreshing drink is a play on a popular Argentinean cocktail made with sweet sparkling wine on the rocks with a squeeze of lime. “It’s all over Buenos Aires. You see it at the nightclubs,” Duran says. The cocktail is as thirst-quenching as it is pretty — the perfect concoction for cooling off during the hot and hazy days of August.
44Bootlegger Blackberry Mojito
Serves 1
• 4 to 5 mint leaves
• 3 blackberries
• Squeeze of lime wedge
• 8 ounces Siete Fincas Sparkling
Torrontes or Argentinean sparkling wine
• 1/2 ounce mint-infused simple syrup
• Blackberry, mint leaf and lime wedge
for garnish
Muddle mint leaves, blackberries and squeeze of lime wedge in a glass. Add sparkling wine and simple syrup and stir. Strain into an ice-filled Collins glass. Garnish with a blackberry, mint leaf and lime wedge.
— 1411 Magnolia Ave., Fort Worth, 817-887-9089, www.44bootlegger.com
This story was originally published August 3, 2016 at 12:15 PM with the headline "Fort Worth’s sip of the summer is at 44Bootlegger."