RIVER NORTH — The new River North cocktail bar led by Peruvian restaurant Tanta will feature booze from well beyond the Andes.
Arbella plans to open in April at 112 W. Grand Ave. Until then, mixologist Tona Palomino is conjuring up its drinks menu. Palomino, formerly of Trenchermen in Wicker Park, said he's developing drinks evocative of the bar's namesake, a 17th-century pilgrim ship whose crew consumed thousands of gallons of wine by the time they reached Salem, Massachusetts.
"There's definitely a sense of voyage and a not-so-subtle nod toward alcohol consumption," Palomino said.
Arbella's drinks from around the globe include Palomino variation of the "Singapore Sling," or gin and sour mixer with cherry liqueur. Another cocktail he plans is a "Queretaro," or a margarita injected with liquid nitrogen to resemble a sorbet, then topped with red wine. Drinks will range from $13 to $15, he said.
"That’s what keeps people coming back. A place where people can come and look for something out of the ordinary," Palomino said.
Palomino went to culinary school and worked as a cook in New York before he realized "that was not that path [he] was seeking" and moved here with his wife. He helped open Trenchermen in 2011 and stayed there until 2014.
Tanta opened two years ago down the street from where Arbella will be. Veronica Beckman, one of Tanta's co-owners, said the restaurant wanted to branch into cocktails so it could "showcase" more of its backers' eclectic backgrounds.
Beckman said the 70-seat restaurant will feature a wood-fired oven and smaller "savory and salty things" that pair well with drinks. The bar also plans happy hour specials it has yet to finalize.
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