At Oleana, it pays to know the name of the wine director. Not because it gives you access to a secret stash of the Mediterranean restaurant’s organic wines, but because it’s code for the always-season-perfect cocktail.
The Paopao cocktail changes every few months. To make the signature drink, manager and wine director Theresa Paopao starts with a prosecco base, then adds a fruit and either an herb or a spice to the sparkling Italian wine.
The original Paopao, which appears in Oleana chef-owner Ana Sortun’s cookbook, featured a heady blend of pear and cardamom. “However, the current one breaks the mold a little bit,” notes Paopao. “We take fresh black pansy flowers and boil them down into a syrup.” The syrup both colors and intensely sweetens the prosecco, and a single black pansy flower floats as a delicate garnish.
Available for $10 at Oleana, 134 Hampshire Street, Cambridge | 617.661.0505
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