ISSUE 19
ISSN 2052 0603
SPRING 2016
THE
ISSUE
The people, the places, the drinks With Dale DeGroff / Philip Duff / Simon Ford / Lynnette Marrero / Jack McGarry / Jim Meehan / Ivy Mix / Sean Muldoon / gaz regan / Julie Reiner / Audrey Saunders / Charlotte Voisey / David Wondrich / Naren Young and many more
IN-tro
B RO N X
M A N H AT TA N
LO N G I S L A N D
RED HOOK
B R O O K L Y N We’re talking cocktails, not neighbourhoods and any city which has inspired so many drinks (and counting) is fine with us. That's just one reason why we’ve dedicated this issue to New York and its bars. The other is that you can’t be a serious cocktail lover without having it on your must-visit list. So where will you be drinking when you get there? Forget the guide books, they may be good for where to stay and what to see but they don’t really cut it on the bars front. If you want to know the real places to go and why, you need to get your tips from the top. Which is where this issue comes in. We’ve spoken to New York's finest, we're talking the likes of Dale DeGroff and Julie Reiner, and we've asked them for their definitive drinking spots. Find out where you should be heading and take their tips for getting the most from the New York bar experience on p. 24. Drinks historian David Wondrich settles comfortably In the Hotseat and tells us about the past and present of drinking in New York (p. 10), while another drinks legend, Audrey Saunders, reveals how she almost became the second woman to head up the American Bar at the Savoy Hotel in London (p. 52). Speaking of phenomenal women, we headed over to New York to photograph some of its most prominent females as part of our continuing Leading Ladies of Drinks series (p. 38). And of course, it would have been plain foolish of us not to enjoy a few cocktails while we were there. Find out where we went on p. 62. The British pub gets a look in, too. Giuseppe González and Leo Robitschek tell us how in Take Two New York Bars, (p. 22). That just leaves the drinks. Raise your glasses to our pick of the best Born in the USA, photographed by Addie Chinn (p. 30).
Happy imbibing! Ms S & Mr G
thecocktaillovers.com
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IN-gredients
6. IN-the know 25 reasons to be a cocktail lover this season Skinning up, getting stoned and messing with our minds (all legitimately, of course), just a few of the things we're looking forward to in the next few months
10. IN-the hotseat David Wondrich If anyone knows about the history of American cocktails, it's David Wondrich, erstwhile English professor turned world authority on drinks
14. In-spire Biting into the Big Apple Ever dreamed of kicking your career into shape in New York? We get the downlow from five people who crossed the Atlantic to do just that
22. IN-spire Take two New York bars Giuseppe González and Leo Robitschek talk about the look, feel and rationale behind their two very distinctive bars
24. IN-spire The A team Forget the guide books, if you really want to know which bars to visit when you're in New York, here's the definitive list. As told by those in the know
30. IN-the spotlight Born in the USA Four drinks with American accents together with their signature serves. Photography by Addie Chinn
36. IN-dulge The wheel deal 10 cool drinks trollies for people who take entertaining at home seriously
38. IN-style Leading ladies of New York drinks One studio, 13 women making waves Stateside in the drinks industry. Photography by Shannon Sturgis
46. IN-focus As time goes by gaz regan reminisces about sweet-and-
sour mixes, fast-melting ice and the joys of mixology in the Big Apple circa 1970
48. IN-focus Meehan's moments Jim Meehan gives his views on the speakeasy phenomenon, leaving New York and bars then and now
50. IN-focus I love New York Living out those movie moments, shopping 'til we drop and of course, drinking in its bars; things we love about New York
52. IN-dustry greats Libation Goddess "Audrey wouldn't do a Gin & Tonic, she'd do gin with 24 tonics until she found the one that worked best. That's Audrey." Dale DeGroff on our Industry Great, Audrey Saunders
Editors: Sandrae Lawrence Gary Sharpen Editorial Assistant: Miranda Langford Sub-editor: Sally Briggs Creative Director: James Cheverton at Burnt Studio burntstudio.com Photography: Addie Chinn addiechinn.com Shannon Sturgis shannonsturgis.com Contributors: Louise McGuane Chris Moore gaz regan The Departure Lounge Sigrid Sarv Lauryn Tomlinson
55. IN-dependent spirits Craft rising Louise McGuane joins the American Distilling Institute Annual Craft Distilling Conference in San Diego to find out what's the next big thing
56. IN-formed Word up Alex James from Blur shares his last drink with us, The Cocktail Girl checks into Sexy Fish and The Departure Lounge compile the ultimate playlist to capture the spirit of the US
60. IN-sider's guide London calling – a 31 day bar voyage While most people were embarking on a Dry January, Chris Moore resolved to drink one cocktail in a different bar each day for the month. We asked him to document the results
62. IN-ternational The New York Hot List 11 bars to have on your radar right now
For all editorial and advertising enquiries, please contact: mail@thecocktaillovers.com 020 7242 2546 thecocktaillovers.com Printed by Polestar UK Print Limited. Reproduction in whole or part of any contents of The Cocktail Lovers magazine without prior permission from the editors is strictly prohibited. Cover shot: The New York issue Illustration by James Cheverton The Cocktail Lovers Issue No. 19 Spring 2016 The Cocktail Lovers magazine is published by The Cocktail Lovers Ltd. in London, UK
PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY
The Cocktail Lovers are proud to be listed on The London Evening Standard Progress 1000 – London’s Most Influential People 2015 and global top four Best Cocktail & Spirits Publication Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards 2015
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REASONS TO BE A COCKTAIL LOVER THIS SEASON Going undercover, praying for sun and nailing our cocktail habit – just a few of the things we’re looking forward to in the next few months
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Can’t get no satisfaction? You will if you book up for 'Exhibitionism', the first major retrospective showcasing the rock and roll lives and very good times of The Rolling Stones. Spanning nine galleries, it takes in art, design, film, fashion, performance and rare sound archives. To drink? It's what an Old-Fashioned made with Brown Sugar syrup was invented for. Running to September 2016 at Saatchi Gallery, London. stonesexhibitionism.com
6 - The Cocktail Lovers
ROLLING STONES ARCHIVE
Getting Stoned
IN-the know
TWO
03
Smelling good enough to eat
Zoning in on G&Ts
Seriously. Teetotal G 'n' T from The Temperance Spirits Company is just that – a ginless, botanical-led tonic created with abstaining tipplers in mind. Simply add ice and a slice. ttscompany.co.uk
We’ll pass on whiffing of horseradish or a bacon sandwich thanks, but a fragrance that smells and tastes of Piña Colada or Pirate Rum? Bring it on! Edible Fragrances from lickmeimdelicious.com
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Creating a bucket list
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Feeling bitter
…in a good way. Thanks to the boys at Hella Bitters in Brooklyn, we’ll be making our own – bitters that is. Try the D.I.Y. kit for yourself. hellabitters.com
Worried you’re sailing through life without sampling all the potions the world has to offer? New drinking bible 101 Cocktails To Try Before You Die by François Monti is one to have on your list. octopusbooks.co.uk
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Elevating our glassware
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SENDING OUT AN S.O.S. Message in a bottle? This quirky palm tree-shaped opener is perfect for desert island drinking. hm.com
GOING UNDERCOVER
Looking for an apron to up your bar game? Check out Amalia Tsekoura’s cool leather, suede and denim designs. We can’t guarantee your drinks will taste better but at least you’ll look the business making them. facebook.com/Amates-the-project
NINE...
Sure, these beauts cost more than your average glasses but then these glasses are far from average. Whether filled with wine at one end, or espresso at the other, they knock spots off the competition. verreum.com
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Telling it straight
You have been warned (wine, whisky or Champagne will also do nicely, ta very much). morethanwords.uk.com The Cocktail Lovers - 7
IN-the know
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TAKING TEA WITH A STAR
Audrey Hepburn one day, Humphrey Bogart the next – with Cup of Fame you get to call the shots. harveynichols.com
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Bringing on the heat
Who needs a bog-standard kettle when you can heat your drinks (or soups) tableside in the vessel of your choice? The fact it looks pretty fly also helps… miito.com
THIRTEEN
Skinning up
Skin gets thirsty too you know. Give yours a boost with Vitness Tonics, a supersonic drink bursting with complexion-friendly ingredients. wearevitness.com
AVOIDING DISASTER Just the ticket for house-proud cocktail lovers: clean surfaces and nifty drinks recipes all in one. Bam! chroniclebooks.com
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14 …then slather on Raw Veggie Cocktail. It’s 100% organic, contains vegan and ethical ingredients and packs a helluva hydrating punch. gaiacreams.com
Praying for sun
Just how cool are these limited-edition Glenmorangie Originals sunglasses? Very, we think you’ll find. Crafted from white oak casks and individually numbered, they’re what the best dressed faces will be wearing this season. finlayandco.com
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15 Bottling it!
