Liquid Assets

The Drink: Lavender Margarita

The Location: Poste Moderne Brasserie, 555 8th St. NW, (202) 783-6060

The Price: $10

The Buzz: On a Sunday afternoon I stopped by Poste in the Hotel Monaco for brunch on my way to see Hamlet at the Shakespeare Theater. Along with delicious dishes, they offer a list of cocktails, some a bit uncommon for the brunch hour. Since I was fighting a cold, I stuck with a mimosa, figuring I needed the vitamin C. My boyfriend was more daring, however, and ordered the lavender margarita. It arrived in a pint glass, looking much paler than your average margarita. The only difference, though, is the lavender: It's tequila, Cointreau, lavender, lime juice, with a lavender salt rim. But that little lavender makes a big difference. As I went in for a sip it smelled like I was sticking my face in a bowl full of potpourri. The rim of the glass had a thick layer of fine salt and lavender, which looked like tiny twigs and buds sticking to the glass. I was expecting a mouthful of foliage, but it all seemed to just evaporate, leaving a wonderfully floral, mildly salty taste. While a normal salted rim usually gives me a bit of a shudder, I could happily lick the lavender salt off by itself. But for my boyfriend's sake, I refrained. Like the salt, the drink itself is mild. The lavender quiets down the citrus zing of a regular margarita and gives the cocktail an especially light and crisp quality. In fact, it was the better part of my afternoon---much, much better than Hamlet.