You know all of those deliciously refreshing cocktails you imbibe by the bucketful at Hearsay Gastro Lounge downtown? Well you can thank Anthony Montz for those, and you can also be happy for that fact that several days a week, he is now flexing his mixology muscles over at Double Cross Lounge (114 Gray) in Midtown. That means you have a whole new venue in which to sample his tasty libations.

Montz, who moved here from Austin in 2000 because he "wanted a change of pace," has worked at several places around town, including Mockingbird Bistro and Textile. He describes his drink creations as "chef-driven using fresh ingredients." We describe them as amazing and deceptively potent. "I go over to Spec's and get what looks good. I just picked up these blood oranges," he says, pointing to the artistically arranged silver bowls full of garnishes so fresh they would make an amazing fruit salad.

Since Double Cross is primarily a vodka lounge (they have vodka on tap -- kept at zero degrees), we had to ask Montz about his vodka preferences. "I'm not much of a vodka drinker," he tells us. "But I do like Double Cross. It's distilled and filtered seven times, and it just tastes really clean. I don't like Grey Goose." Every drink he made for us was scrumptious, but our favorite was the Mint Cherry Cooler, which is made with vodka, black cherry soda that Montz makes himself, lime and mint. Delicious.