Forget watering cans, pop one of these nifty heads on your empty champers bottles and get your plants soaked in style. donkey-products.com
SEVENTEEN
…Rewined have found a way to repurpose used receptacles: turning the bases into candle holders. Choose from an array of wine-based scents including Cabernet, Champagne and Chardonnay. rewinedcandles.com
IN-the know
19
Driving to the top
If Rolls Royce did a tabletop bar, we bet it would look like this. But wait, they do and it does! Dream over. rolls-roycemotorcars.com
18. MESSING
WITH OUR MINDS
Drinks you can eat? Everyone’s at it. Bite into treats like Spice Pear Martini, Jamaican Rum Snowballs and Blood Orange Negroni in the But First, Cocktails! Bento Box from Sugarfina. Available from harveynichols.com
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Becoming bookworms Take your spirit library on to a whole new level with these stylish bottles, a student project designed to slot secretly between your books. Yes! behance.net/kasperisalovaara
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NAILING OUR COCKTAIL HABIT Job done. Nail art by Emma Zentner. boomnails.co.uk
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Giving it large
GROWING OUR GARNISHES This tabletop herb holder looks as good on the bar as it does at home. Green fingers not included. elho.com
When size matters, trade up your shorty shaker for a Sasquatch – at 110oz capacity,
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…but there is a time and a place for minis; like in your hotel. We like these in-room offerings by Peg + Patriot for Town Hall in Bethnal Green. Happy days. townhallhotel.com
you’ll be the life and soul of any party. homewetbar.com
25 Rethinking cider Dropping the 'i' and going for 'y' – small change, big difference. Upgrade to Hobo East Coast Cyder made with discerning drinkers in mind. hobobeerandco.co.uk
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IN THE HOTSEAT
DAVID WONDRICH
DRINKS HISTORIAN AND EXPERT You started writing about drinks in 1999, who was your audience then? Readers of Esquire and anybody interested in reading about cocktails on the internet. Who is your audience now? Tattooed young bartenders, cocktail geeks of all ages and descriptions. Hoodie-wearing guys, stylish young women, young married couples – the audience is very diverse. This whole cocktail thing has become semi-mainstream and a lot of people are paying attention. Has your writing style and the subjects you write about changed to accommodate this diversity? I look back at the earlier stuff and I think I was doing a better job then – I try to keep the standards but I don't
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have quite the same sense of excitement. Back then there were very few people working in cocktail history and there were diamonds laying on the ground waiting to be found. These days it's more like mining, but I still find the fun in it. As an authority on drinks, when would you say the most important period in drinking history was and why? There were two: one was the late 1600s when mixed drinks went global, the second was the first half of the 1800s when American-style drinks went around the world; they were evolving and changing and included ice and doing all this new crazy stuff. Both were radical times that lead to people drinking very differently. And what are the most pivotal moments in modern cocktail history? Now! It's possible to recreate the high points of the past, we’ve got all the ingredients as well as some wildly creative, hospitable people – it's pretty exciting. Other
photography: danny valdez
IN-terview
IN-terview
than now I'd say the mid 19th century. If you could go to a grand American bar in the 1840s-1850s it would be pretty spectacular. There was a lot of excitement, showmanship, bartenders with real character; they were all actors in the grand pageant of the sporting life. Do you think modern bartenders are trying to emulate that showmanship? They're reaching for it but in my opinion, they're spending too much time thinking about the drinks – they're a substitute for personality. It’s partly because a lot of the bartenders are very young; they don't have a lifetime of anecdotes and experiences like Dale DeGroff or Salvatore Calabrese so the technical side comes out more. There are some shining exceptions moving towards that showmanship though, that kind of sportiness where there is a wild, lively personality that's on show to everyone. The old bartenders were good at that, it was part of the job. Any examples of modern bartenders who you consider to be doing it well? Jeffrey Morgenthaler on the West Coast; there are tons in London who are really showing off – Jake Burger from Portobello Star springs to mind. And in New York, there's Ivy Mix. Who would you cite as being most responsible for elevating the drinking scene to the level we have today? Here in New York, Dale DeGroff and his boss Joe Baum at Rainbow Room – without them none of us would be here. Sasha Petraske opened at Milk & Honey on a wing and prayer and did things right, that was a big deal. In London, the late Dick Bradsell was very important. Suddenly there was a mixology friendly bartender with a good palate who was at the centre of the entertainment. What impact has America had on the way the rest of the world drinks today? Any bar where the bartender stands behind the bar making individual drinks to order with ice is an American bar; that was our influence. By the 1850s, you saw American bars in London, Liverpool, Paris, Florence – by the end of the 19th century it had gone completely global. We built the structure based on English models with a bit of this and that thrown in and it came together very well. You write about Jerry Thomas being the father of the American bar. How long have you spent researching his life and times? It started when Ted Haigh and I were working on a booklet at the end of 2002 for a tribute to Thomas at The Plaza. Ted's very obsessive about his graphic design
By the 1850s, you saw American bars in London, Liverpool, Paris, Florence – by the end of the 19th century it had gone completely global and I wanted to write something that would match the quality of his work. So I decided to write a book and I've been researching his life ever since. I certainly didn't think it would take up so much of my time. What is it about him that appeals? He's a useful figure of illumination of his age – some things about him are just so eye-popping. In his bar there was a shooting gallery in the basement, pool tables, a lifesized statue of him mixing drinks as you walked in, and a double life-sized painting of him on the wall. This was not a speakeasy bar! It was an open place and very different to what we think of as a cocktail bar today. It's almost too fantastic, do you think he made any of it up for dramatic effect? The famous drinks, yes, but I do believe he invented some, like the Blue Blazer. He didn't make up the details of his life though, everything is either documented or highly plausible. The years when he grew up were the wonder years for the US, when anything was possible and a person could be anybody. We have a document of him sailing the ship he said he sailed on and he was there at the Gold Rush. It was wide-open territory for a big talker and a person with drive like himself. He really was the right personality at the right time. What was it about bartending that captured his imagination do you think? It was a job with a lot of status in a narrow slice of life. The sporting fraternity as it was called, was perfect for him. If you were inclined to be sporty, (which he was; he attended bare knuckle fighting), being a bartender was a position of status. People came to see you; you were a performer, a star. When he reopened his bar in 1873 every sporting gentleman in New York was there. If they were elsewhere they sent telegraphs. For someone with that kind of personality, I can't imagine a better job.
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IN-terview
What three questions would you ask him if you met him?
You're working on the Oxford Companion To Spirits & Cocktails, how do you go about such a gargantuan job?
1. Can I work in your bar? 2. Will you please give me a copy of your second book which is lost now? 3. What will it be?
I started three years ago but it's part-time work and it took time to figure out the scope of it. Now I'm writing my entries – and there are a lot. It comes out next year.
'What would Jerry Thomas do?' is one of your mantras, what do you think he'd be doing if he were on the bartending scene today?
Which three people, alive or dead would you most like to have a drink with? Where would you take them and what would you drink?
He wouldn’t be making tweezer drinks that's for sure. He'd be at the biggest, fanciest bar in New York or London, one of the global capitals, it would be all showmanship and a quality operation.
The Roman poet Ovid because I think he's the wittiest man who ever lived; then I'd have Mrs Aphra Behn, who maybe invented the Milk Punch and was the toast of 17th century London. Lastly, I'd have my old friend Dale DeGroff because even though I go out drinking with him all the time, it wouldn't be a party without him. I'd take them to McSorleys – I've been going since the 1970s when I was a teenager. We'd sit at a table at the back, order beer and eat cheese and crackers and have the best time.
What is your take on the history of the Manhattan cocktail? We may never know the exact story. The Manhattan Club claimed it early on, that claim went not unchallenged, but was broadly accepted so I tend to think that's probably the case. There's also the famous William Mulhall who said it was invented by a man named Black who kept a saloon below Houston Street on Broadway in the 1860s. When I was researching the second edition of Imbibe!, I found a saloon by a guy named Black at the proper time a block and a half from Houston Street and it was called the Manhattan Inn. That took me back a bit! Like all drink history, it didn’t get recorded in detail at the time. We're always putting together jigsaw puzzles with missing pieces. Do you like that or is it frustrating? I think it's kinda fun. It's not like you have one answer – it takes a lot of work to understand the evidence and I always appreciate that. Which cocktail best captures the spirit of modern day New York and why? It would be very expensive, involve esoteric spirits and mezcal, maybe a bit of sherry and at least three Amari. Possibly some yuzu juice… It would be served in a Coupe. Garnish? New York doesn't do what London does with garnish, we put our silliness into the glass itself! Which bar best captures the spirit of modern day New York and why? I go with Pegu Club now and forever. It's been open for 10 years and it has that kind of functional elegance that captures the best part of New York. It's democratic, large enough that they don't have reservations, lines or doormen outside. Every time I go there, I see someone I know – but there's nothing showy about it. It's very business-like.
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I really like a jukebox – but not playing anything from the last 25 years or Journey. I hate Journey! Whose writing style do you admire enough to take on writing the life and times of David Wondrich? My friend Rosie Schaap – she's a wonderful writer, good at making things come alive that maybe are not as inherently exciting as you might imagine. She's got a real knack for that. You were a former music journalist, what soundtrack do you most like to drink cocktails to? I really like a jukebox – but not playing anything from the last 25 years or Journey. I hate Journey! I've got nothing against modern music but you need to be taken away a bit. Older music seems to work for that – music from your youth, music from before you were born. I had great drinks in The Tasco Cafe in San Francisco when the music was opera; I like early jazz, not many bars play it but it's really good to get jingled to! 'Imbibe! Updated and Revised Edition: From Absinthe Cocktail to Whiskey Smash, a Salute in Stories and Drinks to 'Professor' Jerry Thomas, Pioneer of the American Bar' by David Wondrich is available now. amazon.com
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Cocktail set: Martyn Pugh
MIX IT UP WITH ® ANGOSTURA LLB Low in abv, big on flavour 125ml lemon/lime soda 6-8 dashes Angostura® aromatic bitters Method: Add lemon/lime soda to ice filled glass. Top with bitters. Garnish by squeezing a lemon and lime wedge into the drink.
QUEEN'S PARK SWIZZLE Full of minty goodness 50ml Angostura® 1919 Rum 25ml Demerara sugar syrup 25ml freshly squeezed lime juice 12-14 mint leaves 6-8 dashes Angostura® aromatic bitters Method: In a Highball glass, muddle mint leaves in lime juice and sugar syrup. Fill glass with crushed ice then pour in rum and swizzle until glass is ice cold. Pack with more crushed ice, garnish with mint sprig and top with Angostura® aromatic bitters.
The Cure All To Cure All
A show stopper of a drink created by Manachain Monaghan, UK winner Angostura Global Cocktail Challenge 2016 50ml Angostura® 1919 Rum 50ml strong brewed ginger and peppermint tea 8 dashes Angostura® aromatic bitters 2 Demerara sugar cubes 7.5ml Pimento/Allspice Dram Mint and charred bitters-soaked dry ginger aroma spoon Method: Over a Boston glass, place sugar cubes on an absinthe spoon and soak with Angostura® aromatic bitters. Light the sugar cubes. When they start to caramelise and drip into the glass, add Angostura® 1919 Rum, crush and stir. Add the tea, Pimento Dram and ice then shake vigorously. Strain into ice cream coupe and garnish with aroma spoon made by flaming dried ginger and 3 dashes Angostura® aromatic bitters on the absinthe spoon and adding a few sprigs of mint.
TRINIDAD BREAKFAST COCKTAIL Sunshine in a glass
50ml Angostura® 1919 Rum 12.5ml apricot brandy 25ml freshly squeezed lemon juice 12.5ml Angostura® Orange Bitters 2 bar spoons apricot jam Method: Stir ingredients together then shake. Double strain over cubed ice. Garnish with an orange wedge.
