RON SWARNER: COCKTAILS WITH A NUTRITIOUS TWIST >>>

Thursday, Oct. 22, 1022 South â�" a craft cocktail lounge in Tacomaâ��s Hilltop neighborhood â�" will throw a party to celebrate its new menu featuring more than 40 innovative, and in some cases, curative handcrafted cocktails. Beginning at 4 p.m., drinkers will be able to sip the new concoctions for $6 a pop.

Since this lounge opened in March 2009, bar manager Chris Langston and crew have entertained drinkers with discussions ranging from fermentation yeasts to ice density â�" offering a vibe and drink menu that suggests a throwback to the pre-Prohibition era when tempting cocktails and stimulating conversation highlighted a cosmopolitan American nightlife. With ingredients such as housemade bitters, botanical infusions and herbs including yohimbe, damiana and tulsi gracing the stemware, itâ��s safe to tag the folks behind 1022â��s bar as apothecary rather than bartenders.

What peaks piquesmy attention most regarding the new menu â�" since my daughterâ��s school is all but shut down due to the flu â�" are the quasi-elixirs Langston and crew have invented. Are prune-tinis on the menu? Will the glasses be rimmed with wheat germ?

Whatever exotic ingredients swirl I�m sure they�ll bring longevity, energy, and an exceptional buzz.

[1022 South, Thursday, Oct. 22, 4 p.m. to 2 a.m., no cover, 1022 S. J St., Tacoma, 253.627.8588]

LINK: Previously on Spew