Behind the magic of Coco’s chocolate drink creations

1 1/2 oz. Bombay Sapphire Gin

A dash Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur

Half a lemon, freshly squeezed

1/2 oz. Monin lemongrass syrup

1 tsp. Bonne Maman orange marmalade (his mother used to use this when her own was depleted)

Pinch grains of paradise (an aromatic West African spice)

Shake all ingredients but the grains of paradise vigorously in a cocktail shaker filled with ice and strain into a chilled martini glass. Sprinkle ground grains on top. (You may substitute freshly ground black peppercorn for the grains.) Garnish with a thin slice of lemon skewered on a sprig of lemongrass.

“It’s harder to please a woman than a man; she’ll tell you right away if she doesn’t like something,” says GQ. But it’s hard to imagine that Coco’s clientele wouldn’t go for this distinctly herbal/spicy drink. I can testify that the invented-on-the-spot drink we shared with a woman sitting near me at the bar was well received.

Anyone, male or female, seriously interested in investigating drinks at Coco is advised to get there relatively early. The place regularly hits capacity. “We don’t want to follow trends, we want to be one,” Muckensturm says. For an often-neglected market segment, they seem to have become just that. •