At Anchor Spa yesterday, a chilled-out reggae playlist became richer as the evening did. An ocean’s horizon on the wall and the contrast of dark wood details with white surfaces—stamped ceiling, marbled bar, tiled floor, wabi-sabi mirrored windows on the wall—offered upscale but unpretentious island vibes. The light actually got brighter as the clock approached seven, with a low sun reflecting more directly off the ivory Taft Apartments across the street.
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Along the way, the Honey, I Dew (pictured above) glowed a very pale yellow-green in a svelte coupe glass, with a light, cool aroma of sweet fruit. I worried the tequila would overpower the honeydew, which is a subtle flavor and therefore rare to find in a cocktail, and yet, by some miracle, the two were kept in balance. A fine and frothy head of aquafaba presided over this strangely natural wedding, offering a symmetry you could savor all day if you paced yourself.
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I also ordered a San Jarocho, which came in a larger coupe and a stronger yellow more like a margarita, with a delicious salted-and-peppered rim a quarter of the way around. It was a really smart touch to do it just part of the way, letting the drinker calibrate in either direction.
Like a margarita, the drink starred tequila and lime juice. And it tasted like a margarita, too—for about half a second. Then the smoke of the mezcal curled smoothly across my tongue, and I understood this was something else entirely.
The Anchor Spa
272 College St, New Haven (map)
Mon-Thurs 4-11pm, Fri 4pm-1am, Sat 3pm-1am, Sun 3-11pm
203-821-7065 | info@anchorspa.com
www.anchorspa.com
Written and photographed by Dan Mims.
