More Sips from the Manhattan Cocktail Classic
The festive opening night Gala that kicks off the Manhattan Cocktail Classic may be the biggest event in the MCC schedule, but the week offered tons of other opportunities to celebrate cocktails—seminars, dinners, and parties galore. In fact, these smaller-scale events impressed us even more than the grand Gala—it's great to get a chance to focus on just a few well-crafted cocktails, get to know a new spirit or drink-making technique, and enjoy a look behind the scenes without struggling against huge crowds. Here are a few snapshots from the highlights of our MCC week. Continue reading »
25 Sips from the 2012 Manhattan Cocktail Classic Opening Gala
The beautiful New York Public Library was the place to be on Friday night—not for the books, but for a lavish opening night celebration kicking off the 5-day Manhattan Cocktail Classic. Dozens of different cocktails were poured (over 75 different drinks, by our count) for about 3,000 guests. We were on hand to sip (and sip, and sip some more) and snap a few photos. Continue reading »
We Chat Nicaraguan Coffee with César Martin Vega of Café Integral, NYC
A one-man coffee roasting operation in New York City aims to prove that every coffee has a story—even when they all come from the same producing country. Meet César Martin Vega of Café Integral, whose love of Nicaragua has inspired him to chase down a bean dream—both on and off his bike. Continue reading »
10 Sips from Taste of the Nation, NYC
The New York edition of Taste of the Nation not only brings together top chefs from around the city, but also talented bartenders from some of the best spots for cocktails in NYC. They were shaking and stirring all night, serving up delicious drinks to go along with the event's remarkable food offerings. Highlights included a bramble variation from Employees Only, an Averna, tequila, and ancho chile cocktail from The Wayland, and a classic Boulevardier from Raines Law Room. Continue reading »
Now Open: Joe Pro Shop, NYC
Finally filling a niche inexplicably underserved in New York City is the new Joe Pro Shop, a coffee shop that isn't a cafe, on a quiet, art-studenty block in Chelsea. The Pro Shop—which focuses on offering a changing selection of interesting beans (about five coffees at a time) from roasters across the country, as well as all manner of brewing gear—fills not just a functional but an inspirational role in coffee. Continue reading »
12 Sips and Bites from the National Poetry Month Cocktail Celebration at Back Forty, NYC
Even though many bartenders are storytellers, writers, poets, and playwrights on the side, it's rare for a group of them to get together and build cocktails inspired by bits of verse. At the National Poetry Month Cocktail Celebration this weekend at Back Forty in New York, they did just that, offering a group of drinks each inspired by a poem. Continue reading »
First Look: New Cocktails at Maison Premiere in Brooklyn
The back garden at Williamsburg's New Orleans-themed cocktail and oyster bar Maison Premiere won't open for a few more weeks (there's some landscaping to finish up), but the cocktails have moved toward warmer weather, with a menu that includes 16 new concoctions from head bartender Maxwell Britten and his team. Continue reading »
New Juice Program at Maialino, NYC
Jonah Miller and fellow sous chef Jason Pfeifer, who assisted with Noma's juice program during his stage in Copenhagen, have been experimenting with fruit and veggie combos. With so much juice fervor in the air these days, they saw an opportunity to do it really well at Maialino. Three "seed to stem" juices are available on the weekday breakfast menu for now. Continue reading »
First Look: Cocktails at The NoMad, NYC
"When this project came along, we wanted to recreate the classic hotel bar, which essentially was the birthplace of the cocktail," and a social center of the city, said Leo Robitschek, the bar manager at The NoMad (and Eleven Madison Park). Here's a first look at the cocktails at this hotly anticipated New York spot. Continue reading »
New Spring Cocktails at Gotham Bar and Grill, NYC
"First and foremost, we have a focus on seasonality, not only in terms of ingredients but also in the general feel of each drink," says Gotham Bar and Grill's Rick Pitcher, who says he often starts his cocktails with flavor combinations that happen in the kitchen. For example, his Garden Party cocktail began with the pairing of fresh, vivid carrot juice and ginger, and then Pitcher began to look at possible spirits for the drink before settling on Double Cross Vodka from Slovakia. Continue reading »
First Look: Cocktails at Ginny's Supper Club in Harlem, NY
It's certainly the first, most expensive, and most ambitious bar program in the neighborhood—at least, the first since the end of Jazz-era Harlem's golden age. The menu is split evenly between modern takes on classics and completely new drinks, occasionally drawing on Scandinavian and Dutch imports and flavors—genever, caraway, Heering liqueurs and the like—a nod to Chef Marcus Samuelsson's Swedish upbringing. Continue reading »
First Look: Brunch Cocktails at The Beagle, NYC
When he opened The Beagle in New York's East Village last May, owner Matt Piacentini was definitely not interested in serving brunch. "At first, I was adamant that I didn't want to do daytime stuff—I really wanted to focus on the cocktails," he said. "But seeing the clientele, I started to think, 'I bet these people would drink just as many cocktails at brunch.'" Continue reading »
