Some afternoons are meant for emails. And some afternoons — our favorite afternoons — are meant for crispy strips of flatbread and tequila infused with looseleaf tea.
One of our favorite afternoons is spent at Renee’s Organic Oven.
Happy hour at Renee’s means $6 cocktails and discounted bar bites, like the black-bean tostada with buttery avocado and organic greens, or the hummus platter with a loaf of hot, garlicky flatbread straight from the oven in the back.
The intimate pizza cafe is an east-side hub for vegetarians and conscious eaters, but it also boasts a colorful cocktail list crafted by owner Renee Kreager. (The brunch drink AM Rx, which recently caught my Facebook attention, features mole bitters and locally-roasted Yellow Brick Coffee.)
After a summery Tucson afternoon I was in the mood for something lighter, so chose the Miel de Vida, a punchy cocktail with an unexpected ingredient: black cherry. The tart juice imparts a lush mulberry purple to the liquid, which froths at top after a quick shake.
The Honey of Life, as it translates, features two distinct honey ingredients: First, Kreager infuses reposado tequila with dried honeybush tea leaves from the Cape of South Africa. Sourced by midtown’s Maya Tea company, the honey-scented tea lends a sweet, smoky undertone to the drink. Second, after the drink is poured onto large blocks of ice, the server rims the glass with real honey, and then sticks on sugar and ground chiltepin chiles.
When you sip, the peppers leave a tingle on your lips, making the fruity vanilla juice a pleasant release. It’s hot, but not overpowering. The sprinkle of chile is just enough to spice up your afternoon.
