Drink This Now: Fig-Mint of Your Imagination at Chicken N Pickle

Fig-Mint of Your Imagination at Chicken N Pickle. // Courtesy Lily Wulfemeyer

For a place whose square footage is occupied as much with pickleball courts and giant Jenga as it is with seating, the food at Chicken N Pickle is far better than it has any right (or need) to be. If you’ve tried its open-fire roasted whole chickens—made with locally and ethically raised chickens and served on Yoli tortillas with fresh salsas—you know what I mean.

The same also goes for the cocktails. The place feels like one where you’d be perfectly at home with a Bud Heavy. You can be if you like, but the staff at Chicken N Pickle offers a wide variety of daily fresh-squeezed juice in their cocktails, in addition to garnishes and ingredients you might not expect.

Try the Fig-Mint of Your Imagination cocktail. In a glass rimmed with tangy Tajín (a heaven-sent blend of chili, lime, and salt), a delightfully smooth and spicy sip awaits with a kiss of sweetness from fresh pineapple.

Prior to being poured into the glass, the cocktail is shaken to a froth. The resulting drink is balanced with the Una Vida CNP, Domaine de Canton, and fruity mixers wonderfully integrated.

But the real star of the cocktail is the mint, which receives a few “slaps,” more akin to a spanking, at the hand of the bartender in order to activate the leaf’s flavor and aroma before being stirred in. You get a drink and a show for just $11, which is extra sweet to us.

Chicken N Pickle is located at 1761 Burlington St., North Kansas City, MO 64116, (816) 537-1400 and 5901 W. 135th St., Overland Park, KS, (913) 703-5950.