Drink: Mr. Goby

In Agatha Christie's crime-fiction world of "After the Funeral," Mr. Goby is the "refreshingly nondescript" detective who "was not looking at Mr. [Hercule] Poirot because Mr. Goby never looked at anybody." In Bess Gulliver's creative world behind the bar at Crow & the Pitcher, Mr. Goby is just as inscrutable, though in cocktail form. The salmon-pink elixir, briskly chilled in its dapper fluted coupe, is a curious blend of complexity and intrigue. Is that the grapey smack of Pisco brandy? The bitter herbal tinge of Cynar artichoke liqueur? The dry, alpine crispness of Dolin white vermouth? Is that the soft sweet kiss of maple? Just when I think I've got it, the citrusy ring of kaffir lime (extracted in-house) pops up like an exotic afterthought. You don't need to be a detective to know Mr. Goby makes one good cocktail, even if we can never completely know him. But it's a mystery worth trying to solve.

- Craig LaBan
Mr. Goby, $12, Crow & the Pitcher, 267 S. 19th St., 267-687-2608.