April 7
I was messing around on Facebook when I saw that Damon Dyer was online. I hadn't seen or talked to him in a long while so I asked him what nights he worked Flatiron Lounge. I was due for a visit to the joint as well as to stop by and say hi to Damon.
My timing couldn't have been any better, because Damon told me that the new spring menu would be debuting on Tuesday. This worked out great, I was going to be (sort of ) in the neighborhood anyway, since I was going to sneak into the School of Visual Arts to listen to one of my favorite artists give a lecture.
So after I was done feeling thoroughly uncool and old surrounded by art school kids, being star struck by how cool and awesome my favorite artist and totally embarrassing myself by tripping over my words and mumbling my way to having my shoes signed (they were the only things I had on me that could be signed), I needed a drink.
I made a quick jaunt from SVA to Flatiron Lounge. I waved hello to Damon over the heads of people sitting at the bar.
"So are these new like spring new or new like new new," I asked over the tops of heads as I stood on the tips of my toes.
"Both," Damon shouted back over the heads. "I got the recipes like two hours ago."
I looked over the menu and immediately saw there were a bunch of spring-welcoming ingredients and flavors like strawberry, rhubarb, cucumber, honeydew and white peach.
For example, the Beijing Peach sounds like a light, floral drink with its combination of vodka, pearls of jasmine and white peach.
I wanted to start off with the Imperial Daiquiri (white rum, lime, rhubarb and strawberries), but Damon said that was sadly the only one I could not have because there was no rhubarb. So I amended my order to the One Inch Punch.
The menu listed a blend of rums, youngberry, fresh grapefruit and lemon as the drinks ingredient. It also said "spiced with abit of velvet and a bit of tiki." I didn't pay good attention to any this latter part, but you should in light of the following realization.
So the drink was really light and refreshing. I could see someone easily sipping it in the middle of a hot and humid summer, just as much as I could see someone enjoying it in the early warmth of spring. But there was something. Something familiar about it.
The more I thought about it, the more it crept up on me. It reminded me of...ginseng tea? Sweet, yet kind of like an herbal tea. And if anyone's ever had ginseng tea or nibbled on a bit of ginseng, you know the spicy herby flavor I'm trying to discuss.
But first things first, I asked Damon what the blend of rums was, and he answered it was aged Barbados and light Jamaican rums in the drink. Good to know. What is this youngberry business?
"Think of a flavor profile that's something like raspberries and blackberries," Damon said.
OK, now for the last question. What is this mystery ginseng-like flavor going on in this drink. It's something I can't put my finger on.
"That's exactly what we want...it's falernum."
Ooooh, the "velvet" was velvet falernum. Though I was surprised because in this drink the falernum took on a totally different flavor personality.
Speaking of mystery complex flavors, I tried out the Gypsy Dancer, a concoction of Damon's featured on the spring menu.
The ingredients list was deceptively simple: rye, Benedictine, yellow chartreuse and lemon.
Damon said that the drink was an equal parts drink that's very loosely related to the last word.
The result is a drink that tastes like you're drinking two different drinks at the same time. As you take the sip, the initial flavors and smells that stand out to you are lemon and sweet, making it like the usual cocktail with citrus and almost reminiscent of lemonade or lemon drink. However, as soon as the liquid touches your tongue, the drink itself transforms so that you feel like you're drinking a spirits-based drink.
I was chatting with bartender Adam Ramsey, I'd forgotten where we met, but he remembered that Alex Day had introduced us before. He was telling me about Phil Ward's new tequila joint that was in the works when I realized I had to cut myself off at just two drinks due to it being a school night. I reluctantly got up, promising Adam I'd stop by again sometime to finish up the others I didn't get a chance to try.
Showing posts with label new menu. Show all posts
Showing posts with label new menu. Show all posts
Friday, April 10, 2009
Friday, September 26, 2008
Allen & Delancey's new cocktail menu
I met up with Alex Day at Allen & Delancey to talk about the new cocktail menu he created. I got a taste of it at Death & Co. a little while ago, then had a more blurry hectic try of the menu at the Star Chefs After After party.
On the day I visited, newly recruited Maxwell Britten of Brooklyn's Jack the Horse Tavern was busy behind the bar. Alex was there to train Maxwell since he'd only signed on to consult with revamping the restaurant's bar program. The menu's official debut was at the Star Chef's party, so it was still brand new. He had just finished the last drink on the menu, the Atlantic Ruin variations, a week and a half before the debut.
Alex explained that cocktails sometimes get categorized with terms that don't exist in the true culinary world. He wanted to reflect that with his menu as well as get away from the what he described as the "ego issue" that sometimes comes with giving cocktails clever names well as making a more well-rounded cocktail menu that was accessible and not intimidating for the customers.
"It's drinking. It's about more than making a name for yourself." Alex said.
For the new Allen & Delancey cocktail menu, Alex lists five different categories of drinks, each with two variations that are connected by a theme.
"Sometimes you're in the mood for something boozy or sometimes you're in the mood for something refreshing," Alex said about the dual-nature of each drink category.
As the preamble to his menu states: "Instead of simply providing a catalog of drinks, our cocktail menu is a little different...No. 1 is light and festive, with citrus and fruit meant to refresh the mind and whet the appetite, while No. 2 showcase base spirit, a stirred cocktail best enjoyed with thought, time and good conversation."
