Best of NYC’s Summer Cocktails
These days New York’s finest mixologists seize the fruits of the summer as much as the chefs do… PDT 113 St. Marks Pl., nr. First Ave. (212) 614-0386 Short for “please don’t tell,” the secret’s out about this East Village cocktail den. Connoisseurs collect for Jim Meehan’s Hemingway Daiquiri or the High Roller Menu. But right now, the hot weather drink to order is the East India Cocktail, made from fresh-squeezed pineapple and orange juice with a kick of cognac. Then again, there’s always Up-To-Date — a spicy rye cocktail with hints of citrus and chamomile. Elettaria 33 W. 8th st., nr. MacDougal St. (212) 677-3833 The at this funky Village haunt have conceived an imaginative cocktails to complement the Akhtar Nawab’s cooking. The Mai Tai (pictured right) screams summer, but we were just as swayed by the absinthe-spiked...
Read MoreAutumn Cocktail Roundup
These days, cocktails have become as important as dinner, and a good mixologist as valuable as a top chef. Though some revelers are content to sling back beer year round, many enjoy autumn’s produce in their potable (and alcoholic) forms. Think apples, tart cranberries, and fragrant pie spices. Serious bartenders around Manhattan have stepped up, offering out-of-the-ordinary cocktails that make it nearly as enjoyable to drink in this city as it is to eat. Death & Company – Maple syrup explores its adulthood in a Maple Julep made with Rittenhouse rye whiskey at this East Village sleeper, which just keeps conceiving first-rate libations. 433 East 6th Street, (212) 388-0882 Gramercy Tavern – Fresh cranberries, macerated until plump and spiced with Goslings rum, add a sweet-tart burst of seasonal flavor to the tavern’s “Drunken” cranberry Daiquiri. But really anything Juliette...
Read MoreSummer’s Best Cocktails
It’s summer. Perhaps time to mix things up, maybe switch out that vodka martini for a minty mojito or opt for lillet over rose. There’s plenty of summery elixirs to be had in New York and with the onslaught of serious cocktail chefs around every corner, you’re bound to stumble upon a fresh-squeezed concoction. You just have to know where to hunt the best down, so here’s a list of the latest & greatest summer cocktails around town… Little Branch – Ease into a booth at this moody subterranean lounge with a Queens Park Swizzle – a mojito riff punched up with a bit of bitters – and let yourself be lulled by live jazz Sundays through Wednesdays. Address: 20 Seventh Ave., at Leroy St. Phone:212.929.4360 A60 – Tragically reserved for the New York elite, befriend a gifted...
Read MoreTequila
Contributing Writer: Booze Boy Remember that morning in college when you woke up sprawled out on your bed, face down, head throbbing, one arm twisted around your bedpost? Do you remember what caused that hangover from hell? Chances are it was tequila-related, probably some dangerous combination of Pepe Lopez, Aristocrat or Cuervo Gold tequilas. It was largely due to the fact that the tequila you were drinking was only 51 percent agave, the bare minimum required by Mexican law for tequila to be called Tequila. That means 49% of what you were drinking was anything but agave. And when I say anything, I mean anything – we’re talking sugar, rum, vodka, food coloring, salsa. That 49% of anything is called mixto, and it acts as a mixer/flavor agent whether you know it or not, which is why you felt...
Read MoreDrink Pink
I met a Wine Girl who’s been around the grapevine & happily volunteered to coax us through the wine list. Without further ado: What’s the perfect summer wine for a picnic, bbq, or outdoor fine dining? Ranging in sweetness and seriousness, there’s a ROSE to fit any fare and satisfy even the most sophisticated palate. And rose isn’t just for ladies – real men aren’t afraid to drink pink. What is a rose? Rose wine generally comes from black-skinned grapes of any varietal (Pinot Noir, Syrah, Cabernet, Sangiovese, etc.). What makes rose different from red wine is the length of time the grape juice stays in contact with its skin, aka, maceration. The grapes are first crushed, de-stemmed, then left to macerate before pressing. The rest of the rose wine-making process is exactly the same as it is for...
Read MoreBooze Boy on Scotch
It’s no secret that I’m obsessed with food, but even a Restaurant Girl gets thirsty and I’m quite fond of liquor. Luckily, I met a boy who knows his way around the bottle – let’s call him Booze Boy. He’s stopped by to share the wisdom of his scotch drinking ways: Have you ever heard someone walk up to a bartender and order their scotch “neat”? Hey, maybe you’ve even been that person. Did you ever notice that the first (and second and third) sip burn? That’s because neat translates to no ice, no water, nothing – just plain straight up. Most single malt scotches are anywhere between 42% and 50% ABV (alcohol by volume), also known as 84-100 proof. That’s almost half alcohol – no wonder the stuff burns. It’s not the same grain alcohol burn we all...
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