A Nightly Migration in Kansas City: The Monarch Re-Imagines Cocktails

From drinks to décor, The Monarch Cocktail Bar & Lounge finds inspiration in the annual migration of the monarch butterfly. This Kansas City hot spot is also attracting evening migrations of cocktail connoisseurs drawn to the combination of high design and beautifully crafted drinks.

Served in the light and airy Monarch Bar, creative cocktails like The Painted Lady are named for butterflies the world over and made with exotic ingredients to match. Bar Manager Brock Schulte has crafted a delightful cocktail menu that artfully combines refined techniques and execution with enough whimsy to keep the party going. Some of the winning combinations include:

• Swallowtail: A bold, citrusy improvisation on a classic margarita. (Nikki Coffey Gin, Tequila Ocho “Puerta del Aire” Plata 2016, Luxardo Maraschino, Hugo Jasmine Green Tea, preserved lime and No. 22 Monarch Orange Bitters)
• Silver Dollars & Half-Light Skies – Stirred, smoke-filled and neat, this appeals to the craft crowd. (Applewood-smoked J. Rieger & Co. Whiskey, Yunnan Black Tea-Infused Tabacal Rancio, Barrel-aged cream soda reduction and No. 22 Boondocks bitters)
• Dreams of Iliad – A sonnet of elegant flavors melded with modern techniques (Château Arton Fine Blanche, Riesling, Lindeman’s Framboise reduction, pomegranate, and champagne acid)

For the most exclusive palates, the by invitation-only Parlour is a private space that plays host to even more specialty cocktails, as well as rare spirits and fine wines. The literature-inspired libations are presented in collectable, specially commissioned menus, each a work of art.  The Winter 2018 menu features eight cocktails drawn from the work of Edgar Allan Poe, including The Raven, a brooding mixture of Foursquare Criterion, Jefferson’s Ocean Cask, and pineapple Campari, presented in a custom chalice.

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