He explained, "The first four are connected by base...also with modifiers such as spice or rinse."
For example, the William and Mary variations both contain gin, but overall connecting theme of the drinks, so to speak, is listed as "Juniper, spice and alchemy."
Variation one contains gin, lime, yellow Chartreuse, Maraschino liqueur, rose and lavender bitters, while the second is gin, vermouth bianco, green Chartreuse and a dash of cinnamon bark tincture.
Before the revamp, the previous menu was "pretty basic," but Alex said he worked out the numbers to show the exact cost of how using a variety of ingredients doesn't have to mean very expensive ingredients and cocktails without much return. Even with pricier modifiers, the menu balances itself out.
"Some drinks are more expensive, but it's paid for by other ones and the menu," Alex said. "And the menu has a lot of different things."
"I wanted to do something different. I don't want to give them a list and a Kold-Draft machine and end it there."
According to Alex, his intentions with this "first experiment" of a format was to make it easier for the customers as well as for any bartender who would be working with this menu in the future.
While for a cocktail enthusiast it'd be easy to point out exactly what they wanted or what they are looking for, for those who are not well-versed in cocktail geekery the menu gives them a basic structure of flavor and components that makes it easier for them figure out what they enjoy. From there, they have a better way of conveying what they want to their bartender.
At the same time, the revamped menu along with changes in the bar works as a jumping off point for any bartender who will work with the menu and the restaurant. However, you could see his fingerprints here and there, from housemade tinctures and bitters to the use of maple syrup.
Alex said he luckily got a lot of freedom in doing what he wanted to do, but he still worked with what was already in the bar. He filled in the shelves behind the bar with more bottles. Glasses line the wall and tools such as jiggers and shakers are front and center where the guests can see the bartender working on their drinks. The changes are both aesthetic and practical.
The menu itself is using a wide variety of spirits and ingredients, but fuller stocked shelves appeals to the eye with the different bottles with different contents and labels. Alex added that the stacked glasses are all used for the drinks, but they also add to the atmosphere. The guests have something interesting to look at while hinting to the fact that this is a professional bar and what htye can expect, whether it's by seeing what spirits are on-hand or that juices are fresh-squeezed from the juicer in the center of the bar.
How's the response so far?
"Pretty good," Alex answered.
The important thing was, "Overall, people are more enthusiastic about cocktails here."
Allen & Delancey's new menu:
WILLIAM AND MARY
~Juniper, Spice and Alchemy~
ATLANTIC RUIN
~Cain, Molasses and Heritage~
TINKER'S STAND
~Grain, Oak and Revolution~
JALISCO TRAIL
~Agave, Pacific Winds and the Jimadors~
L'HEURE VERTE
~Wormwood and Company~
On the day I visited, newly recruited Maxwell Britten of Brooklyn's Jack the Horse Tavern was busy behind the bar. Alex was there to train Maxwell since he'd only signed on to consult with revamping the restaurant's bar program. The menu's official debut was at the Star Chef's party, so it was still brand new. He had just finished the last drink on the menu, the Atlantic Ruin variations, a week and a half before the debut.
Alex explained that cocktails sometimes get categorized with terms that don't exist in the true culinary world. He wanted to reflect that with his menu as well as get away from the what he described as the "ego issue" that sometimes comes with giving cocktails clever names well as making a more well-rounded cocktail menu that was accessible and not intimidating for the customers.
"It's drinking. It's about more than making a name for yourself." Alex said.
For the new Allen & Delancey cocktail menu, Alex lists five different categories of drinks, each with two variations that are connected by a theme.
"Sometimes you're in the mood for something boozy or sometimes you're in the mood for something refreshing," Alex said about the dual-nature of each drink category.
As the preamble to his menu states: "Instead of simply providing a catalog of drinks, our cocktail menu is a little different...No. 1 is light and festive, with citrus and fruit meant to refresh the mind and whet the appetite, while No. 2 showcase base spirit, a stirred cocktail best enjoyed with thought, time and good conversation."
He explained, "The first four are connected by base...also with modifiers such as spice or rinse."
For example, the William and Mary variations both contain gin, but overall connecting theme of the drinks, so to speak, is listed as "Juniper, spice and alchemy."
Variation one contains gin, lime, yellow Chartreuse, Maraschino liqueur, rose and lavender bitters, while the second is gin, vermouth bianco, green Chartreuse and a dash of cinnamon bark tincture.
Before the revamp, the previous menu was "pretty basic," but Alex said he worked out the numbers to show the exact cost of how using a variety of ingredients doesn't have to mean very expensive ingredients and cocktails without much return. Even with pricier modifiers, the menu balances itself out.
"Some drinks are more expensive, but it's paid for by other ones and the menu," Alex said. "And the menu has a lot of different things."
"I wanted to do something different. I don't want to give them a list and a Kold-Draft machine and end it there."
According to Alex, his intentions with this "first experiment" of a format was to make it easier for the customers as well as for any bartender who would be working with this menu in the future.
While for a cocktail enthusiast it'd be easy to point out exactly what they wanted or what they are looking for, for those who are not well-versed in cocktail geekery the menu gives them a basic structure of flavor and components that makes it easier for them figure out what they enjoy. From there, they have a better way of conveying what they want to their bartender.