IN-spire
THE NEIGHBOURHOOD BAR
THE MODERN HOTEL BAR
Giuseppe González, owner Suffolk Arms
Leo Robitschek, Bar Director, the NoMad Hotel
I'm a New York guy and everything in here reflects that – even the colours. But the real inspiration behind this place comes from a British pub, The Churchill Arms in Holland Park in London, it's probably the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen. It’s an Irish bar named after an British prime minister; outside it’s absolutely covered in flowers and ivy; inside the staff are Australian and Scottish, the food is amazing and there's no music. There are so many different things going on; it shouldn't work but it does. If you think about bars that stand the test of time, they don't have a concept, they just work – they're a living story.
London has done a great job of rejuvenating its hotel bars; unfortunately New York has not. That’s one of the reasons we set out to create an ode to the classic hotel bar of the past, but making it relevant for today. We wanted to bring back a place where you would be transported, not to a different time, but with that sense of going out and having the kind of fun that people enjoyed back when the hotel was the epicentre of society.
I don’t want to be confined to a concept either. If you look at the Suffolk Arms from the outside you'll have no idea it's a cocktail bar. I want to say something about the people who have inf luenced me, which is why the walls are covered in hand drawn portraits of famous New Yorkers such as Mel Brooks, Richard Feynman, Joey Ramone, Norman Mailer, Jam Master bar termini Jay,light Johnfloods Hessthrough Jnr. andatElla Fitzgerald. It’s an eclectic mix – there are over 60 drawings, mostly done by my friend Mandilla Blouin but, as I was a graffiti artist back in the day, I’ve drawn a few myself. Not all the people featured are popular or well known, but if guests want to find out about them, they can ask questions and learn. I’ve also included Robert Moses, the city planner known as the ‘master builder’. He’s my least favourite New Yorker so you’ll find him in the toilet! As for the look and feel of the place, we’ve stripped everything back and gone for something that works for everybody. You can have a pint, a shot of whisky, a glass of wine – whatever, and feel comfortable. If you do want a cocktail, our menu includes 11 original signature drinks and 13 by luminaries from Jerry Thomas to Jeffrey Morgenthaler. People say you can’t be creative with vodka but I’m presenting a menu of the 10 of the best vodka cocktails from the past 20 years including ones from industry icons like Julie Reiner, Audrey Saunders, Dick Bradsell and Douglas Ankrah. If guests want something more personalised, we offer omakase-style cocktails that we make up based on their mood and f lavour preference. Our cocktail menu salutes the innovative bartenders of our era who helped spur today’s craft cocktail culture and motivated me to be a better bartender. We’ll tell their stories and show the next generation of bartenders that these pioneers used their tenacity, imagination and spirit to rethink and improve how we drink and took our craft to new heights. The food comes from Alex Garcia, my first boss in New York. He’s devised a Latino/Asian/Jewish menu, when I asked him why he said we're a bar on the Lower East Side with lots of Latinos, Asians and Jews – go figure it out! Suffolk Arms, 269 East Houston Street, NY 10002. suffolkarms.com
That was the concept of Elephant Bar but shortly after we opened we realised it was too small – we didn’t expect it to be as busy as it was. Luckily, theatbuilding next door summer grain store came up and we had to work out how to make the best use of the space. We already had the hotel bar we wanted so rather than going for an extension of that, we decided to do something different. The answer was the NoMad Bar, our version of a modern-day pub. Where else do people go and socialise? Londoners go to pubs during the day and hang out eat, drink, socialise – public houses are not for a specific demographic – everyone goes. Also, we wanted somewhere we would like to go after hours or on our days off. It’s loose, loud and alive; the Elephant Bar gets busy too but in a more controlled and composed way. Essentially, we took everything from the Elephant Bar and elevated the drinks offering and made the food more casual but beautifully done in our way. The cocktails are more of a focal point; like the Elephant Bar, they’re seasonally driven but rooted in the classics. We have Reserve cocktails made with vintage spirits and as we have more space in the NoMad bar, we do a few communal cocktails as well. Part of going out in New York is because you don’t entertain at home as the apartments are so small, so I love the idea of entertaining while you’re out. Another thing we considered was the way people interact in New York. Although it’s very small – just two miles wide and 12 miles long – New Yorkers tend to stay in their neighbourhoods. People who live downtown don’t go beyond 14th Street and people who live uptown don’t go below 59th. We wanted to be an intersection between those two areas, so both the restaurants and bars have been designed with an uptown and downtown element in mind. The Dining Room is downtown – the tables are closer together, it’s brighter during the day, darker at night, the music is louder; The Parlour has darker colours, the tables are more spread out, the music is lower – that’s uptown. But the food and service is the same in both. In the Library, everything is at bar height, like a pub. Upstairs everything is at table height – you get the same bar experience but you can see into each other’s worlds. Andrew Zobler, the developer, thought the NoMad Hotel should be a young, beautiful, classy woman, but we think it’s more like your uncle – the one who's in his early 40s, unmarried but very worldly. The one everyone wants to know. The NoMad Hotel, 1170 Broadway & 28th Street, NY 10001. thenomadhotel.com
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The A Team Tips from the top: from Irish pubs and dive bars, to the best places to impress a date, New York’s finest reveal their favourite haunts
Clockwise from left: dev johnson, sean muldoon, naren young, julie reiner, dale degroff, pamela wiznitzer
Photography: Shannon Sturgis
IN-the spotlight
Dev Johnson Principal Bartender, Employees Only What are your top tips for getting the most out of the New York bar experience? Make friends with the people sitting next to you. Don’t be afraid to strike up conversations with strangers but obviously, use your judgment. One of the things I love about this city and the people in it, is that they like to talk. Become friendly with your bartender and ask him/ her for suggestions. We are a close-knit community and we will look out for you. Where are your recommended spots for: Impressing a date: Visit any bar that Meaghan Dorman (p. 39) has opened. Period. Good times: I recommend Mother’s Ruin, Suffolk Arms and The Wayland. Capturing the spirit of New York: An historical bar you should check out is McSorley’s Old Ale House for history and a peek into what NYC bars/pubs were like back in the day; Corner Bistro, Fanelli’s Café and the Ear Inn are a few others that, for me, have that historic spirit of NYC. I can’t leave out Hudson Malone; drop in and say hello to Doug Quinn – for me, he is the quintessential NYC barman. One of my favourites off the beaten track is Rue B’s.
Pamela Wiznitzer Creative Director, Seamstress and Belle Shoals; President United States Bartenders’ Guild – New York Chapter What are your top tips for getting the most out of the New York bar experience?
Where are your recommended spots for: Impressing a date: If you’re in Brooklyn, go to Clover Club. You can sit at the bar or grab a cosy booth or table. The cocktails are top notch and the food is also fantastic. If you're in Manhattan, get a table at Wallflower in the West Village. It's a small spot but it has some of the best cocktails in NYC, and every person who visits just raves about the experience. Good times: This list could go on forever but a few spots that I always go to for a great night out would be the NoMad bars, Mother's Ruin, Long Island Bar and Daddy-O. Capturing the spirit of New York: Drinking a beer at a classic NYC spot McSorley's, a drink and a bite at Old Town Bar or grabbing a Martini or Manhattan at an iconic hotel like King Cole Bar in the St. Regis Hotel is as iconic as it gets.
Naren Young Managing Partner, Dante (NYC) What are your top tips for getting the most out of the New York bar experience? Venture off the beaten track. I recommend Long Island Bar in Brooklyn, it’s a great neighbourhood joint. And if Toby Cecchini is working, you’re in for some great banter. Where are your recommended spots for: Impressing a date: The Library Bar at The NoMad. It's one of the most relaxing and visually stunning rooms in NYC. And they do stellar drinks. That said, order Champagne (you’re on a date, remember?) Good times: Holiday Cocktail Lounge. Always good for a laugh and a singalong. It’s the new bartender’s bar. Capturing the spirit of New York: Bemelmans Bar at The Carlyle Hotel; it's like drinking in another era. And is that Woody Allen playing the clarinet? Yes, yes it is.
Have a target list of three bars you would like to visit in different parts of the city. From there, be open to suggestions from other industry professionals. The insider tips will sometimes lead you to places that are better and more authentic than bars that are constantly in the media but perhaps not the best drinking experiences. Bartenders, servers, hosts, managers and chefs have an incredible Rolodex of venues that will blow your mind and deliver high quality eating and drinking offerings.
The Cocktail Lovers - 25
IN-the spotlight
Sean Muldoon
Dale DeGroff
Award-winning Co-founder and Operating Partner, The Dead Rabbit Grocery & Grog and Pier A Harbor House; Managing Partner of The Best Bar in the World Hospitality Consulting (BBITW)
King Cocktail – Award-winning industry expert, Partner in the bar training program, Beverage Alcohol Resource (B.A.R.) and Founding President of the Museum of the American Cocktail
What are your top tips for getting the most out of the New York bar experience?
What are your top tips for getting the most out of the New York bar experience?
Make time to discover a few bars off the beaten track like Sunny's Red Hook (pub) and Dutch Kills (cocktail bar). As for drinks everyone should try when in New York, don’t miss Dale DeGroff's Irish Coffee at The Dead Rabbit and a Clover Club at Clover Club.
Go to The Dead Rabbit, the boys from Belfast have built what I call a 100-year bar – my grandkids will happily visit it, it’s a great establishment, it simply has it all. You should see Julie Reiner at Flatiron Lounge and Clover Club in Brooklyn, simply because it’s Julie and she gets it – both places offer great drinks, great service and wonderful small bites. Julie’s partner in Pegu Club, Audrey Saunders, simply has the best all round cocktails in the city.
Where are your recommended spots for: Impressing a date: Bemelmans at the Carlyle Hotel (classic), Maison Premiere (modern). Good times: McSorley's (pub), Employees Only (cocktail bar). Capturing the spirit of New York: PJ Clarkes (pub), PDT (cocktail bar), The Dead Rabbit (something in the middle of both).
Julie Reiner Award-winning Owner of Clover Club and Co-Owner Leyenda; Director Mixtress Consulting What are your top tips for getting the most out of the New York bar experience?
