Hamden Inn and Lounge / Hamden, NY

Better Betty

If every pop culture phenomenon inspires cocktails, then the Bitter Betty is the unofficial cocktail of Galentine’s Day. Fifteen years after Galentine’s Day emerged from a 2010 episode of the sitcom Parks and Recreation, the idea of celebrating female friendship on Feb. 13 is just as popular as celebrating love and romance on Feb. 14.

For bartenders, the Bitter Betty is more of a concept than a recipe and doesn’t have to contain bitters as the name suggests. Nor does it even have to signify bitterness. At the Hamden Inn and Lounge in Hamden, New York, Floor Manager Veronica Valeriano makes her Bitter Betty a little playful with The Perfect Purée Passion Fruit Concentrate.

Chef Tara Vitti describes the drinks as a “tart yet refreshing blend of whiskey, passion fruit, yuzu, and vanilla that gets under your skin, but with a smirk.”

Tara demonstrates Passion fruit’s versatility in that ultimate culinary symbol of romance — or friendship. “I use passion fruit concentrate fairly often in the kitchen for a passion fruit mignonette to go with fresh-shucked oysters,” she says.

User Tip: A Little Goes a Long Way

For Bitter Betty drinkers at the Hamden Inn, passion fruit balances citrusy yuzu and sweet, rich house-made vanilla simple syrup. Veronica uses just half an ounce of passion fruit concentrate per drink for a burst of tropical flavor and aroma. “You need less than you think,” she says. “It creates a fresh drink that’s more thoughtful even though it’s only one ingredient. Other purées don’t come close to this freshness level.”

Veronica says she’s seeing the same thoughtful approach to drinks in general. Ingredients are curated rather than commercial and classic Prohibition-era cocktails are populating menus. Two examples at the Hamden Inn and Lounge are Bee’s Knees and The Scofflaw (a classic whiskey drink).

Along with Passion Fruit, Veronica mixes drinks with Blackberry and Red Raspberry. She looks forward to trying Soursop, which The Perfect Purée is releasing in March. Besides making drinks taste fresh, Veronica says purées add visual appeal. “[They] thaw evenly and quickly and give the drinks a nice opacity that makes them seem fresh squeezed.”

Hamden Hotspot

The Hamden Inn dates from the early 1840’s when it was Hamden’s Cottage Hotel. It reopened in 2021 with two newly-renovated guest suites and a casual bar and grill serving seasonal, elevated comfort food. Menu items include prime rib with scalloped potatoes, broccolini and creamy spinach horseradish sauce; fried chicken with spicy mayonnaise; roasted rainbow carrots with whipped tahini; and fried artichokes.

Meat and produce from upstate New York farms is featured in nearly every dish. The vibe is artsy, rustic and eclectic. Fresh, creative specials like fresh oysters with passion fruit mignonette are making the Hamden Inn a regional destination. “Truly a hidden gem,” reads one review.