Raise a Glass: Go with the Flo

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In the three and a half years since Point 57 Kitchen & Cocktails splashed ever-so-stylishly onto the Cape Coral scene, it has drawn equal praise for its takes on Southern staples—like grits infused with blue cheese (with ingredients primarily sourced locally)—as for its bar menu. Thick, black leather binders (now laminated and constantly sanitized) hold the four-page cocktail and wine list, along with the collection of 100-plus spirits. The tome is stashed behind the spacious bar—that was seemingly designed with social distancing in mind—and can be pulled out at any moment.

While the cocktail menu gets a full rewrite each season, general manager Zak Wutsch says the bestselling Flo 57 is there to stay. Like the restaurant itself, the drink’s name honors the year Cape Coral was incorporated as a city. A playful twist on the French 75, the tipple marries notes of local citrus and honey-tinged simple syrup with a house gin the bartenders infuse for at least three days with a Sunshine State staple, strawberries. With its subtropical ingredient list, the tipple is a unique reflection of Southwest Florida—just as is Point 57.

Point 57’s Flo 57

Makes 1 Cocktail

  • 1 1/2 ounces strawberry-infused gin, such as Boodles Rhubarb & Strawberry Gin
  • 3/4 ounce St-Germain elderflower liqueur
  • 1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/4 ounce Honey Simple Syrup* (recipe below; or substitute with regular simple syrup)
  • 1 ounce Champagne or prosecco
  • Strawberries or lemon peel, for garnish

Honey Simple Syrup:

  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/4 cup honey

To make the Honey Simple Syrup:

Heat water in a small saucepan. Once hot, but not boiling, add honey. Stir thoroughly to combine; let cool. It can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for two weeks.

To make the Flo 57:

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add all ingredients, except for Champagne and strawberry garnish. Shake, then strain, into a coupe, preferably chilled (a martini glass also works). Float with Champagne. Balance a strawberry or lemon twist along the edge.

Photography by Scott McIntyre