I recommend Employees Only, the first speakeasy, even pre-dating Milk & Honey, for late night bites and big fun! Also from the Employees Only partners Macao Trading company in Tribeca with its southeast Asian menu and the same attention to the drinks. If you’re around the Houston Street area drop in to Milano’s for a quick one, it’s the best dive bar and an absolute hoot! Wanna see rugby or Premier League football? Lansdowne Road has a great pub menu, really friendly service, 30 giant screens and big fun. Then there’s 21 Club. Do I have to give you a reason to walk into NY circa 1929-1969? It’s under new management and back big time. In the Broadway and Times Square area? Drop in to Sardi’s and see where the great of Broadway celebrated their success and cried after their one night closings. Best Irish? Check out Swift, Ulysses and Puck Fair. Where are your recommended spots for:
Venture outside of Manhattan. There are some great bars in the other boroughs that will give you a sense of what it feels like to live in NY. Make sure to hit a few of the historical spots that may not currently have the best cocktails in town, but still feel like old New York. They can really transport you to another time in this great city.
Impressing a date: A Martini at the famous King Cole Bar, sitting in front of the brilliant Maxfield Parrish triptych that has hung in classic New York bars back to the Hoffman House. Get there just before cocktail hour to be sure you have a place at the bar, and don’t forget to ask the bartender about the secret story in the painting.
Where are your recommended spots for:
Good times: Watch one of New York City’s best classic old school barmen Doug Quinn at work at his own joint Hudson Malone (named after his two sons) – the liveliest cocktail hour in the city and also the friendliest.
Impressing a date: Dear Irving, Pegu Club. Good times: Holiday Cocktail Lounge, Leyenda. Capturing the spirit of New York: 21 Club, Bemelmans Bar, Flatiron Lounge
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Capturing the spirit of New York: Go to a Broadway show and have a late supper at Joe Allen’s… you’ll see some of the actors wandering in after their shows are over.
BORN IN THE USA Bruce Springsteen sang about being a cool rocking daddy; we’re here to salute the cool rocking spirits conceived, nurtured and raised Stateside (with a little help from songs inspired by their birthplace) Photography: Addie Chinn
IN-the spotlight
“Concrete jungle where dreams are made of There’s nothing you can’t do Now you’re in New York!” Empire State of Mind, Jay-Z Owney’s Rum Born in: NYC, 2012 Available: gerrys.uk.com Featured tasting notes: Banana
Daiquiri 50ml Owney’s Rum 35ml fresh lime juice 12.5ml simple syrup Lime wheel (optional) Method: Shake vigorously and double strain into a Coupe glass.Garnish with a lime wheel (optional). For more information, see owneys.com Retro Fizz 1920 Glass, £6; Aero Jigger, £7.95, urbanbar.com
IN-the spotlight “Kentucky, you are the dearest land outside of heaven to me” Kentucky, Henry Pritchard Jim Beam Born in: Kentucky, 1795 Available: thewhiskyexchange.com Featured tasting notes: Vanilla, fudge
Jim Beam Sour 2 parts Jim Beam® Bourbon 1 part lemon juice 0.5 parts lemon/lime soda 1/2 teaspoon sugar Lemon wedge and cherry Method: Mix Jim Beam® with lemon juice, sugar, and ice in shaker. Shake vigorously, top with soda and strain into whiskey sour glass. Garnish with a lemon wedge and cherry. For more information, see jimbeam.com Mixology Tumbler (set of 4), £125, waterford.co.uk; bar spoon, stylist’s own
“My kind of town, Chicago is My kind of people too People who smile at you” My Kind of Town, Jimmy Van Heusen, Sammy Cahn Koval Millet Whiskey Born in: Chicago, 2008 Distribution: emporiabrands.com Available: harveynichols.com Featured tasting notes: Pear, liquorice
Cherry Collins 50ml Koval Millet Whiskey 25ml fresh lemon juice 12.5ml simple syrup 12.5ml blood orange purée Cherry Soda Muddled mint Mint sprig to garnish Method: Stir all ingredients and ice in a Collins glass. Top with cherry soda and garnish with a mint sprig. For more information, see koval-distillery.com Castello HiBall, £6.50; Glass Jigger, £6.65 urbanbar.com
IN-the spotlight “You know the sun is shining on Kentucky They're drinking bourbon by the batch” Johnny Cash, Kid Rock Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon Born in: Kentucky, 1888 Available: thedrinkshop.com Featured tasting notes: Cherry, toffee, cinnamon
Four Roses Old Fashioned 50ml Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon Cube of sugar or a dash of simple syrup 2 dashes bitters 2-3 ice cubes Twist of lemon or orange and cherry Method: Stir all ingredients over ice. Serve over ice. Garnish with a lemon twist or orange and cherry. For more information, see fourrosesbourbon.com Mixology Tumbler (set of 4), £125, waterford.co.uk; tray, stylist’s own
THE FIFTIES THROWBACK
IN-dulge
Step back in time with this retro walnut-stained number (cast of 'Mad Men' not included). Mid-Century Bar Cart, £329, westelm.co.uk
THE RULE BREAKER A one-of-a-kind 1970s antique that wouldn’t look out of place in 'Abigail’s Party'. Hexagon Shaped Trolley in faux tortoiseshell, $2,140, pamono.com
THE MODERNIST MUSE A simple but ever-so stylish piece of indoor engineering designed to brighten up any room. Block Side Table, £169.90, normann-copenhagen.com
THE ART DECO DUPE Nickel-plated iron gives this trolley a 1920s vibe – perfect for creating the most exclusive home speakeasy. Riley Drinks Trolley, £298, atkinandthyme.co.uk
THE FRENCH FANCY Bamboo-style legs lend a tiki touch to this Parisian model. Vintage French Brass Drinks Trolley, £795, thevintagetrader.co.uk
THE MODERNIST CLASSIC Designed by Jorge Zalszupin in 1950, this Brazilian statement piece will raise your Caipirinha stakes big time. JZ trolley, (price on request), espasso.com
The Cocktail Lovers - 37
IN-style
LEADING LADIES OF NEW YORK DRINKS Photography: Shannon Sturgis
No other city embraces women in the drinks industry quite like New York. We meet a few who are at the top of their game as they share something that means the most to them in their work
Meaghan Dorman
Franky Marshall
Bar Director & Partner, Raines Law Room, Dear Irving, The Bennett
Beverage Director, Le Boudoir
Length of time in the industry: 12 years Why this is special to me… When I took over as Head Bartender at Raines Law Room it was the first time I’d been a key holder, so these keys signify that period onwards, when I put down roots and became responsible for lots of people, not just myself.
Why this is special to me… I studied music and will always be a singer – it reminds me I have another life outside the industry. Some of the younger guys are all about the bartending but I think it’s important to have other influences, it means you can bring something else to the drinking experience.
What makes my job unique is… I’m in charge, I create the culture of each of the bars – they’re all different but there’s a familiarity. There’s a certain DNA that runs through them all.
What makes my job unique is… It gives me the flexibility to work with different people and across different categories. I also love the fact that I’m always learning and get opportunities to travel.
Length of time in the industry: 10 years
< Anne-Louise Marquis Brand Ambassador & Educator, Grand Marnier Length of time in the industry: Bartender for 10 years Why this is special to me… In my job I have to cater large events and parties and consistency is key. My batching bucket is essential. I use it at least a couple of times a month – I don’t know what I’d do without it. What makes my job unique is… I work on a brand everyone knows but doesn’t know what to do with. My job takes me everywhere from shot bars to hotel bars and I love the variety.
The Cocktail Lovers - 39
IN-style
Charlotte Voisey Director of Brand Advocacy, William Grant Length of time in the industry: 15 years Why this is special to me… This provides the link from London to New York as it was a gift from New Yorker Alan Katz when he visited me in my bar Apartment 195 in Chelsea, back in 2004. This was the time in London when the cocktail renaissance started – the hospitality industry was full of wonderful people who truly respected the craft of the cocktail and it was an honour to be part of it. What makes my job unique is… I was one of the first group of Brand Ambassadors, and a female one at that; in fact, it was such a unique role everyone asked what I did! I’ve been doing it for so long now and it’s great to have been a pioneer, but really I was in the right place at the right time.
Jillian Vose
Sarah Ludington (top)
Bar Manager, The Dead Rabbit
Co-founder, Van Brunt Stillhouse
Length of time in the industry: 12 years
Length of time in the industry: 5 years
Why this is special to me… Some people call it an ice pick, I call it a bar back pick; I threaten to prick them in the arse with it – it really keeps them on their toes! Seriously though, I struggled using this tool to begin with, but you get used to it really quickly. It takes confidence, just like my job.
Why this is special to me… I studied at Parsons School of Design and worked in a design practice before my husband and I started up the distillery, the brushes incorporate that part of my life as well as representing my role developing and building the brand.
What makes my job unique is… I’ve been a manager at other bars but The Dead Rabbit is unlike anywhere else – we have such an amazing relationship and we push each other on a daily basis. Everyone is continually growing together.
What makes my job unique is… I get to wear lots of hats, from running the sales and marketing side of the business to growing the visitor centre and merchandise counter – no two days are ever the same.
Shel Bourdon (bottom) Brand Ambassador, Beefeater, East Coast & Plymouth Gin Length of time in the industry: 8 years Why this is special to me… I need to be connected, that’s very much part of my job, particularly for finding different markets. Having a battery source is vital and having our branding on it works particularly well as I instantly make a connection when I place it on the bar. What makes my job unique is… I’m the first female to represent the brand in the US. I feel incredibly privileged.
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Julie Reiner Owner, Clover Club; Co-owner/Beverage Director Flatiron Lounge; Co-owner Leyenda; Director Mixtress Consulting Length of time in the industry: 15 years What makes my job unique isâ&#x20AC;Ś It changes so much from week to week. One day I'm managing Clover Club, another I'm judging a cocktail competition, or consulting on a cocktail menu in Maui or Times Square. I wear a lot of hats, which makes it very exciting.
Laura Dierks
Blaine Ashley
Founder, Interboro Spirits & Ales
Founder, New York Champagne Week & Consultant
Length of time in the industry: 5 years
Length of time in the industry: 7 years
Why this is special to me… This book is about our business – it’s full of lists and keeps me focused. I sit every week and organise myself, and look back on the week prior and see what I’ve accomplished.
Why this is special to me… My family are from Hawaii and always thought I was crazy wanting to work and run my own business, if they had their way, I would have married well instead. However, after my first Champagne Week they sent this to me – it means a lot as it shows they now take my business seriously.
What makes my job unique is… It keeps me on my toes. I go from meetings with architects to putting my marketing hat on, then ordering hops or having a meeting with investors.
