Science-Nerd Style: Food & Drink Ideas

Playful new food-and-drink ideas borrowed from the laboratory.

© Kana Okada

Cocktail Chemistry

Beaker & Flask in Portland, Oregon, features Kevin Ludwig’s drink experiments—wacky and elegant. His simple New Vieux (right), inspired by New Orleans’s Vieux Carré cocktail.

 Classic Cocktail Recipes

© Terry Monk

Elements of Wine

The Wines of Substance ($14–$18; winesofsubstance.com), made in Walla Walla, WA, riff on chemistry’s periodic table. Instead of chlorine (Cl) and sodium (Na), there’s Syrah (Sy) and Merlot (Me).

Plus: 20 Top Washington Red Wines

© Ian Evenstar

Beer & Burger Lab

No need for Bunsen burners or protective goggles at the Lab Gastropub in Los Angeles, located just off the University of Southern California campus. Beakers hold beer made for the restaurant by local brewery Karl Strauss; Erlenmyer flasks double as vases.

 Delicious Gastropub Recipes

Published September 2009