At the same time, the revamped menu along with changes in the bar works as a jumping off point for any bartender who will work with the menu and the restaurant. However, you could see his fingerprints here and there, from housemade tinctures and bitters to the use of maple syrup.
Alex said he luckily got a lot of freedom in doing what he wanted to do, but he still worked with what was already in the bar. He filled in the shelves behind the bar with more bottles. Glasses line the wall and tools such as jiggers and shakers are front and center where the guests can see the bartender working on their drinks. The changes are both aesthetic and practical.
The menu itself is using a wide variety of spirits and ingredients, but fuller stocked shelves appeals to the eye with the different bottles with different contents and labels. Alex added that the stacked glasses are all used for the drinks, but they also add to the atmosphere. The guests have something interesting to look at while hinting to the fact that this is a professional bar and what htye can expect, whether it's by seeing what spirits are on-hand or that juices are fresh-squeezed from the juicer in the center of the bar.
How's the response so far?
"Pretty good," Alex answered.
The important thing was, "Overall, people are more enthusiastic about cocktails here."
Allen & Delancey's new menu:
~Juniper, Spice and Alchemy~
| 1 Gin, lime, yellow Chartreuse, Maraschino, rose and lavender bitters | 2 Gin, vermouth bianco, green Chartreuse, dash cinnamon bark tincture |
~Cain, Molasses and Heritage~
| 1 Tea infused white rum, Batavia Arrack, lemon, maple | 2 Aged rum, Batavia Arrack, demerara, Angostura bitters, roast coco bean tincture, orange twist |
~Grain, Oak and Revolution~
| 1 Bourbon, Amaro, lemon, honeyed ginger syrup | 2 Rye, Amaro, sherry, elderflower, Benedictine, aromatic bitters |
~Agave, Pacific Winds and the Jimadors~
| 1 Blanco tequila, acacia honey, lime, Angostura bitters, rinse of Luxardo bitter | 2 Reposado tequila, antica, green Chartreuse, orange bitters, rinse of Campari, orange twist |
~Wormwood and Company~
| 1 Old Tom Gin, lemon, egg white, absinthe, bitter orange foam, seltzer | 2 Reposado tequila, Isly whisky, agave nectar, absinthe, Peychaud's and Angostura bitters, discarded lemon twist |
Thursday, August 14, 2008
A happy coincidence for P.F. Chang's
You could find lots of cocktail menus that change seasonally. It's a nice little time frame to work with a nice solid anchor point that's easy to casually remember as well as motivate with subtle hints from the world around us. "Oh, hey," you might think to yourself bartender person. "It's getting a little warm. Wow, is it summer already? I guess I should start working on a new menu. And that spiked hot apple cider really isn't holding up all that well and I'm sweating buckets having to go warm that thing up."
Or something like that.
However, another way to go about it is take opportunities when you see it, as P.F. Chang's China Bistro did when it recently released a new cocktail menu celebrating 15 years. You can always make it a celebration.
Out of the twelve new cocktails developed by P.F. Chang's beverage director Mary Melton, the Chinese 88 was extra lucky that this year also happens to be the year China is hosting the Summer Olympic games. For those who haven't gotten it pounded into their heads already by Olympics coverage, the number 8 is considered lucky in Chinese culture. The games even began on Aug. 8 (08/08), with the opening ceremony starting at 8 pm.
And since the cocktail is a variation of a French 75 cocktail, et voila, we have the Chinese 88. As John "Hannibal" Smith would say, "I love it when a plan comes together."
"We wish we were that clever," P.F. Chang's beverage director Mary Melton said before breaking into peals of laughter with director of public relations Laura Cherry. I had scheduled a phone interview a couple of weeks ago to get a bit more information on the new menu as well as the Chinese 88 for our Featured Cocktail section.
"It was fun way to tie it in," Mary continued. "It just worked out for us...could you write that we'd planned it for years?"
The cocktail is made with Plymouth Gin, simple syrup, fresh lemon juice, shaken and topped with Mumm Napa Brut. The drink is served in a champagne flute with half of the rim sugared.
"It gives it a texture and bubbles," Mary said of the Brut. "And its Brut so it’s dry, so it has more of a heavy presence. It’s not sweet or fruity. It marries well with the lemon and the Plymouth gin, which is a softer gin and not so herbaceous as other gins."
"The wine and beverage program have always been a big component. [P.F. Chang's] was one of the first chains nationally to have every wine available by the glass," Laura Cherry explained. "We've always have a strong bar presence...We're very well known for our specialty cocktails."
P.F. Chang's cocktails are mostly updated flavors and styles of classic cocktails using different ingredients and premium modern spirits.
"We’re seeing that people enjoy the premium spirits," Mary said. "And the new trendy things like the plum vodka or organic tequila, they’re being very well received. As far as classics, we see people going back more and more."
The Plum Collins came about because Melton wanted to use a plum vodka because she had fallen in love with the flavor and thought it was a flavor that would work well on an Asian menu and it was something new.
"We started playing with that and it did matched well with the citrus from a Collins."
With some plum vodka and fresh lemon juice, the Plum Collins also has a splash of Plum Wine, an item already on P.F. Chang's menu that already does well.
But not every new flavor gets an automatic OK.