What makes my job unique is… I’m constantly thinking of fun and unique ways to promote Champagne to consumers, trade and media – it keeps my work interesting, dynamic and fun.
The Cocktail Lovers - 43
Heather Greene
Lacy Hawkins
Author, Speaker, Consultant
Bartender, Clover Club/The NoMad
Length of time in the industry: Long enough to remember the popularity of Tequila Sunrises, Long Island Ice Teas and Molly Ringwald!
Length of time in the industry: 9 years
Why this is special to me… My first career was as a professional musician. I've travelled the world singing and playing piano. This performance background allows me to gauge an audience attitude like nobody's business when I'm teaching or doing tastings. What makes my job unique is… I'm one of the only independent spirits advocates in the world that does not work for a specific brand. I work hard to remain as independent as I can. At the same time I'm a cheerleader for the whole arena – it keeps things fresh and interesting.
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Why this is special to me… Jiggers are used for precision, which you need for making cocktails. Once I was able to master measures it allowed me to bend the rules, which in turn taught me discipline and technique – that gave me something to build on. What makes my job unique is… There are no limits to the education and opportunities that bartending offers.
Ivy Mix
Lynnette Marrero
Co-owner, Leyanda and Co-founder, Speed Rack
National Trade Educator & Mixology Ambassador, Zacapa Rum; Co-founder, Speed Rack; Consultant, Drinks at Six; Mixologist, National Perrier
Length of time in the industry: 11years Why this is special to me… Tess is my twin sister and she’s also my rock. She’s the one who keeps me grounded and honestly, I wouldn’t be able to do this job without her. She comes into the bar two to three times a week to keep me company and makes it feel less like work, more like home. She also names all of my cocktails. What makes my job unique is… I get to do Speed Rack, [the speed-based, female-only bartending competition in US and London raising money for breast cancer] which gives me the opportunity to see more people bartending than anyone I know – it really helps me in my job.
Length of time in the industry: 13 years Why this is special to me… The hawthorn strainer is meant to keep undesirable items out of the glass – it makes me think about my life in performance and artistry which I separated out before transitioning into the world of cocktails. It’s bringing the best parts of myself to the job but leaving behind some of the past. What makes my job unique is… I’ve managed to take lots of different parts of the industry and bring them together to create a job for myself. There are lots of ways to be involved in this industry and I’ve found several, from Brand Ambassador work, to producing and creating something like Speed Rack which takes on a whole level of the business, and consultancy with Drinks at Six. I love the variety.
The Cocktail Lovers - 45
Meehanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s moments
For those who love putting people in boxes, Jim Meehan is known as the king of the modern speakeasy. We love him for speaking his mind. We sat down with him and asked his views onâ&#x20AC;Ś
Photography: stewart mollenberg
IN-the spotlight IN-focus
IN-focus
Leaving New York… There are many sides to the story: personal, professional and logistical. On a personal level, lots of culinary talent are leaving main cities because they can’t afford to live in them. It would have cost me $40,000 a year for rent and an additional $20,000-$50,000 a year for a good private school for my daughter. I couldn't justify it.
of their guests. Employees Only is another great example. I would love to see more women there but that said, the team look out for each other, they’re like brothers.
Bars then and now… The drinking world is like fashion. Bars then were English tailored suits, now they're skinny jeans.
I haven't really talked about the business side… I arrived in New York in 2002, nine months after 9/11. The city was on its knees and people had left New York because it was too traumatic; the hospitality industry was nuts. One of the things I remember pre-9/11 was going to these pleasure palaces – everyone was doing well and wanted to be seen. After 9/11 anyone who had money was ashamed to be seen spending it because so many of their friends had lost everything. It drove people into intimate spaces. For that reason alone PDT became a success.
New directions…
Now we’re seeing the return of million dollar pleasure palaces and although I've made myself available to Jack and Sean (The Dead Rabbit), and Leo (The NoMad), that's not me. New York is very much a lead/follow or get out of the way city in my opinion. I knew I wasn't going to follow and I was having a hard time leading so I thought I’d get out of the way.
I think in the next 10 years more attention will be given to barristas, sommeliers and front of house, and bartenders will have to fight for the market share in the media.
Moving to Portland… I looked at my 12 years in New York as the equivalent of going to Harvard for bar and restaurant school; I wanted to take that MBA/PhD and see if I could make it translate somewhere else. Here in Portland we have 600,000 people versus six million in New York – for what I do, serving privileged people, there are not enough of them to sustain the high end. It's very easy to get a liquor licence here so there are many, many bars, plus the liquor is state controlled so the cost to open a bar is much higher than other markets. I want to stay, I’m still doing what I was doing in New York, in fact, I go back once a month or so, and as long as I remain Jim from New York I'm doing fine. Jim from Portland doesn't do so well.
Speakeasies… I never intended PDT to be a speakeasy but we were called a speakeasy so many times that when Time magazine called up and wanted to do a feature on speakeasies, I took it. I coined the phrase 'modern speakeasy' so I could take those kinds of features. I ended up being the face of speakeasies because Sasha Petraske refused to speak to the media so my presence as the speakeasy guy was an unlikely thing because I was a) neither the first, b) the most literal, or c) trying to be one.
What makes a good bar… Great staff. When you look back at the Artesian, it was all about the staff, they retained the same team for years; they loved each other and because of that they could take care
It used to be easy to put things into a box, it's impossible now. The biggest trend is the casualisation of the cocktail. I don't think it will work but it's interesting. It’s like we're beginning to let the air out of cocktails so much that they're not cocktails anymore. As cocktails go from niche to pop, the next things will take off. Like speakeasies, what goes up must come down, something else will happen and the spotlight will shift to other areas.
Awards… I would be lying if I said they didn't matter – you rarely win them by accident. I won a lot of awards before they were even noticed but unlike chefs, bartenders don't make millions from doing so. Do I like winning awards? Yes. Do they mean a lot to me? Yes. Do I do this for awards? No. Being recognised by your colleagues is most definitely one of the most deeply gratifying things.
Consumer consciousness… The wine world has done so well training consumers to evaluate wine. Spirits, besides Scotch whisky, have come quite late to this, but they're now building visitor centres and experiences. I'm excited to see how far we've come thanks to Claire Warner, Angus Winchester, Simon Ford, Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver, mainly because they've spent their careers talking about ingredients etc; people have kitchens, accessible cooks are rocks stars. For bartenders the next step is to teach consumers to do what we do, to make us approachable and to give people exciting experiences in the bar.
Meehan's Manual… The PDT Cocktail Book was an ode to the Savoy – a snapshot in time. People were interested in PDT so it was important to give them a look inside the bar and share its recipes. This time I want to write a why book. It's biographical, giving bartenders and people who have nurtured me a stage for their talent. I'll give them the stage to tell their story and I'll tell my story philosophically through my approach to bartending. It will document how I think a bar will be, what the nuts and bolts of hospitality should be. I want it to be inspiring. It's a very professional bartenders manual for a consumer audience. Your book is your calling and Meehan's Manual has got to be epic.
The Cocktail Lovers - 49
IN-focus
I NEW YORK
IN-focus
MR G SAYS
MS S SAYS
Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra dancing their way from the Statue of Liberty to The Empire State Building singing “New York, New York it’s a wonderful town!” in On The Town. George Gershwin’s Rhapsody In Blue as a gloriously lifeaffirming and romantic soundtrack to the stunning black and white images of the Manhattan skyline in the Woody Allen film of the same name. And Nick and Nora Charles looking drop-dead stylish, being effortlessly witty and solving murders while drinking an awful lot of cocktails in The Thin Man films. These were the movies that I grew up watching and to the fertile imagination of my young mind they defined what New York was: vibrant, romantic and stylish.
I used to dream of jacking everything in and moving to New York. To do what, I’m not entirely sure, but I just knew it would have been brilliant. It’s a cliché I know, but as a teenager growing up in East London, New York was the land of opportunity, a place where anything was possible, despite what my teachers told me. Over there you could do something clever and creative regardless of your race, class or sex (yes, careers advice back then really did consist of teachers telling working class black females not to aim higher than being a secretary or at most, having a job for life at a bank, pah!)
New York, I thought to myself, is a place I need to be. I wanted to ride in those iconic yellow taxis, see those dizzying skyscrapers and drink cocktails in those oh-sosmart bars. A fantasy picture that you build in your head, one that’s heavy with imagination and expectation, seldom lives up to reality. Not so with NY; this is a destination like no other. After many years and countless visits, arriving by road or rail, day or night, the minute that skyline comes into view I still get breathlessly excited. Something happens and those celluloid memories start rushing back, and alighting in the heart of the city is like stepping on to the set of my very own movie. The beautiful Deco of the Chrysler building, Central Park, Brooklyn Bridge, diners, Irish pubs – these are the backdrops in my film. Remembering how to speak American English instead of English English is the dialogue. And the bars that sprawl all over the city are where the action takes place. Then there are the cocktails… Long before I’d visited New York for the first time I enjoyed drinking classic cocktails. Part of the reason, I guess, was the feeling that these drinks somehow linked me to this glamorous place. Now when I’m lucky enough to be there and ordering a Martini or perhaps, more appropriately, a Manhattan, in one of the stylish, sexy, crazy, neighbourhood or whatever bars that stretch across the city I get a feeling that the circle is complete. I’m there in a movie right alongside some of my heroes. I might not be able to dance with the effortless grace of Gene Kelly. And, try as I might, I certainly can’t sing with the easy charisma of Frank Sinatra. But, when I walk into a New York bar, uptown, downtown or anywhere in-between, I’m very happy to attempt to drink with the timeless style of Mr Nick Charles.
But New York was different. You could be black, Jewish, Asian, Hispanic – whatever. All you had to bring to the party was a strong work ethic and a desire to succeed and you could aim to be whatever it was you wanted to be. Well, that’s what it seemed like to me anyway. It didn’t hurt that I wouldn’t have had to learn another language, plus New York felt very similar to London, only on steroids. Everything was bigger, bolder, louder and sexier – why wouldn’t I want to be there? But life had other ideas, and while the emphasis shifted my love for the city has never faltered. I should say the next reason I fell for New York was its museums and galleries. But I’d be lying. Culture schmulture. Shopping was what did it for me. I’m talking about the days when if you wanted to top up your wardrobe with staples from Banana Republic and Armani Exchange or replenish your bathroom cabinet with stuff from Kiehl’s, you could only do so by buying them Stateside. Oh the joy of arriving at JFK Airport with near empty suitcases and leaving four or five days later having had to sit on them to make sure you could cram everything in. That’s changed too of course. Now you can buy anything pretty much everywhere, if not in a physical shop then definitely online. Yes, it’s still cheaper buying things in the US but I don’t get the same excitement as I did before. I get that from its bars. These days trips to New York are based around how many bars we can squeeze in, carefully balancing old favourites with what we hope will become new ones. And as that takes us everywhere from neighbourhood joints in Brooklyn to established spots in the heart of the city, that's all the culture I need.
