Co-owner Kris McGowan.

Wildcat
3000 Whitney Avenue
Hamden, CT

Wildcat is a cocktail-forward New American restaurant and bar in Hamden, recently opened by restaurateurs Kris and Shane McGowan. Described as “small scale upscale,” its ambience invites guests to settle in amid the deep teal walls with wood, brass and gilded mirror accents, where they can enjoy beautifully set dishes from seafood to vegetarian from a rotating menu that focuses on seasonality. From behind the backlit bar, the team offers curated cocktails, with categories such as Shaken, Stirred, Boilermakers/Large Format and Sans Booze, each a flavorful showcase. Bubbly and still wines plus plenty of brews on tap and in cans round out the beverage program.

Co-owner: Kris McGowan

Cocktail: Clever Coyote

Ingredients:
» .75 oz. sotol
» .75 oz. tequila
» .5 oz. Strega Liquore
» .75 oz. peach-habanero cordial
» .5 oz. lime juice
» 1 oz. grapefruit juice
» Garnish: cucumber wave
» Big ice rock

Method: Add all measured ingredients to a shaker tin. Add ice and shake well. Strain the mixture into a rocks glass over ice. Garnish with a cucumber wave.

The Clever Coyote.

“Sotol, the main ingredient in this cocktail, was the inspiration. A unique and underutilized spirit, sotol creates a great backbone for a variety of flavor profiles. The sotol plant that the spirit is derived from is one of the most adaptive plant species in Mexico’s Chihuahuan Desert,” said Wildcat Co-owner Kris McGowan. “The name comes from this adaptability that is a characteristic of the coyotes who roam the same desert. They are also incredibly adaptive and intelligent, which allows them to thrive in the desert’s rough terrain and climate. The combination of habanero, peach and sotol all work seamlessly together while being ‘brightened’ by the herbaceous-ness of the Strega liqueur. A unique blend of spice, smoke and citrus makes this a great summer-into-fall-forward beverage.”