Stirred and Shaken

The Mercantile Brewery & Pub is one of the most intriguing spaces downtown. Modern fixtures and stainless-steel beer-brewing equipment sit beneath the cracked plaster and painted goddess heads of what was once the famous Isis Theater. The elaborately decorated theater was built in 1911 and became a Houston landmark. The Mercantile has restored the old plaster remnants, and in the process some of the city's history has rubbed off on the pub.

The Mercantile's peach martini:At the Mercantile, they keep a bunch of apple slices in ice water -- it's one of the only bars in town where they know how to properly garnish an apple martini. They are also famous for their peach martini. DeKuyper Peach Pucker gives this clear cocktail a sweet-and-sour flavor sort of like a peach Jolly Rancher.

1 shot Absolut
1 shot DeKuyper Peach Pucker
1 tablespoon sugar
Orange peel twist

Rim a clear six-ounce martini glass with water then sugar. In a shaker with a half-cup of ice, mix vodka and DeKuyper Peach Pucker, and shake to blend well. Strain into prepared glass. Drop in orange peel twist and serve. Yields one.