The Cocktail Lovers - 51
IN-dustry greats
LIBATION GODDESS
AUDREY SAUNDERS
No health insurance, inconsistent wages, physically taxing on the body… These were a few things my manager Cory Hill tried to warn me about the business. He did that not so much to discourage me but more to give me a reality check that it wasn’t all rosy.
Audrey Saunders talks about learning on the job with Dale DeGroff, introducing gin to a vodka-loving audience and how she almost became the second female Bar Manager at the American Bar at The Savoy
Cory also advised me to take a one-night seminar Dale DeGroff was teaching at NY University
My divorce drew me to bartending
I was in awe as I sat through that class
At that point, I felt like I needed to have my own life, and since I'd always loved cooking and entertaining, I thought I should try my hand at bartending for a while. It would allow me to operate independently, meet people, and have some fun. I thought it would be a great place to park while I figured out what I wanted to do with my life… In my first week in the bar I knew I'd found my calling It didn’t matter that the Waterfront where I was working was burgers and beer and that I was so green that I was still learning how to pull a pint and use a soda gun, I absolutely fell in love with service. I’ve been a giver all my life and there I discovered how deeply gratified I became by serving people.
52 - The Cocktail Lovers
He saw that I was serious about pursuing a career as a bartender and as I love to learn, I eagerly agreed and signed up.
Having just found my life’s calling as a bartender, hearing all about Dale and how he had resurrected classic cocktails, and now sitting and watching him as he taught this class had me absolutely giddy. Cory was an excellent teacher and taught me a great deal about hospitality, steps of service, craft beer, and classic cocktails 101. But I really felt that my true calling was cocktails. I already adored cooking and wanted to learn about how to ‘cook with liquids’ (cocktails as ‘cuisine’). I distinctly remember the cocktail that Dale served It was a Blood & Sand. I was quite sceptical because I was ignorant and frankly, the combination of ingredients sounded fairly disgusting. When I took my first sip, the heavens opened and the angels
IN-dustry greats
sang. What a revelation. I knew then that the only way I would be able to truly learn this craft was to enlist Dale as my mentor. So I went up to him after the class, introduced myself and told him how blown away I was by what he was doing – I was emphatic about the fact that I wanted to learn and be the best I could be, I told him that I wanted him to teach me, and that I would work for free. At that time Dale was working at Rainbow Room There was no way I could simply go to work there as it was a union shop. But I was hopeful that maybe some day there might be an opportunity to work with Dale. About a month later, I got a call from him. Rainbow Room was also involved in a lot of off-premise events, and Dale asked me if I wanted to go up to Gracie Mansion (the official residence of the NY Mayor) and make cocktails. I was stunned and thrilled, I didn’t expect the call or the offer. So I went. I remember he gave me a Mary Pickford to serve. It was a simple drink, but a fun one, I think that it was his way of seeing if I could cut the mustard at a high-volume event. Well, I had a blast, and did pretty well if I do say so myself, and so my education with Dale began. Before any event Dale would teach me a new skill Not just how to prep, but how to do things properly and why. But even beyond the ability to make great drinks, he taught me the importance of being of service, being discreet and the ability to have empathy for a guest – true hospitality. He also taught me that whomever that guest might be, to make sure that they left happier than they had been when they first sat down. I took all of this to heart – it resonated with me because I’m a giver. He also taught me how to provide 5-star service, and helped me develop a keen set of ‘bar eyes’, the ability to anticipate all the needs of your guests before even they know them, and to always be 10 paces ahead during service. This enabled me to open The Beacon A bar that would jumpstart the craft cocktail industry in the US as well as the artisanal spirits industry. It wasn’t easy, it took a lot of work. I felt like a single mother of 20, teaching young bartenders and servers the 101 about every detail we now take for granted. It was the same education that Dale had given to me, with the exception that I didn’t have the managerial support and expertise of an already-established corporation like Rainbow Room behind me, so I had to do it all on my own. I also paid a price for it I worked my ass off endlessly, every, single day and it almost killed me. I was frequently exhausted, because the public response was so overwhelming and
You incubate it, you birth it, you nurture it, and then you let it go off on its own two feet I was just trying to keep up with it all. My thyroid tanked, my adrenal glands f lat-lined, and my overall health suffered for a bit of time. Where do I begin with Bemelmans and The Carlyle? It was like attending a top finishing school; I really thrived there. It was where I was able to take what I had learned from Dale, and embed it into a five-star hospitality programme. I created Pegu Club based on my knowledge of what a cocktail ‘should be’ Up to that point, there were many ‘commonly accepted’ cocktail principles that hadn’t sat well with me, and it was important for me to take a stand. Pegu provided me with a platform to draw a line in the sand, go against the countercurrent and implement a programme based on everything that I had learned. For example, the bar scene throughout the US up until that point was completely dominated by vodka. Conversely, I opened with 23 gins on my back bar. While I also consider vodka to be an important spirit, part of my stance at that point in time required me to keep it tucked away in order to teach bartenders how to work with everything else. It simply had to happen in order for the progression of the craft industry to take place. For me, creating a cocktail is like giving birth to something You incubate it, you birth it, you nurture it, and then you let it go off on its own two feet. They are all so different, and yet you love them all in different ways, for different reasons. I’ll tell you what makes me proud It’s every time I see another bar or bartender serve a drink I created, because it means that they enjoy my cooking. And that makes me very happy. I think that true hospitality has to take place within one’s own doors with the very people that one works with. I do this at Pegu Club as well, and I feel it is in this degree of true concern and care that has allowed everyone who
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has worked with me to thrive, and move forward to become successes in their own right. If I had to define it, it would be simply be to love them like family. I declared London to be the cocktail capital of the world in the New York Times in 2007 How did that go down in New York? Keep in mind that in 2007, the circle of craft bartenders in NY was very small and at that point, a good handful already worked for me. The question about what London was doing had already been discussed. Beyond that circle, I didn't give a shit what anyone thought, I knew it was true and I hoped that it might spur American bartenders who were interested in the craft to go to London to experience and be blown away by what London was doing. I was. I don’t think London is still the best city for cocktails from a technical aspect… The internet has played a big role in the ability to share information, education and technique and the United States technical game is very strong (thank you to my husband Robert Hess for drinkboy.com and chanticleersociety.org)! London’s concepts are still more fun, original, authentic, and much more relaxed They don’t at all ref lect the cookie cutter speakeasy/ ‘temple of mixology’ concept that the US is just beginning to break free of. London never went through that phase. Yet in all fairness to the US, the UK never ‘lost’ the cocktail and all its craft skills the way America did because of prohibition. While we were enduring the noble experiment on our side of the pond, you continued to enjoy Harry Craddock and the lineage of subsequent craft bartenders without any hiccups. I’ll share a secret with you that up until now, only a very few people know When The Savoy was being refurbished, they reached out to me to temporarily take the position of Head Bartender of the American Bar. While there, I would also help to identify a potential, permanent candidate for that position. This came at the same time that I had partnered with Chad Solomon and Christy Pope to consult on a project in Los Angeles that was owned by a top chef, and we were developing a pseudo-supper club concept that we were pretty stoked about. It also came a few months after Robert Hess and I fell in love. Initially the American Bar position was only supposed to be for one month, and I said that I would like to take
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it. But then the Savoy wanted to extend the time frame from to one year. Robert and I talked about it and he was behind me 100%. Yet it wouldn’t have been fair to be away from Pegu for so long, nor would it have been fair to Chad and Christy and this new venture of ours, so ultimately I had to turn it down. But I will go to my grave being forever gratified at the invitation, and in knowing that I would have succeeded Ada Coleman. I also think that with all of Eric Lorincz’s experience, warmth, polish, grace and elegance, they found the absolutely perfect gentleman to carry on such a royal lineage. He’s wonderful. My tips for aspiring bartenders? Choose to bartend as a career because you sincerely enjoy serving others equally as much as you enjoy making drinks. Seek out the best places and the top professionals, and apply for jobs with them. Reach for the stars, but start out as a barback, and learn every system that the house employs. Learn something from every single person you come in contact with. Ask lots of questions, and in the same instance, don’t expect answers. It’s in the questions that you ask that you’ll learn. Spend a great deal of your time in quiet observance, taking it all in.
Reach for the stars, but start out as a barback, and learn every system that the house employs Robert and I both have a deep love for education as well as a good knack for mentoring We live in a wonderful home that we liken to Hogwarts, and we are working on opening a small, mixology finishing school within it. It will accommodate four students at a time, for a two-week period, and we will conduct classes perhaps four times a year, initially. Read the full interview on thecocktaillovers.com Pegu Club, 77 West Houston Street, NY 10012. peguclub.com
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WHISKY BUSINESS Whisky from an oak tree? No, we haven’t started hallucinating; it’s the centrepiece at Black Rock in London, the brilliant new whisky bar from Fluid Movement. There are all kinds of reasons for loving it, including the array of drams all carefully stored by taste profile and the wondrous cosy vibe but the star of the show is the central table: half an oak tree with two channels for ageing cocktails and a tap at the end for releasing them. Top marks. blackrock.bar
THINGS THAT MAKE US GO ‘OOH’
Going Dutch Heading to Amsterdam? Pulitzer Hotel has seen your bottled cocktails in the minibar and raised them. Get this: each room comes with all the kit you need to flex your cocktail-shaking muscles. Just add spirit. pulitzeramsterdam.com
MUSIC TO DRINK COCKTAILS TO... Is America the home of the Cocktail? Maybe. Is America the home of Cocktail Music? For many of us of a certain age, well before we joined The Jet Set, our view of America was shaped by movies and TV. The music from said entertainment can still conjure images of the skyscrapers of New York or the highways of Los Angeles. Pour a Manhattan and let’s get our Yank on.
