12 months of cocktails 2023 An Archer Hotel Exclusive Pour

Sunsets evoke all sorts of warm, fuzzy feelings no matter where in the world they’re witnessed. But in Austin, by all accounts, they’re gloriously stunning — awash in lavender with touches of pinks and strokes of oranges that stop time, if only for a moment. Archer’s tribute to this nightly natural display known as the Violet Crown? The Violet Sky, a picturesque cocktail on the inventive beverage menu at AKB in Austin.

New York City is one of the most influential cities in the world. It’s inspired artists and architects, politicians and chefs, immigrants and lovers. It’s been the backdrop for plays, poets and proposals. And it’s been the muse for more than a few cocktail creators.

Mention the Boston area and you’ll be hard-pressed to not think of Ireland — the region proudly claims one of the largest Irish populations outside of the Emerald Isle.

In 1737, Boston’s community was the first in North America to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. And the festive tradition continues on an ever-growing scale, complete with parades, parties and pubs, plus copious amounts of green everything, good luck charms and inventive cocktails.

More than a century ago, Japan gifted thousands of flowering cherry trees to the United States in recognition of the budding goodwill between the two countries. Planted in New York’s Sakura Park, lining the East Potamac Park and prominently surrounding the Tidal Basin, the cherry trees have become a national treasure and popular springtime destination.

In the D.C. area, cherry blossom season is the earth’s breathtaking promise of spring. Trees bloom according to changing weather conditions rather than the calendar, guiding us mortals to appreciate the transitional nature of life.

As a nod to the “this too shall pass” beauty of the season, the inventive bartenders at AKB in Falls Church have created a refreshing spring cocktail inspired by (and including) the delicate cherry blossom. Visit AKB in Falls Church to sample this beautie.

Leave it to the fine, fun folks at Sky & Vine Rooftop Bar to dream up a cocktail based on a popular video game franchise. The inspiration for the May edition of 12 Months of Cocktails is Princess Peach Toadstool — introduced in the 1985 “Super Mario Bros.” game.

Princess Peach is one of the most well-known female characters in the history of video games. At once a damsel in distress and a magical protagonist, Princess Peach has been noted by The New York Times as having grit as well as grace. She made Forbes magazine’s Wealthiest Fictional People list in 2007. And the 2023 film adaption depicts her more as a strong-willed mentor to Mario, assisting on their quest to save a kidnapped Luigi.

For the June entry of Archer’s 12 Months of Cocktails, Nicole Mendoza, bar supervisor at Spyglass Rooftop Bar, created the Purple Gaze cocktail with Pride Month in mind.

What started in 1970 as the Pride March in recognition of the 1969 events at the Stonewall Inn in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village has evolved into a month-long celebration of gay pride the world over. Every June, New York City is awash in rainbow pride flags — with the color violet representing “spirit” and, on its own, representing “pride.”

The founding document of the United States is one of the most consequential documents in American history. Drafted by Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Robert Livingston and Roger Sherman and signed by 56 delegates to the Second Continental Congress, the declaration announced that the 13 colonies were “absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown.”

This world-changing declaration of freedom was the impetus for the formation of the United States of America — and it’s the inspiration for Archer’s 12 Months of Cocktails July offering. At AKB in Archer Hotel Falls Church (part of Archer’s independent boutique hotel collection), bartender Ty Minick and assistant general manager Roncel Camins worked together to create the 1776 in honor of Independence Day.

Now the flourishing urban center of Fairfax County, Virginia, Tysons was once a quiet peach grove at the intersection of Rt. 7 and Rt. 123. With a country store, a post office and peach farms (and not much else), the area was colloquially known as Peach Grove. After William Tyson moved from Maryland to the area and became the local postmaster, the rural crossroads gained the Tysons Corner moniker.

In 1962, that all changed when the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved the development of what would become Tysons Corner Center, one of the world’s largest indoor malls. Today, the Capital Beltway runs through Tysons, and the Washington Metro Silver Line connects Tysons by rail throughout the D.C. area. The area has continued to grow with an influx of tech companies and an emerging residential population.

