The Darling Oyster Bar’s Forsyth Farmer Cocktail | Video

At The Darling Oyster Bar in Savannah, the spirit of the city extends well beyond the seafood tower. Set inside a restored historic building in the heart of downtown, The Darling has become a gathering place where oysters, cocktails, and Southern hospitality come together. Behind the bar, that sense of place is translated into the Forsyth Farmer—a martini-inspired savory cocktail that pairs perfectly with seafood. 

“A reason that I love working at The Darling Oyster Bar is interdependence and how we’re all important here,” says bartender Allie Messer. “Everybody gets along. It’s very much a family vibe, and that’s my favorite thing about working here.”

That collaborative approach carries into The Darling’s cocktail program, where the bar team looks to Savannah itself for inspiration. One of the clearest examples is the Forsyth Farmer, a savory, martini-inspired cocktail that takes its cues from the produce and energy of the city’s Forsyth Farmers’ Market.

“This cocktail is inspired by the Forsyth Farmers Market, and we use tons of fresh vegetables,” Messer says.

The foundation of the cocktail is a vegetable-infused vodka prepared in-house by The Darling’s bar staff. From there, Messer layers in lemon juice, olive brine, and a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce, creating a drink that lands somewhere between a dirty martini and a Bloody Mary.

“It’s a savory cocktail, so think like a Bloody Mary vibe,” she says. “It’s got that olive juice in there. It’s a little salty and so good.”

To make the Forsyth Farmer, Messer starts with two ounces of the vegetable-infused vodka before adding one ounce each of fresh lemon juice and olive brine, followed by two dashes of Worcestershire. The ingredients are shaken vigorously for five to 10 seconds (enough to thoroughly chill the cocktail and create a light layer of foam) then strained into a glass and finished simply with a fresh basil leaf.

The result is bright, briny, vegetal, and refreshing, with enough savory character to make it feel right at home alongside a platter of oysters and capture all of the flavors of The Darling Oyster Bar.

Forsyth Farmer

Recipe by The Darling Oyster Bar

recipe

yields

Makes 1 cocktail

ingredients

• 2 ounces Vegetable-infused vodka
  

• 1 ounce Housemade olive brine
  

• 1 ounce Lemon
  

• 2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
  

• Garnish: Fresh basil leaf

steps

1. Add the vegetable-infused vodka, lemon juice, olive brine, and Worcestershire sauce to a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
2. Shake vigorously and strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with a fresh basil leaf.

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