Smooth like butter

Photograph: Jeff Gurwin

Smooth like butter The fragrant aroma of roasting butternut squash is as much a sign of late fall as a slice of pumpkin pie. We’re most accustomed to eating the sweet flesh whipped into a mash, cubed in stuffing or pureed into soup. So imagine our (pleasant) surprise when we found the gourd in our cocktail glass. The Butternut & Falernum ($16) at Tailor (525 Broome St between Thompson and Sullivan Sts, 212-334-5182) is what happens when seasonal vegetables know no boundaries. Bar czar Eben Freeman combines rum, brown butter, juiced and reduced butternut squash, and falernum—a cane-sugar-based liqueur with hints of almond, clove and lime. After a solid shake with chunky ice cubes and a dusting of nutmeg, the rich yet vegetal beverage acquires the velvety consistency of whole milk. Fans of the celebrated barkeep will be glad to welcome back the drink, which Freeman served during his gig at wd-50 but just introduced at Tailor. If it wouldn’t get us completely squashed, we could see ordering one of these for lunch.