We’re kicking off our American road trip with the King of Cocktail Music, Mr. Burt Bacharach and the beautiful Pacific Coast Highway. Dreamy images of Malibu abound. James Taylor, he of JTQ gives us the exquisite Pacific Coast.
It looks like wine and by golly, it tastes like wine but don’t be fooled, those clever chaps at White Lyan are up to their drinks jiggery-pokery again. Forget anything as traditional as grapes, they’ve zeroed in on the flavour profiles of your classic vinos, deconstructed them, then put the ingredients through a controlled fermentation process. The result? Something pretty darned fabulous. Try Guilty Pleasures Rose (hibiscus, peppered watermelon and canned strawberry) and tell us it’s not a work of crazy genius. whitelyan.com
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He may be a Brit, but Alan Hawkshaw’s music certainly has an international feel. Fall in love with Next Stop L.A. Largely unsung, Billy Goldberg composed some evocative music for US television. His theme for the George Peppard series, Banacek is the perfect tune for your first Martini at The Polo Lounge. Keeping the mood going, I point you in the direction of Brian Fahey and his Riviera Girl. One coast fits all. A firm favourite in The Departure Lounge is session supremo Pete Moore. The quirky Uncle Sam puts the happy in Happy Hour. A real obscurity now, but worth finding. Yesterday’s Sunshine by Belles and Bones
wafts you out for an evening of drinks in the Hollywood hills. Produced and arranged by Lalo Schifrin, St. Louis Blues by Jimmy Smith is every bit as audacious as you’d expect. Janko Nilovic and Louis Delacour step things up with Soul Impressions, a good door-opener to the next Speakeasy.
Session band Birds n’ Brass sex up a storm with the cocktail version of Guess Who’s American Woman. Rude. Three in a row now from the incomparable Chris Gibbons and his American inspired glass-clinkers; press play on Huggy Hubcaps, Pusher Joe and Philly Love. Short, sweet and perfect. As your quest for the perfect Old Fashioned continues apace, we confer with Dominic and Jay Glover who provide the soundtrack for a New York of which we all dream. Get it on with the trinity of Blaxploitation, Pusherman and Upper East Side. If the above leaves you with the desire to fight crime as opposed to breaking it, I refer you back to Billy Goldberg and the supercool Theme from Kojak. Who loves you? Your barman does, that’s who. Tune into The Departure Lounge for the perfectly curated soundtrack to drink cocktails to 24 hours a day. thedeparturelounge.playtheradio.com facebook.com/thedeparturelounge
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Notable nibbles
Buy the book Spritz: Italy’s Most Iconic Aperitivo Cocktail, With Recipes In their beautifully photographed and illustrated book Talia Baiocchi and Leslie Pariseau geek out on everything you wanted to know about this most elegant, refreshing and agreeable combination of bubbles and bitterness, and round up with a collection of 50 recipes. Roll on summer… Published by Ten Speed Press. Available from amazon.com
If these bagels don’t tickle you then quite honestly, there’s no hope. Fill with salmon and cream cheese, cut into bite-sized pieces and serve with pink Champagne and a smile. Rainbow bagels, selfridges.com
DID YOU KNOW?
The quinine in a gin and tonic causes the drink to glow under UV light…
USE YOUR BOTTLE Who said fitness and alcohol don’t mix? Not April Storey. Her workouts feature (full) wine bottles used as weights. Expend a few extra calories by opening once you’re done.
STAR TURNS Securing Kevin Spacey as Artistic Director was one thing, getting the team at Mark’s Bar to create cocktails inspired by each production – served during the interval in Waterford Crystal no less – is quite another. Let’s hear it for the Old Vic theatre, where class acts take centre stage.
#WineWednesdayWorkouts
oldvictheatre.com
LAST ORDERS Alex James does a
What would your last order be?
fine line in music.
A Dry Gin Martini. I’d have it served straight up with an olive. It would have to be absolutely perfect, so I’d make sure everything had been placed in the freezer beforehand, including the glass and the bottle – it makes all the difference, even to water. Put a bottle of tap water in the fridge for an hour or so, enough time for the chlorine in it to evaporate and I swear, you won’t be able to tell the difference between tap water and the fancy stuff.
He has also proved he knows what’s what when it comes to making award-winning cheeses. Is it any wonder then that the Blur bass player combines his two great passions in a cracking festival that attracts the likes of Jamie Oliver and Gizzi Erskine on the food front with Mark Ronson, Toots & the Maytals and Tinie Tempah providing the tunes? We think not. We caught up with him to
Who would you share it with? All of my kids and the family; food and drinks with the ones you love, it doesn’t get any better than that. Where would you have it? On my farm in Kingham, Oxfordshire. Alex James cheeses have been chosen to pair with Beefeater Burrough’s Reserve Gin Edition 2. Buy them from pongcheese. co.uk or at The Big Feastival, running 26-28 August. For details and tickets, see the bigfeastival.com
find out what his last drink would be. The Cocktail Lovers - 59
IN-sider’s guide
London Calling A 31 Day Bar Voyage By Chris Moore
I started bartending in 2004. It wasn’t much at first but, like many, I grew to love and embrace the industry. When I got married in 2012, one of my ushers, who worked with me at a bar in Coventry several years ago, reminded me of how we used to look at the Savoy Cocktail Book, wistfully considering what we were going to do with our careers and our lives. Fast forward to December 2015, and a big step in my career; I was leaving the Savoy, having been one of only 12 people to ever hold the title of Head Bartender, after more than five years in the role. But what next? I felt I needed to reconnect with the industry in London. For the duration of my tenure in the Beaufort Bar at the Savoy I had worked almost exclusively nights, and my day off was usually Sunday, when most of the bars worth visiting in London are closed. That left one potential evening of visiting friends’ bars, but with all of the international travel, I hadn’t had a chance to experience the venues in the relaxed and immersive way I would have liked.
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But it was January, a month associated with going ‘dry’. I have an issue with this though – shouldn’t it be about a long-term change and a switch towards equilibrium? After all, if prohibition proved anything, it’s that abstinence is rarely the solution. So I decided that for the month of January I would visit one bar every day, with one proviso: I could only have one drink. Oh, and I would also exercise every day just to prove that life is all about balance. New Year’s Day was my first day proper, and seeing as I had brunch booked in Berners Tavern with friends, what better way to welcome 2016 than with a Red Snapper? There were some bars that I had to visit for the people, in many cases those who I hadn’t seen for far too long: Barney Toy at Little Bat, Rich Woods at Duck & Waffle, Jamie Jones at Blind Pig, and a place close to my heart set up by two of my colleagues from more than a decade ago: Sam Kershaw and Louis Lewis-Smith at the exceptional Dark Horse in Bath. I visited Oriole and The Gibson to check out the newest bars in London, those that are currently providing the energy and impetus that reinvigorates our industry every couple of years, Oriole for it’s incredible setting and spectacular drinks, The Gibson for the heart and soul that Marian Beke and Rusty Cerven have poured into the whole venue. And of course, there were the
IN-sider’s guide
legendary, timeless venues that simply had to be on the list: the Connaught, 69 Colebrooke Row and Dukes.
21st Jan: 69 Colebrooke Row, 69 Colebrooke Row, N1 8AA. 69colebrookerow.com
The list became an ever-evolving one, based around where I was that day or who I had to meet. The greatest regret I have is that I couldn’t visit more places. London’s bar scene is so rich and vibrant that 31 days was never going to be enough.
For 5-star glamour
The most personal day though, was the one I saved for last. As I couldn’t go to the Savoy hotel for a drink, why couldn’t the bar come to me? And so it was to be. At 8pm on a dark and wet Sunday night, one of the world’s greatest bartenders, Erik Lorincz, came to meet me in a quiet residential square in Islington to make me one of the drinks from their new menu. It was an auspicious moment; I hadn’t ever been served by Erik in the American Bar, which was one of the great sacrifices of working there. But here he was, ice, equipment, ingredients and all in front of the house George Orwell once lived in. Special. It gave me a great feeling of closure, it seemed like the month had come full circle, to a natural conclusion. All 31 bars come highly recommended, take your pick according to your mood and location:
For casual style, serious cocktails 6th Jan: The Blind Pig at Social Eating House, 58 Poland Street, W1F 7NS. socialeatinghouse.com 13th Jan: 54 Islington Park Street (now Little Bat), 54 Islington Park Street, N1. littlebatbar.com 14th Jan: Gastrovino & Bar8, 257 King’s Road, SW3. gastrovino.co.uk 15th Jan: Hawksmoor Spitalfields, 157a Commercial Street, E1 6BJ. thehawksmoor.com 23rd Jan: Happiness Forgets, 8-9 Hoxton Square, N1 6NU. happinessforgets.com 30th Jan: Satan’s Whiskers, 343 Cambridge Heath Road, E2 9RA.
