Paulius Musteikis
The melting ice doesn't hurt the lemony Hi T one bit.
More than a decade after opening, the small bar with the difficult Norwegian name and no sign and no phone is still going strong. What is Natt Spil? Perhaps the best answer is a Chinese pizza disco. The tiny open kitchen serves “pan-global comfort food,” including dumplings and wood-fired ’za, to a live DJ beat.
Diners sit al fresco and drink good, inexpensive wines, or sample from a deep cocktail list of easy refreshers. It’s difficult to think of a more iconic Madison cocktail than Natt Spil’s Hi T, made from housemade lemongrass-infused vodka, matcha tea simple syrup, lemon juice and soda. It’s the kind of cocktail that arrives in a cold, sweating pint glass. The plentiful ice is meant to melt — not hurting the drink one bit.
The secret to the Hi T’s success is a bright, approachable lemony flavor alongside the deeply grassy matcha tea, which adds some additional sweetness.
The drink reminds us that simplicity is rewarded when constructing a cocktail — let particular ingredients shine. The Hi T is a classic vodka Tom Collins with added Asian flavors for interest. And, who knows, the tea just might perk you up for dancing.
