Paper Tiger at the Havana Cocktail Club

Paper Tiger

The place: Havana Cocktail Club, 1010 E. Pike St., Seattle, 206-323-2822.

Quote: "We use Plymouth gin, which is a very old gin. That idea kind of goes hand-in-hand with the idea of Havana, which is to sort of echo an older time, a different period of cocktail culture and culture in general. But the thing that I love about the tiger the most is it's a gin drink yet it's a very accessible gin drink." — owner Quentin Ertel

The scene: Maybe it's just the name, but Havana Cocktail Club feels like the type of place where men should have mustaches, wear crisp linen suits and hats, smoke cigars and drink sophisticated cocktails.

Even the entrance feels otherworldly and not very Seattle, hidden in a vaguely intimidating dark parking lot off Pike Street. If Vince Vaughn lived in Seattle, he would hang out here.

"Havana as a place conjures up a lot of things in people's minds," said Ertel. "It's a vacation destination, it's a place of leisure, it's a place of beauty that's kind of falling apart a little bit. I though that'd be perfect for Capitol Hill."

I'm not sure what the hipsters have to say about that. But the restaurant does have the faded luxury thing down pat, with salvaged light fixtures framed by a soothing mint blue and gold theme and massive windows looking out onto the street.

Even the cocktail menu looks throwback, with a boxer on the cover guarding a menu filled with innovative and delicious sounding cocktail choices. There's the Royal Palm, a variation on the classic mojito that includes elderflower syrup. The tequila-based Signature Move also is appealing, with its fresh, citrus notes.

But the Paper Tiger's name and the cocktail's ingredients intrigued me. A paper tiger is something that appears threatening but is harmless underneath. The same goes for gin and this cocktail. For those afraid of gin, there's some sugar on the rim to sweeten the way. Underneath, you'll find a complex drink with the gin balanced by a light sweetness, a citrus touch and bitters to add complexity.

Viva la cocktail revolución.

2 ounces Plymouth gin

½ teaspoon Cointreau

¾ ounce homemade sour mix

½ teaspoon blood orange bitters

Fresh raspberry garnish

Combine all ingredients in a pint glass, fill with ice, shake. Coat rim of champagne glass with sugar. Strain pint glass into champagne glass. Garnish with raspberry.

Nicole Tsong: ntsong@seattletimes.com