1st Jan: Berners Tavern at Edition Hotel, 10 Berners Street, W1T 3NP. bernerstavern.com 3rd Jan: Connaught Bar, Carlos Place, W1K 2AL. the-connaught.co.uk 16th Jan: Dandelyan, 20 Upper Ground, SE1 9PD. morganshotelgroup.com 19th Jan: Scarfes Bar, Rosewood London, 252 High Holborn, WC1V 7EN. scarfesbar.com 20th Jan: Duck & Waffle, 110 Bishopsgate, EC2N 4AY. duckandwaffle.com 31st Jan: American Bar at the Savoy (sort of!), Strand, WC2R 0EU. fairmont.com
For specialist cocktails 4th Jan: Bar Termini, 7 Old Compton Street, W1D 5JE. bar-termini.com (coffee by day, negronis by night) 5th Jan: Dry Martini, Meliá White House, Albany Street, NW1 3UP. dry-martiniorg.com 12th Jan: The Gibson, 44 Old Street, EC1V 9AQ. thegibsonbar.london
For old-fashioned charm 10th Jan: Balthazar, 4-6 Russell Street, WC2B 5HZ. balthazarlondon.com 18th Jan: Dukes, Dukes Hotel, 35 St. James’s Place, SW1A 1NY, dukeshotel.com/dukes-bar
For when you don’t fancy cocktails, (have wine!) 22nd Jan: Noble Rot, 51 Lamb’s Conduit Street, WC1N 3NB. noblerot.co.uk
Outside London
For good times
8th: Candelaria, 52 rue de Saintonge, 75003, Paris
17th Jan: LAB Bar, 12 Old Compton Street, W1D 4TQ. labbaruk.com
9th: Le Syndicat, 51 rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis, 75010, Paris. syndicatcocktail-club.com
24th Jan: Portobello Star, 171 Portobello Road, W11 2DY. portobellostarbar.co.uk
25th: Dark Horse 7-9 Kingsmead Square, Bath BA1 2AB. darkhorsebar.co.uk
26th Jan: Joyeux Bordel, 147 Curtain Road, EC2A 3QE. joyeauxbordel.com
27th: Little Red Door, 60 rue Charlot, 75003 Paris. lrdparis.com
For innovation in a glass
28th: Harry’s Bar, 5 rue Daunou, 75002 Paris. harrysbar.fr
7th Jan: Oriole, East Poultry Avenue, Smithfield Market, EC1A 9LH. oriole-bar.com
29th: Dirty Dick, 10 rue Frochot, 75009 Paris
11th Jan: White Lyan, 153-155 Hoxton Street, N1 6PJ. whitelyan.com
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Mace Clean lines, laid back vibe and a menu that’s all about spice They say that variety is the spice of life; here it’s the other way round. Or at least it is on the drinks front. At Mace it’s all about spice and in case you need a reminder of the fact, there are rows of them neatly arranged across the length of the back bar and appear in delightful illustrations on the pared back menu. It’s a nice touch that fits in perfectly with the long, narrow modern space and light, airy decor. On to the drinks, each named by its key ingredient: Clove, Fennel Seed, Nutmeg, Coriander Seed, Star Anise and, of course, Mace. We particularly loved the Vanilla Bean (vanilla bean-infused bourbon, Cynar, sweet vermouth and coffee and black walnut bitters) – rich, complex and downright tasty. 649 East 9th Street, NY 10009. macenewyork.com
Dante One style fits all neighbourhood bar If this bar could talk, it would do so in a warm, engaging Italian accent. Founded in 1915 and once frequented by the likes of Bob Dylan, Caffe Dante as it was called then, was taken over in 2015 and has been sensitively rejuvenated to appeal to a wide ranging clientele. Unsurprisingly, there’s a strong Italian influence here, starting with the all-day food offering and continuing on with the drinks list. Try delights including The Garibaldi (Campari and fluffy orange juice) and move on to the Negroni Sessions – 11 variations including the Unlikely Negroni with a hit of sesame, salt and shrubs. We also recommend the Truffled Sazerac, (truffle fat washed Cognac, Ragtime Rye, absinthe, truffle honey, Peychaud’s and coffee bitters). Like everything we tried here it hit the spot big time. 79-81 Macdougal Street, NY 10012. dante-nyc.com
The Dead Rabbit Grocery and Grog Just three years old and already a legend Jack McGarry and Sean Muldoon have hit the motherlode with this place – there can’t be a person of drinking age who wouldn’t find something to love. The ground floor is the Taproom and feels lived-in in the best possible way. Upstairs is the Parlour or the 'second-storey cathedral to the mixed beverage'. There’s an emphasis on hospitality throughout, but the drinks are something else. As well as beer, drams and Boilermakers, The Taproom offers outstanding Bottled Punches, Highballs and sublime Mixed Drinks such as the Perfect Lady Royale (Absolut Citron, peach, mint, jasmine, lemon and Prosecco). Upstairs is where you'll find the iconic menus, now designed as cool graphic novels and reflected in drinks like Bad Blood (Plymouth Gin, Martini & Rossi Bianco Vermouth, Campari, apricot, rose, cinnamon and Peychaud’s Bitters), and Wildcat (Jameson Black Barrel Irish Whiskey, Redbreast 12 Year Old Irish Whiskey, banana, mango, almond, cacao, cilantro and lime). Creative, clever and delicious. 30 Water Street, NY 10004. deadrabbitnyc.com
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The Nomad
Holiday Cocktail Lounge Where good times and great drinks are the order of the day
Hotel opulence and pub informality plus excellent drinks Only two venues appear twice on the World’s 50 Best Bars list. The NoMad is one of them. With good reason. The two spaces, one The Elephant Bar housed in the main hotel and the NoMad Bar with its own entrance to the side of it have their own identities but also share the same DNA. Created by Bar Director Leo Robitschek the menu is divided between Soft Cocktails for non-alcoholic offerings like Basil-Fennel Soda (basil, fennel, lemon and sparkling mineral water), Apértifs, Classics, Light-Spirited, Dark-Spirited and Hot Cocktails. We especially liked The Gilsey (London Dry Gin, pale cream sherry, Cocchi Americano, Kirshwasser, Green Chartreuse, orange bitters) – agreeably soft, deftly balanced and herbaceous.
It’s easy to see why this has become the bartenders' off-duty spot of choice – the feeling here is unpretentious and a whole lot of fun. There's definitely a late night vibe about it but that doesn't mean you can't pull up a stool at the bar a little earlier and have a good time before the crowds flock in. The drinks list offers Staff Favourites where the whole team pitch in their choice of Classic, as well as a long list of original creations including The Holiday Cocktail (Aylesbury Duck Vodka, amaro and fresh lemon), which neatly offers variations with sparkling wine, dry apple cider or pilsner. There are Large-format Cocktails too, mixed for groups including Old Fashioneds, Manhattans and Sake Martinis. 75 St. Mark’s Place, NY 10003. holidaycocktaillounge.nyc
10 West 28th Street, NY 10001. thenomadhotel.com
Slowly Shirley 1940s glamour hidden beneath a bustling bar/restaurant Upstairs it’s The Happiest Hour, a high-octane good times bar, downstairs is Slowly Shirley, where everything gets dialled down to a more relaxed pace. Think ode to 1940s without the schtick. The bar is small enough to make you feel like you’ve cracked some drinkers’ inner circle and like the setting, the menu twists things up nicely. Divided into Aperitif, Evening, Shaken and Stirred, along with The Three Families that which encompass Old Fashioned, Martini and Manhattan, there are nods to the past and present. Amongst the stand-outs are the Cherry O Baby (trio of rums, cherry liqueurs, Barolo Chinato and Angostura aromatic bitters) from Stirred, and the Turf Club based on an 1884 recipe (Old Tom Gin, Carpano Antica and Amargo Chuncho Bitters) from the Martini section, both crying out to be ordered again. 121 West 10th Street, NY 10011. slowlyshirley.com
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Maison Premiere New York, Paris and New Orleans-inspired cocktails, absinthe and oysters Five years in and Maison Premiere is a Brooklyn institution. Inspired by smart hotel lobbies and Paris cafes, it boasts around 30 varieties of oyster and the largest collection of premium absinthes in New York â&#x20AC;&#x201C; all from one of the most beautiful horseshoe-shaped bars. Billie Holliday-esque hostesses greet you at the door while perfectly choreographed waiters flit around the room. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a wholly appropriate elegance about the drinks here with rich, perfectly balanced flavours exemplified in the extremely satisfying High Chicago (Suze, Mastiha, Kummel, Apricot Eau de Vie and orange bitters). For real indulgence go for the Old King Cole Martini (Old Raj Gin, Dolin Dry, orange bitters and Castelvetrano olives), making sure to order a little Osetra caviar on the side. 298 Bedford Avenue, NY 11211. maisonpremiere.com
Bar Goto
Grand Army
Asian-inspired cocktails and Japanese comfort food Everything about Bar Goto is pared back; the website, the menu, the venue and Kento Goto himself. Having spent seven years perfecting his cocktail craft under Audrey Saunders at Pegu Club, he became known for the quiet and considered way he went about preparing his drinks, before opening the doors of his own venture last year. Hidden behind an unmarked door the interior is small and the design minimalist Japanese. The menu currently consists of just a handful of cocktails. The names, such as Plum Sazerac, Improved Shochu Cocktail and Umami Mary suggest familiarity, but the experiences are altogether original. For Dry Martini lovers the one to go for is the Sakura Martini (sake, gin, maraschino and cherry blossom): understated beauty in a glass. 245 Eldridge Street, NY 10002. bargoto.com
Cool venue with vintage bar centrepiecee. Another bar on the Brooklyn scene, this relaxed and friendly place has already established itself as a firm favourite with those in the know. The design is simple but then it has to be; nothing could really compete with the original 1930s bar that dominates the space. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a thing of real beauty but practical too, with plenty of room to pull up a stool and chow down on food of the oyster, shrimp and crab variety. The drinks are also seriously good and come accompanied with wit and a wry smile. The menus change seasonally and the Grand Army Milk Punch (bourbon, navy-strength rum, Amaro Foro, strawberry-rhubarb clarified milk punch, cava and nutmeg) worth a return visit alone. 336 State Street, NY 11217. grandarmybar.com
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Lobby bar at The Edition Super smart hangout overlooking Madison Square Park
In the heart of midtown New York’s Flatiron District you can’t miss The Edition hotel, redeveloped from an original 1909 41 storey clock tower – and concealed within is the Lobby Bar. This is every inch the model modern hotel bar, bustling with people wanting to start the evening in style. The chairs and sofas are sumptuous and the brightly lit back bar soars to the ceiling as a dominant focal point – it's definitely a place to dress up for. Drinks like The Littlest Piggy (bacon-infused Monkey Shoulder, vida mezcal and Drambuie) and Spicy Blonde (Avion Reposado Tequila, Bulleit bourbon, Hellfire liquor, sugar and habanero bitters) work like a charm in the flavour department. Hungry? The light lunch and dinner programme is devised by Michelin-starred chef Jason Atherton. Lush. 5 Madison Avenue, NY 10010. editionhotels.com/new-york
Dear Irving Very sexy time travel-inspired interior
If you want grown up and sexy, this is your place. From the same team behind Raines Law Room and even more recently The Bennett, it has date night written all over it. The various rooms based on different periods including the 1920s and 1960s are beautifully designed so you can give your guest your undivided attention. Waiting staff are summoned with handy bells located on each table. As with its sister venues, the menu has been devised by Bar Director Meaghan Dorman, and there’s an appealing playfulness to it. Along with names and ingredients each drink has a neat, handwritten description, like notes from a sommelier with a sense of humour; such as Samoa (genever, bourbon, crème de coconut and cacao) suggests 'Drink your dessert, darling!' We did, and it was delicious. 55 Irving Place, NY 10003. dearirving.com