"It’s tricky now with so many different flavors," Melton said. "We do try to see what’s happening. For example, we really wanted to use watermelon. We had a hard time keeping it consistent. So we work with our produce partners a lot to find out what’s going on."
Which is how a the Pink Bellini, a Bellini with pear puree, made it onto the new menu.
Coming up with new cocktails at P.F. Chang's is a very hands-on process.
According to Mary, there's no real team that she works with. Usually it's herself and Laura first trying out flavors then basically walking around P.F. Chang's HQ in Scottsdale, Ariz., and having people try things out.
"It could be the president one day, it could be the mailroom guy the next."
Drinks are tested out in locations four to six week prior to rolling out, and with eight stores in the Arizona area, Mary said "we can test it in our own backyard, so to speak." It's during this time where some drinks won't make the cut. A lot of times its operations; whether it takes to long or holds up service. Some things might change, such as swapping out squeeze bottles for a smaller size to help the flow of service better.
Basing cocktails on the classics play a dual role of creating a familiar base for people who are ordering as well as being something new for those who aren't well-versed in cocktails.
"There’s also a generation of people who aren’t familiar with cocktails," Laura chimed in. "It’s a nice way of reintroduce them to those who are not familiar with them and showcase the flavors out there."
"The menu at P.F. Chang’s is very varied, with sweet and sour spicy, savory and mild Cantonese type dishes. There's also the new grill flavors; a lot of clean savory flavors," Laura continued. "The cocktails Mary created have crisp clean flavors...the cocktails go really well food, and are a little more refreshing than something like a big red wine."
Not all of the new drinks are available at all P.F. Chang's locations, but click here to download and see what all the drinks are.
Or something like that.
However, another way to go about it is take opportunities when you see it, as P.F. Chang's China Bistro did when it recently released a new cocktail menu celebrating 15 years. You can always make it a celebration.
Out of the twelve new cocktails developed by P.F. Chang's beverage director Mary Melton, the Chinese 88 was extra lucky that this year also happens to be the year China is hosting the Summer Olympic games. For those who haven't gotten it pounded into their heads already by Olympics coverage, the number 8 is considered lucky in Chinese culture. The games even began on Aug. 8 (08/08), with the opening ceremony starting at 8 pm.
And since the cocktail is a variation of a French 75 cocktail, et voila, we have the Chinese 88. As John "Hannibal" Smith would say, "I love it when a plan comes together."
"We wish we were that clever," P.F. Chang's beverage director Mary Melton said before breaking into peals of laughter with director of public relations Laura Cherry. I had scheduled a phone interview a couple of weeks ago to get a bit more information on the new menu as well as the Chinese 88 for our Featured Cocktail section.
"It was fun way to tie it in," Mary continued. "It just worked out for us...could you write that we'd planned it for years?"
The cocktail is made with Plymouth Gin, simple syrup, fresh lemon juice, shaken and topped with Mumm Napa Brut. The drink is served in a champagne flute with half of the rim sugared.
"It gives it a texture and bubbles," Mary said of the Brut. "And its Brut so it’s dry, so it has more of a heavy presence. It’s not sweet or fruity. It marries well with the lemon and the Plymouth gin, which is a softer gin and not so herbaceous as other gins."
"The wine and beverage program have always been a big component. [P.F. Chang's] was one of the first chains nationally to have every wine available by the glass," Laura Cherry explained. "We've always have a strong bar presence...We're very well known for our specialty cocktails."
P.F. Chang's cocktails are mostly updated flavors and styles of classic cocktails using different ingredients and premium modern spirits.
"We’re seeing that people enjoy the premium spirits," Mary said. "And the new trendy things like the plum vodka or organic tequila, they’re being very well received. As far as classics, we see people going back more and more."
The Plum Collins came about because Melton wanted to use a plum vodka because she had fallen in love with the flavor and thought it was a flavor that would work well on an Asian menu and it was something new.
"We started playing with that and it did matched well with the citrus from a Collins."
With some plum vodka and fresh lemon juice, the Plum Collins also has a splash of Plum Wine, an item already on P.F. Chang's menu that already does well.
But not every new flavor gets an automatic OK.
"It’s tricky now with so many different flavors," Melton said. "We do try to see what’s happening. For example, we really wanted to use watermelon. We had a hard time keeping it consistent. So we work with our produce partners a lot to find out what’s going on."
Which is how a the Pink Bellini, a Bellini with pear puree, made it onto the new menu.
Coming up with new cocktails at P.F. Chang's is a very hands-on process.
According to Mary, there's no real team that she works with. Usually it's herself and Laura first trying out flavors then basically walking around P.F. Chang's HQ in Scottsdale, Ariz., and having people try things out.
"It could be the president one day, it could be the mailroom guy the next."
Drinks are tested out in locations four to six week prior to rolling out, and with eight stores in the Arizona area, Mary said "we can test it in our own backyard, so to speak." It's during this time where some drinks won't make the cut. A lot of times its operations; whether it takes to long or holds up service. Some things might change, such as swapping out squeeze bottles for a smaller size to help the flow of service better.
Basing cocktails on the classics play a dual role of creating a familiar base for people who are ordering as well as being something new for those who aren't well-versed in cocktails.
"There’s also a generation of people who aren’t familiar with cocktails," Laura chimed in. "It’s a nice way of reintroduce them to those who are not familiar with them and showcase the flavors out there."
