The Gin Fizz at Scotch & Soda: A Reliable Classic

Scotch & Soda (310 South Ave., Springfield, 417-719-4224) has dim lighting and comfy sofas and bartenders with better haircuts than you. Haim and St. Vincent reverberate at a soft lilt. It’s what I, someone who avoids strobe lights and large crowds like the plague, want out of a night out. The whole thing is a definition of a mood.  It’s also the perfect place to conduct a cocktail taste test. I’ve long wanted to educate myself on cocktail culture and figure out what I liked and didn’t like. With the gin fizz, I’ve met my match. What you need to know above all else: This is an egg white cocktail. They can be divisive, but for me, the drink’s frothy top adds some volume and mixes well with the orange garnish, Plymouth gin, water and soda. This is a slightly sweet drink that isn’t a chore to get through; gin is a fairly universal spirit that lends itself to different flavors. It’s season agnostic, too, which means you can sip it any time of the year. Or at least that’s what I’m telling myself.