New Charleston restaurant's Instagram-worthy 'Goldfinch' co*cktail is served in a bird glass (2024)

Bar Tab is a recurring column in The Post and Courier Food section that highlights a locally made or sold adult beverage.

Sometimes you order a drink for the taste. Sometimes you order it for the Instagram appeal. When you get both in one, well, it's a win.

And that's just what new Charleston restaurant and bar The Selectat 465 Meeting St. is doing with its trending "Goldfinch" co*cktail, served in a bird-shaped co*cktail glass on a stem.

The Select's sister restaurant in Sandy Springs, Ga., also has a bird drink, but for the Charleston version, the history of the city was taken into account. The spice trade routes, the Holy City's hospitality symbol plus a local bird were all combined to create this concoction. Thus, the Goldfinch was born as a co*cktail that blends vodka with velvet falernum, turmeric, tamarind, honey and pineapple.

A basil leaf serves as the bird's tail, while the clear glass bird receptacle is full of the yellow drink to mimic the color of the Goldfinch.

But the Instagram appeal doesn't end just with this beverage. The glitter-glinted glasses at the table to hold your water are another fun hint, and if you sit at the bar, you'll notice colorful upside-down flowers dangling from above to create a cascading meadow on the ceiling. Other touches, from the green bar stools to globe lighting to wood and tile textures at the bar, all add to the aesthetic.

And co*cktails to try on the menu certainly don't end with the Goldfinch. The Ginger Margarita and Lavender Club are both perfectly light refreshers, while my favorite might have been the Pineapple Mezgroni, a mix of a mezcal-forward drink and a negroni. The two together balance each other out, so you get less smoke and less bitterness. It's a brilliant pairing to end up somewhere in the middle.

If you're looking to take advantage of The Select's deals, try Monday happy hour all night from 4-10 p.m., Whiskey Wednesday featuring $10 whiskey any way or Thursday Ladies' Night with music from 7-10 p.m. and a $10 special martini menu.

For a nightcap, wander across the street to Last Saint at 472 Meeting St. to wrap up your evening with a mini espresso martini at the dimly lit bar.