"The menu at P.F. Chang’s is very varied, with sweet and sour spicy, savory and mild Cantonese type dishes. There's also the new grill flavors; a lot of clean savory flavors," Laura continued. "The cocktails Mary created have crisp clean flavors...the cocktails go really well food, and are a little more refreshing than something like a big red wine."
Not all of the new drinks are available at all P.F. Chang's locations, but click here to download and see what all the drinks are.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Hudson River Cafe's new summer cocktail menu
The last time I stepped foot in the Hudson River Cafe, it was still partially under construction. It was a little over a year ago that I was shown around as I conducted an interview for a story I was writing about all the restaurant development happening along a particular stretch of West Harlem along the Hudson River.
It was easier to be in that neighborhood to pick up some Dinosaur BBQ back when I still lived up in the Inwood/Washington Heights Area, since it was on my way home on the uptown 1 train. However, even after the place was up and running I never got a chance to stop in. Now that I'm out in Astoria, it's kind of out of the way to say the least. So it was a bit of nostalgia to find myself on the uptown 1 again for the cocktail party debuting the new summer drink menu.
Walking past the Cotton Club and hanging a right, I passed by Dinosaur BBQ on the right and Fairway on the left under a scene probably not unlike the one under Knoxville's Henley Bridge that Cormac McCarthy described as a "long aisle of arches" in Suttree.
I entered the courtyard area of the Hudson River Cafe that was littered with building materials on my last visit, but was now filled with people and tables instead. I gazed upon...oh, bother, this is getting to be a bit much. Enough with the descriptive writing, on to what we're all here for — the drinks!
Mixologist Alex Ott, who's consulting Hudson River Cafe on their cocktail menu created this lineup of summer drinks. He was behind the bar somehow managing to mix up several a large amount of cocktails. He seemed to be able to accomplish this by attacking the situation in waves. Go through several glasses of one cocktail, break, then move on to the next.
Alex Ott is a busy man, telling me at one point he's working on about 150 cocktail menu deals all around the world as he was negotiating three different shakers at once. He said he created the drinks on the menu so that the could be paired with the food served at the restaurant; the lemongrass the Courtesan with ceviche or the wine in the Hudson River Caipirinha to go with beef, Alex explained.
The drinks were generally divided between fruity-up-front or the more subtle fruit-as-an-undertone categories. In the latter category, for example, I'd place the Lychee Fizz, and in the former, the Manhattanville.
The Harlem Renaissance, which is a dessert drink meant to be served "instead of dessert," according to Alex, came with a "virtual campfire" according to the menu. I didn't get to see it at the bar, but I did catch a glimpse of a red wine glass filled with smoke overturned on a platter brought out to one table, the glass lifted, then waved about. I'm guessing the smoke smelled like a campfire in some way. I didn't smell the smoke myself so I can only presume, but now I'm all kinds of puzzled as to what that's about. I didn't get a chance to ask since I didn't notice this detail until later. I tried to reason with myself that maybe its some kind of approximation of s'mores, but that doesn't sound right either.
Honeysuckle
Zacapa Rum, liquified honey, fresh lime juice
Manhattanville
fresh strawberries, guava juice, Grand Marnier, Belvedere Vodka, lime juice
Courtesan
Ginji Sake, Svedka Vodka, fresh lemongrass, fresh ginger, fresh mint, soda
Little Bird
Ocucaje Pisco, fresh mango, egg white, fresh lime juice, cinnamon, lime zest
Harlem Nights
Patron Silver, Creme de Peche, fresh mango, fresh lime, fresh mint
Lychee Fizz
Svedka citron vodka, fresh grapefruit, fresh lychee, agave nectar, soda water
Hudson River Caipirinha
Merlot, fresh limes, agave nectar
Harlem Renaissance
Chianti, fresh raspberry, Godiva Dark Chocolate Liqueur, fresh whipped cream, 23 carat gold "Virtual Campfire"
It was easier to be in that neighborhood to pick up some Dinosaur BBQ back when I still lived up in the Inwood/Washington Heights Area, since it was on my way home on the uptown 1 train. However, even after the place was up and running I never got a chance to stop in. Now that I'm out in Astoria, it's kind of out of the way to say the least. So it was a bit of nostalgia to find myself on the uptown 1 again for the cocktail party debuting the new summer drink menu.
Walking past the Cotton Club and hanging a right, I passed by Dinosaur BBQ on the right and Fairway on the left under a scene probably not unlike the one under Knoxville's Henley Bridge that Cormac McCarthy described as a "long aisle of arches" in Suttree.
I entered the courtyard area of the Hudson River Cafe that was littered with building materials on my last visit, but was now filled with people and tables instead. I gazed upon...oh, bother, this is getting to be a bit much. Enough with the descriptive writing, on to what we're all here for — the drinks!
Mixologist Alex Ott, who's consulting Hudson River Cafe on their cocktail menu created this lineup of summer drinks. He was behind the bar somehow managing to mix up several a large amount of cocktails. He seemed to be able to accomplish this by attacking the situation in waves. Go through several glasses of one cocktail, break, then move on to the next.
