Drinking in Atlanta: Cocktails at Iberian Pig

**This week finds roving reporter Nico Martini in Atlanta or thereabouts. Below: some findings.**

Next stop in Atlanta: the suburbs. In this case, Decatur. I’d heard good things about the Iberian Pig, so that’s where I went. There’s an extensive back bar. And huge blocks of ice for hand-chipping. So on the surface, this place seems legit. I took a seat and (it being Bastille Day) looked at the big board for the day’s special. And… it was a Tennis Court Oath. Yes. The original drink that Cocktail Enthusiast featured just one day prior. Odd. But hey, thanks for reading, Iberian Pig! Obviously I ordered one.

The Tennis Court Oath consists entirely of French spirits — Cognac, Lillet and Yellow Chartreuse — plus lime juice and Peychaud’s Bitters. It’s a lovely, easy-drinking, well-balanced drink. Give me an hour by the pool, and I could kill about six of these.

Next up: an Old Fashioned. With rye. With bacon fat-infused rye, to be exact. Plus maple syrup and bitters. It’s rich and smoky and an overall solid drink. Sure, the bacon-whiskey thing’s a bit played out. But it’s like I tell my rabbi: I’m not sure I could ever get tired of bacon. Or whiskey, for that matter. So put them together, and I’m a happy guy. The only thing missing was a nice, crisp bacon stir stick.

I like this place. The menu’s nothing fancy, but it’s got a good mix of classics and a couple originals. And in general, the barkeeps know what they’re doing. Which, if you’re working with block ice, is important. Seeing as block ice is an annoying gimmick in the hands of unskilled bartenders. But here: it works. And it’s always refreshing to get craft cocktails outside the major cocktail hubs.

Iberian Pig
121 Sycamore Street
Decatur, GA 30030
404-371-8800
www.theiberianpigatl.com