Enjoyed: Wednesday, December 31, 2025

Listed on the menu: Yes, as “Bourbon & Spice,” one of the seasonal cocktails.

Ingredients: Bulleit bourbon, Montenegro, Roth & Winter Orchard Pear, orange bitters, spicy bitters, with cinnamon stick and star anise as garnish.

The occasion: For the past several New Year’s Eves, we have gone out to dine with our dear friends. This time we selected Zocalo, on Charlottesville’s downtown mall. The menu looked interesting, and the cocktails looked intriguing. Our food and drinks mostly lived up to expectations. And as always, conversation flowed and good vibes abounded.

My rating: *** out of 5. The drink was full of flavor, but I was hoping it would taste more “winter-y” since cinnamon and star anise are often used in Christmas recipes. I was looking for pear and orange flavors, too, but the dominant tone was set by the bourbon. I wondered if the bartender simply made a traditional Old Fashioned and then merely tossed in the advertised garnishes.

Final thoughts: Being with long-time friends is fun and very comforting, too. We all agreed that 2025 wasn’t the best year–and we agreed to approach 2026 with hope and optimism. Fingers crossed.