Alex Ott is a busy man, telling me at one point he's working on about 150 cocktail menu deals all around the world as he was negotiating three different shakers at once. He said he created the drinks on the menu so that the could be paired with the food served at the restaurant; the lemongrass the Courtesan with ceviche or the wine in the Hudson River Caipirinha to go with beef, Alex explained.
The drinks were generally divided between fruity-up-front or the more subtle fruit-as-an-undertone categories. In the latter category, for example, I'd place the Lychee Fizz, and in the former, the Manhattanville.
The Harlem Renaissance, which is a dessert drink meant to be served "instead of dessert," according to Alex, came with a "virtual campfire" according to the menu. I didn't get to see it at the bar, but I did catch a glimpse of a red wine glass filled with smoke overturned on a platter brought out to one table, the glass lifted, then waved about. I'm guessing the smoke smelled like a campfire in some way. I didn't smell the smoke myself so I can only presume, but now I'm all kinds of puzzled as to what that's about. I didn't get a chance to ask since I didn't notice this detail until later. I tried to reason with myself that maybe its some kind of approximation of s'mores, but that doesn't sound right either.
Zacapa Rum, liquified honey, fresh lime juice
Manhattanville
fresh strawberries, guava juice, Grand Marnier, Belvedere Vodka, lime juice
Courtesan
Ginji Sake, Svedka Vodka, fresh lemongrass, fresh ginger, fresh mint, soda
Little Bird
Ocucaje Pisco, fresh mango, egg white, fresh lime juice, cinnamon, lime zest
Harlem Nights
Patron Silver, Creme de Peche, fresh mango, fresh lime, fresh mint
Lychee Fizz
Svedka citron vodka, fresh grapefruit, fresh lychee, agave nectar, soda water
Hudson River Caipirinha
Merlot, fresh limes, agave nectar
Harlem Renaissance
Chianti, fresh raspberry, Godiva Dark Chocolate Liqueur, fresh whipped cream, 23 carat gold "Virtual Campfire"
Monday, June 30, 2008
New menu at Death & Company
June 29
After four months of gestation, the staff over at Death and Co. debuted their new baby on Friday.
Seventy-four drinks. 74. More like 64 brand spankin' new ones if you don't count some drinks that are from the old menu (like the Oaxacan Old Fashioned). I saw that Joaquin Simo's Carroll Gardens (rye whiskey, Amaro, dry vermouth, maraschino liqueur) was one of the newcomers, though I wasn't unfamiliar with it. I had given it a try back when Charles Vexenat was in town.
So where to even begin? Damon Dyer and Alex Day both had looks in their eyes that practically glinted with the excitement at the prospect of showing off the new drinks as I kept flipping back and forth through the menu.
The first thing you notice about the new menu is that it's a whole lot less unwieldy compared to the long and narrow predecessor. More like a neat little square photo album, the menu doesn't take up too much space on the bar. The pages are easy to remove and replace so menu updates are no longer cumbersome.
"Muddled Mission," I finally stated, picking a drink from the gin category (gin, elderflower liqueur, muddled strawberry, yellow chartreuse, fresh lemon juice).
"Come on, that's like the first thing on the menu," Alex protested.
"I know, I know! I'm just trying to get a start here," I answered defensively.
The drinks are organized into neat sections organized by drink type or spirit type.
"Did you notice the images?" Alex asked.
"I saw them, yes...why, is there something else going on? There's not a test in the back is there?"
Not really, but kind of. More on that later.
The art accompanying the menu do more than just look pretty, they help guide customers through what they might want to drink. Once you decide what spirit you want, if you need anymore help, the drawings indicate which drinks are stirred and which are shaken.
So to make a long story short the menu is there to help customers navigate the menu and determine what kind of drink one might like to enjoy.
Coming back to the test aspect. If anything, I suppose I'm young enough that the new menu layout uncomfortably reminded me of the verbal section on the SATs. If you want to relive the nail-biting days of yore, just flip to the back and there's a multiple choice section...except, surprise! It's about booze. It was like one of those dreams you had when you were in school where it starts out all freaky. Like, you have a final you didn't study for, but then a wave of relief washes over you because you realize the final is something you could totally ace because it's an opinion essay asking you to defend your choice of favorite pizza topping or something.
The last page is not really a test so much as it was a Choose Your Own Adventure drink page. Different drinks were listed with a list of a final spirit element you could choose.
I also tried a Spicy Paloma (jalapeño-infused tequila, fresh grapefruit and lime juice and salted rim), a lips and throat-tingling version of a Paloma. A Paloma usually registers as refreshing with a bright bite to it and a little I don't know what savory side from the bit of salt, but the jalapeño seemed to pull it down into the savory region even more. It's not something you'd want to pound back.
I couldn't stay for more drinks because I got wind of the new menu just a couple of hours prior and had already made plans to be in Queens so I had to end with a third. The Doc Daneeka Royale (Champagne, gin, maple syrup, fresh lemon juice and grapefruit twist).
As I was leaving I told Damon, "You guys can't sneak up a new menu on me like this."
"I'm the one who has to memorize 74 new drinks," he answered.
I asked him how he even went about beginning to do that. "Do you just go through making each drink on the list or something?"
Damon answered that he makes flashcards with the drink names on one side and recipes on the other.
I was less distressed this time and more amused at yet another reminder of my SAT studying days.