While the future continues to look bright for our corner of the world, we enjoy encouraging a nostalgic nod to our Peach Grove past. To that end, Patrick Ocampo, lead bartender at AKB Tysons, developed this smoked peach cocktail for Archer’s 12 Months of Cocktails August selection.

An agricultural mecca in the 1800s, New Jersey earned its Garden State nickname as a leading producer of berries, peaches, spinach and squash. Even today, much of the state is still wooded, with more than 9,000 farms growing a variety of fruits and vegetables — including one of the state’s important cash crops and fall’s favorite winter squash, the pumpkin.

FUN FACT: Some of our favorite autumn escapes include pumpkin picking that’s close to Florham Park.

Alex Giacchino, bar supervisor at AKB in Florham Park, created this pumpkin espresso martini for Archer’s 12 Months of Cocktails September pour. It’s a spirited nod to the upcoming pumpkin spice season with added buzz from espresso and Kahlua.

The golden spirit. Usquebaugh. The water of life. Whatever you call it, whiskey (or whisky from Scotland, Japan, India and Australia) is unlike other spirits.

And that’s a good thing.

While whiskey can take some getting used to — it’s been called an acquired taste — it’s a true pairing of art and history that’s apparent in every pour. Whereas most “young” spirits (think vodka and gin) are aged anywhere from a few weeks to several months, whiskey is aged for a minimum of two years and typically at least four years. The oldest whiskey is estimated at more than 200 years old.

That aging process imparts flavors from the (typically oak) wood in the barrel. The longer a whiskey is aged, the less harsh and more complex it tends to become. Mature whiskey is smoother and darker than just-distilled whiskey.

FUN FACT: The Macallan “The Reach” 81-Year-Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky was distilled in 1940 and matured in a sherry-seasoned cask — and could set you back about $300,000 if you’re able to purchase one of the 288 bottles in existence.

For Whiskey Bar at Sky & Vine, the team developed the Bee’s Whisktea as Archer’s October pour for our 12 Months of Cocktails celebration. It’s a flavorful introduction to whiskey for those who may not be familiar with the golden spirit (and for the already-converted).

Though it’s unclear who’s brilliant idea it was to create the first-ever banana bread, we’re ever so thankful they did.

What we do know is that banana bread was a popular recipe in 1893, when the St. Louis Post-Dispatch printed The Vienna Model Bakery’s version calling for banana flour. In 1918, Hawaii’s Garden Island paper printed another recipe that is quite like today’s versions. And in the early 1930s, refrigerated railway cars easily transported bananas across the country, the Great Depression changed shopping habits and baking soda products were sweeping the nation.

FUN FACT: Bananas are thought to have originated about 10,000 years ago in Indonesia, the Philippines, the Malay Peninsula and New Guinea and are the fruit of the banana plant — the world’s largest herb plant.

At AKB in Archer Hotel Austin, lead bartender Cameruhn Marquel dreamt up this festive cocktail as a boozy equivalent to the loaves of banana nut bread gifted during the holiday season. The candied rosemary resembles a decorated tree with snowflakes. He also wanted to pay homage to Austin by supporting local — Waterloo Antique Gin (distilled and barreled in nearby Dripping Springs, Texas) is the alcohol of choice. The Antiqued Banana Bread is Archer’s November 12 Months of Cocktails offering.

Archer Hotel Redmond is proud to partner with Lighthouse Roasters. The PNW-local company has been roasting small batches of beans and making artisan coffee in its neighborhood café in Seattle, Washington, since 1993.

An independent and locally owned coffee roaster, Lighthouse Roasters uses the freshest premium beans and roasts them daily on-site in a vintage cast-iron roaster. Their range of coffees includes pronounced dark chocolate flavors, a heavy body, toffee sweetness and “just the right amount of bite.”

The December 12 Months of Cocktails creation is credited to Parris Cartwright, director of food and beverage at AKB in Archer Hotel Redmond. Known as the Parris Delight, this buzzy, boozy dessert cocktail features espresso from Lighthouse Roasters paired with Kahlúa (the coffee lover’s liqueur), vodka and Grand Marnier.

FUN FACT: In Italy, espresso is regulated by the government. Why? It’s considered an essential part of daily life. Sì, naturalmente.