Cocktails made with low-alcohol booze have become increasingly popular, and Atlanta’s at the forefront of the trend. So-called suppressor drinks—the antithesis of ultra- potent “revivers”— swap hard liquor for fortified or sparkling wines, layering them with liqueurs, juices, sodas, and fruit for a complex beverage that won’t have you stumbling home.

Barkeeps around the city have followed Best’s lead, adding a low-proof cocktail or two to their own menus. At Ration & Dram, bartender Andy Minchow’s Suppressor #7— Pommeau de Normandie, Cynar, and sparkling wine—is a perennial favorite, as is Cooks & Soldiers’ La Lorea, a zippy concoction of Casoni 1814, Cocchi Rosa, lemon, honey, and cava. Some choose suppressors because they’re less intimidating than, say, a high-octane martini. But they’re also true drinkers’ drinks, showing what a bartender can do when he doesn’t have the harder stuff to fall back on.

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