Bar Review - A gem of a gimlet

Every restaurant in Atlanta would love to claim to have spiced up the culinary scene; every restaurant bar to have left diners' taste buds shaken and stirred. But few have publicly pursued that desire with as forcefully stated an intention — or as suggestive a series of anatomically appealing female torso flaunting billboards — as the blatantly named Spice. And while Spice has weathered its share of typically persnickety food critic flux, no doubt has ever existed that its location lent itself to patrons in search of drinks amid architecture details to drink in.

So what pours forth from the placidly framed yet bustlingly bottlenecked spout of spirits? At the top of the leather-bound cocktail list resides an unfussy, enticing concoction. The Kaffir Lime Gimlet is a refreshing twist on a drink popularized during the 1920s cocktail age (coincidentally, the structure converted into Spice dates back to the '20s). Substituted for gin is kaffir lime-infused Hangar One, an increasingly popular California boutique vodka. And there's a good reason: The vodka, steeped as it is with the popular Thai/Indonesian zest, imbues a piquant, aromatic overtone and peppery finish, cut only by a dash of compatible Key Lime juice.

Spice offers more than one tangy tantalization, however. A Dark & Stormy — Gosling Black Seal rum, ginger beer and a pinch of nutmeg — has a firm caramel backbone but prickles the tongue coyly rather than imparting a syrupy, overbearing coat. These gin and rum drinks, which bookend the more fruit infusion-centric martini list, convey a vague sense of British naval tradition that may or may not fit the subtly aquatic yet by no means prim environ, depending on the patron. But the libations are certainly as good for the buttoned-up as for the hair-down type.

Regardless, drink your fill, maintain your sea legs, try not to get too salty and maybe you'll charm someone into getting spicy off-premises.

Spice, 793 Juniper St. 404-875-4242.