The Rosewood Mansion at Turtle Creek is generally not thought of as cool, but right now they're doing adventurous things behind the bar.

Photos by JASON JANIK/Special Contributor

Michael Martensen creates fanciful concoctions as the Mansion's mixologist.

Mixologist Michael Martensen, 25, has created a cocktail menu that might make your head spin. Among his offerings: a gazpacho martini garnished with a radish; a lavender mojito; a ginger-infused margarita; an edible cosmo (picture a small mound of gelatinous beads served with a spoon).

Martensen started at the Mansion bar in the fall. Here's more on what he's doing to shake things up.

Q: Do you have any formal cooking or cocktail training?

A: I don't really, no. I know flavors. I can taste really well. And I read a lot. So I figure out what things work with what. You test it. About once a week, I'll pick at John's head [Mansion chef John Tesar], I'll pick at Dave's head [pastry chef David Collier]. Tomorrow I'm meeting up with Dave and we're going to make our own soda.

Q: What's been the response so far?

A: I've had people come in who tell me they're just coming for cocktails. I'm flattered by it. So they're catching on. They understand that things are changing, have changed here at the Mansion. It's going well.

Q: Was there one cocktail you spent the most time on?

A: The gazpacho martini took me two weeks until I finally came up with a recipe that wasn't too over-the-top tomato, too over-the-top pepper.

Cocktails at the Mansion come in a variety of flavors, colors and even textures.

Q: What was the thinking behind the edible cosmo?

A: It's not on the menu. It's not something I'm charging for – it's kind of like, hey, this is what I'm doing behind the bar. It's for the adventurous cocktailer. Someone that comes in here who I know is going to trust me.

Q: It's like a Jell-O shot for people who know better.

A: It's The Mansion Jell-O shot. But it's fun, though. It takes me about two hours to make a pint of that. That's more or less why it's not on the menu.

Here's more from Martensen on how some Mansion cocktails came to be.

The Passion Lily: "That was created in five minutes. But it's so good. It's so refreshing. It's everything you want in a cocktail – not too sweet, it's not too sour. It's a balance. And I love how there's an edible flower."

The Espresso Martini: "I was in Las Vegas at Bouchon and they were doing an espresso martini. It looked similar to this – it didn't have a layer of froth on top. But it was a black espresso martini. A fresh shot of espresso goes into every one of these ... This is one of my favorites because I love how it separates."

•1/4 oz lime juice

•1/4 oz St. Germain liqueur

•2 oz Absolut vodka

•Splash of cranberry juice

•Simple syrup to taste

Combine ingredients into a Boston shaker mixing glass and add ice. Cover with metal shaker and shake vigorously for 20 seconds. Strain into a martini glass.

Source: The Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek