Best Martini
Eldridge Hotel
Venue
701 Massachusetts
Lawrence, KS
785-749-5011
Frankly, a martini isn't so much a cocktail as a great excuse to drink 8 ounces of liquor in one sitting. The historic Eldridge Hotel is home to the Jayhawker bar and Ten, a restaurant that would be classy enough to accommodate a legendary British secret agent, even if it didn't specialize in his favorite drink. The Jayhawker is a hit among young, downtown professionals and anyone else with a taste for strong, sophisticated cocktails. The bar and restaurant boast 42 different martinis, ranging from fruity-sweet to hot and spicy. The bloody Cajun is thick enough to chew, and the potent Most Wanted is like a liquid olive. Every martini is mixed so strong that just one will take the edge off a hard day of spy hunting or cubicle confinement. Usually the drinks run about $8 to $10 each. But if you need another excuse to down eight ounces of liquor, drinks are half-price on Thursdays.