A Guide to Craft Cocktails on the 12 Hawks Menu

The craft cocktail list breaks into five groups: classic builds, whiskey drinks, tequila and mezcal drinks, rotating seasonal specials, and non-alcoholic options. Most run $9 to $13. If you want a straight answer on what to order first, start with the Old Fashioned or the house margarita. Both are made well and both are safe bets if you don't know the bartender's style yet.

Classic Builds

These are the drinks bartenders learn first, and they're on the list because people order them constantly. Expect an Old Fashioned, a Manhattan, a Moscow Mule, and a Whiskey Sour. Nothing surprising here. The tradeoff is consistency over novelty. If you order a Manhattan, you get a Manhattan, made the same way every visit. That matters more than it sounds like it should.

Whiskey Drinks

Beyond the classics, there's usually a bourbon-forward option with a smoke or maple element and a rye-based drink built to stand up to a heavier meal. These pair well with the burger and steak options on the full food and drink menu. If you're eating a ribeye, order the rye drink. It won't get lost next to the meat the way a lighter cocktail can.

Tequila and Mezcal

The margarita here is made with fresh lime, not sour mix, and that's worth knowing before you order it expecting something sweeter. There's usually a spicy variation with jalapeño and a mezcal option for people who want smoke instead of citrus up front. Mezcal isn't for everyone. If you've never had it, ask for a small taste before committing to a full pour.

Seasonal Specials

These change every few months and depend on what's in season and what the bar staff wants to try. Fall usually brings apple and cinnamon drinks. Summer brings anything with fresh berries or citrus. Winter leans toward warm spice and darker spirits. These are the drinks worth asking your server about directly, since they're not always the same from one visit to the next and the printed menu can lag behind what's actually being poured.

Non-Alcoholic Options

There are usually two or three mocktails built with the same care as the alcoholic drinks, not just soda with fruit thrown in. If you're driving, pregnant, or just not drinking that night, these are a real option, not an afterthought. Ask what's available since these rotate along with the seasonal list.

What to Order for Different Situations

• Watching a game with friends: Beer or a simple mule is easiest to keep pace with over a few hours.

• A date or slower dinner: The Manhattan or a seasonal special gives you something to talk about.

• Bringing the kids: Order your cocktail after the kids are settled with food. A crowded bar with kids present moves faster when the adult drinks aren't the first thing ordered.

• A group of six or more: Stick to two or three cocktail choices for the table. Large groups ordering ten different drinks slows the bar down and slows your food down too.

Price and Value

Cocktails run $9 to $13 depending on the spirit and what's in it. Mezcal and small-batch bourbon drinks sit at the higher end. Vodka and gin builds sit lower. That's fairly standard for a full-service bar and grill, not a discount, but not inflated either. If you're watching your budget, happy hour is the better time to try something new without committing to full price. Monday through Friday from 2 to 4pm, cocktail prices drop and it's the easiest window to sample two or three drinks instead of one. There's more detail on what locals actually order during happy hour if you want specifics before you go.

Honest Tradeoffs

A small-town bar and grill isn't going to have the twenty-ingredient cocktail list you'd find in a big city. The list here is shorter and more focused, which means faster service and more consistency, but fewer obscure options. If you're looking for a rare amaro or an obscure Japanese whiskey, you probably won't find it. If you want a well-made classic or a solid seasonal drink without a twenty-minute wait, that's the actual strength here.

12 Hawks keeps this list intentionally manageable so the bar can make every drink well instead of stretching thin across too many options. If you're planning a visit around a game, a family dinner, or just want to try something new, check the current lineup on the drink and food menu before you come in, since seasonal swaps happen without much notice.