After four months of gestation, the staff over at Death and Co. debuted their new baby on Friday.
Seventy-four drinks. 74. More like 64 brand spankin' new ones if you don't count some drinks that are from the old menu (like the Oaxacan Old Fashioned). I saw that Joaquin Simo's Carroll Gardens (rye whiskey, Amaro, dry vermouth, maraschino liqueur) was one of the newcomers, though I wasn't unfamiliar with it. I had given it a try back when Charles Vexenat was in town.
So where to even begin? Damon Dyer and Alex Day both had looks in their eyes that practically glinted with the excitement at the prospect of showing off the new drinks as I kept flipping back and forth through the menu.
The first thing you notice about the new menu is that it's a whole lot less unwieldy compared to the long and narrow predecessor. More like a neat little square photo album, the menu doesn't take up too much space on the bar. The pages are easy to remove and replace so menu updates are no longer cumbersome.
"Muddled Mission," I finally stated, picking a drink from the gin category (gin, elderflower liqueur, muddled strawberry, yellow chartreuse, fresh lemon juice).
"Come on, that's like the first thing on the menu," Alex protested.
"I know, I know! I'm just trying to get a start here," I answered defensively.
The drinks are organized into neat sections organized by drink type or spirit type.
"Did you notice the images?" Alex asked.
"I saw them, yes...why, is there something else going on? There's not a test in the back is there?"
Not really, but kind of. More on that later.
The art accompanying the menu do more than just look pretty, they help guide customers through what they might want to drink. Once you decide what spirit you want, if you need anymore help, the drawings indicate which drinks are stirred and which are shaken.
So to make a long story short the menu is there to help customers navigate the menu and determine what kind of drink one might like to enjoy.
Coming back to the test aspect. If anything, I suppose I'm young enough that the new menu layout uncomfortably reminded me of the verbal section on the SATs. If you want to relive the nail-biting days of yore, just flip to the back and there's a multiple choice section...except, surprise! It's about booze. It was like one of those dreams you had when you were in school where it starts out all freaky. Like, you have a final you didn't study for, but then a wave of relief washes over you because you realize the final is something you could totally ace because it's an opinion essay asking you to defend your choice of favorite pizza topping or something.
The last page is not really a test so much as it was a Choose Your Own Adventure drink page. Different drinks were listed with a list of a final spirit element you could choose.
I also tried a Spicy Paloma (jalapeño-infused tequila, fresh grapefruit and lime juice and salted rim), a lips and throat-tingling version of a Paloma. A Paloma usually registers as refreshing with a bright bite to it and a little I don't know what savory side from the bit of salt, but the jalapeño seemed to pull it down into the savory region even more. It's not something you'd want to pound back.
I couldn't stay for more drinks because I got wind of the new menu just a couple of hours prior and had already made plans to be in Queens so I had to end with a third. The Doc Daneeka Royale (Champagne, gin, maple syrup, fresh lemon juice and grapefruit twist).
As I was leaving I told Damon, "You guys can't sneak up a new menu on me like this."
"I'm the one who has to memorize 74 new drinks," he answered.
I asked him how he even went about beginning to do that. "Do you just go through making each drink on the list or something?"
Damon answered that he makes flashcards with the drink names on one side and recipes on the other.
I was less distressed this time and more amused at yet another reminder of my SAT studying days.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Taking PDT's new spring menu out for a spin
May 5
Of all the drinks I tried on PDT's new spring menu, I found myself liking The Rite of Spring very much. It had piqued my interest since Don described it to me at the Rhum Clement event, and I was looking forward to giving it a try. However, a close contender would be the Swiss Mist, which Jim let me try on Friday.
"I'm just here to kill two hours before I go see Iron Man," I reassured Jim when I stopped by PDT on Friday with fellow NRNer Elizabeth Licata. I didn't want them to think I was casing the place. Then again, I kind of totally was since I'd be lying if I said a little part of me wasn't there to find out for sure when the new menu was going to debut. Don had told me the week prior that the ETA was probably sometime around the weekend of May 2, but Jim said it was looking more like Monday would be the day.
So on Monday I flitted out of work at 5:40 pm and rushed on down to PDT. The hostess who greeted me at the phone booth told asked me if I didn't mind waiting a minute or two since the bar was trying to take it slow between people on account of the new menu.
Once I got in I kind of stared at the menu for a couple of minutes. Menu choices are always daunting because I'm terrible with decision making, and there were plenty of interesting-sounding items. The Rhubarbarita caught my eye because of the rhubarb puree...and, well, because it was Cinco de Mayo. The Rhubarbarita is made with Partida Resposado tequila, lemon juice, Grand Marnier, Veloce and the above mentioned rhubarb puree that is sweetened with agave nectar. It was a sweet start, with a bit of body added to the texture of the drink from the rhubarb puree.
If anything, the menu definitely was a show in seasonal ingredients and flavors. The honey liqueur in the Bee's Sip. A hint of berry with raspberry preserves ("until seasonal berries are available") in the Rose.
Also, to go with the light airiness of spring, there was some misting going on with the drinks. The Swiss Mist I tried on Friday is described as a "grapefruit accented silver gin sour" on the menu. Made with Gin, lemon, grapefruit syrup and egg white, the lightly sweet and foamy drink gets a slight spraying of Kubler Swiss absinthe from an atomizer.
