Flaming Grapefruit Cosmopolitan

New today! A column featuring fancy cocktails served at various bars and restaurants in the area. E-mail our reporters(addresses below) if you have a favorite drink and bar setting.

The place: Suite 410, 410 Stewart St., Seattle, 206-624-9911

Quote: "It's a good choice for people who come in who aren't used to drinking cocktails ... they don't want strong gin or whiskey flavors. It's approachable. It's light. It's easy. It's not boozy." — Aaron Garland, Suite 410 bartender

Comments: When writing about cocktails, it is best to have one writer who drinks and one who does not, and here's why: Nicole's note-taking abilities are impaired by alcohol.

By the time we had settled into the pleasantly springy barstools at swanky Suite 410 in downtown Seattle, all Nicole could say upon sampling the Hot Mango Love cocktail — garnished with jalapeño — was, "Ow, spicy." Guess who wrote this down?

Suite 410 is the kind of place that has no sign; during the day, with curtains drawn and metal gate pulled closed, it's easy not to notice. Which makes finding it an accomplishment worth drinking to. We returned for happy hour and ordered a Flaming Grapefruit Cosmopolitan ($8.75) because the bartender promised to light it on fire.

Nicole's drink of choice is typically the greyhound — grapefruit juice and vodka — so she felt she could judge the Flaming Grapefruit Cosmo with authority. The verdict? "Greyhounds can be bitter, but [the Grapefruit Cosmo] still has a hint of grapefruit flavor. It's like a sweeter, smoother version of the greyhound."

Suite 410 Flaming Grapefruit Cosmopolitan

- 1 ½ ounces Danzka grapefruit vodka

- 1/2 ounce simple syrup

- 1 ounce white cranberry juice

- A splash of Cointreau

Combine ingredients, shake together with ice, strain into glass. Garnish with grapefruit or orange peel.

Pamela Sitt: psitt@seattletimes.com

Nicole Tsong: ntsong@seattletimes.com