Other drinks get a bit of misting too, but the mist goes in the cup before the drink rather than on the drink. For example, the Kin Kan (Beefeater Gin, lemon juice, kumquat syrup, St. Germain), gets a spritzing of St. Germain.
The the next drink I had to try the Rites of Spring. As someone who finds a swig of sour dill pickle juice straight from the jar or spicy tangy pickled kimchi brine with some cold noodles most refreshing a hot summer day, the mention of "pickled ramp brine" had me salivating as I read the description on the menu. Pickled ramp brine from Momofuku Ssam Bar, Tanqueray Gin, and Vya dry vermouth combine to create a surprisingly not all that sour drink. More clean on the tongue for a dirty martini, the tangy pickled ramp flavor mostly kicks in as an aftertaste.
"It's not as sour as I thought," I told Don.
"Did you try the pickled ramp brine on its own? It's pretty intense," Don said.
I asked for a taste and it was good. Sour, but sweet with a bit of heat. I probably could've just had a glass of that all evening long. Keep in mind though, that the person writing this enjoys eating lemons and limes (besides the pickle juice drinking mentioned above). My tooth enamel cries for me.
"How's the new menu going?" I asked Don who was going through the ingredients with a checklist as Jim informed him of inconsistencies on the behind-the-bar recipes list.
"Ask me again in four hours," he answered.
I tried The Mariner next mostly because I found the cardamom syrup intriguing. Again, I was surprised by how light the flavors were, even with the combination of Compass Box Oak Cross malt scotch whisky, pineapple juice, lemon juice and smoked cardamom syrup.
I tasted the cardamom syrup on its own. You got most of the spicy almost medicinal cardamom-ness (it's a word if I say it is) when you smell it, but when you taste it, that's where the smokiness hits. If you hold it against the front of your tongue, it gives off a slight burn as well.
The interesting thing was, no matter how complex, everything still managed to be light and not overbearing. Cardamom? In a syrup? Smoked? with malt scotch whisky AND pineapple juice?"
It's definitely smoky and a little sweet, but on the whole The Mariner isn't weighed down as a cocktail.
Even spirits-based drinks like the Rites of Spring, manage to come across as airy spring drinks. I asked Jim what I should try next and he mixed me a Hotel D'Alsace, which again, sort of took me aback at how light and sweet it was. Bushmills, Cointreau, Benedictine and rosemary came together as a slightly sugared herbal drink. Jim said that people found this drink to be their new favorite, but it wasn't going to unseating Rites of Spring or the Swiss Mist for me anytime soon, but that's just me.
It came down to the Bee's Sip (Chamomile Infused Barsol Pisco, Masumi "Okuden Kantsukuri" junmai sake and Barenjager Honey Liqueur) or The Kin Kan for me to choose for the last drink, and I went with the former. And the name fits. If bees drank alcohol this is what they'd probably drink. It tasted and smelled like honey and flowers.
I did make it a point to try the new addition to the food menu, The Wylie Dog. A deep fried Crif Dog with tomato molasses, shredded lettuce, dried onions and...battered deep fried mayo. Let me let that sink in with you for a moment.
.
.
.
.
.
OK, so when it came out I thought to myself, "Does that bun have two hot dogs on it?" If you think so, no, you're mistaken. And don't feel bad, I seriously thought that too. That second "hot dog" is the deep fried mayo. A stick of deep fried mayo. I like to think I'm not too shabby when it comes to describing things, but the only notes I have from last night about The Wylie Dog is, and I quote verbatim, "Deep fried mayo is EFFIN' delicious." Apparently I managed to lose all sense of using profanity to this hot dog.
(Download the full Spring Menu from PDT, here.)
Of all the drinks I tried on PDT's new spring menu, I found myself liking The Rite of Spring very much. It had piqued my interest since Don described it to me at the Rhum Clement event, and I was looking forward to giving it a try. However, a close contender would be the Swiss Mist, which Jim let me try on Friday.
"I'm just here to kill two hours before I go see Iron Man," I reassured Jim when I stopped by PDT on Friday with fellow NRNer Elizabeth Licata. I didn't want them to think I was casing the place. Then again, I kind of totally was since I'd be lying if I said a little part of me wasn't there to find out for sure when the new menu was going to debut. Don had told me the week prior that the ETA was probably sometime around the weekend of May 2, but Jim said it was looking more like Monday would be the day.
So on Monday I flitted out of work at 5:40 pm and rushed on down to PDT. The hostess who greeted me at the phone booth told asked me if I didn't mind waiting a minute or two since the bar was trying to take it slow between people on account of the new menu.
Once I got in I kind of stared at the menu for a couple of minutes. Menu choices are always daunting because I'm terrible with decision making, and there were plenty of interesting-sounding items. The Rhubarbarita caught my eye because of the rhubarb puree...and, well, because it was Cinco de Mayo. The Rhubarbarita is made with Partida Resposado tequila, lemon juice, Grand Marnier, Veloce and the above mentioned rhubarb puree that is sweetened with agave nectar. It was a sweet start, with a bit of body added to the texture of the drink from the rhubarb puree.
If anything, the menu definitely was a show in seasonal ingredients and flavors. The honey liqueur in the Bee's Sip. A hint of berry with raspberry preserves ("until seasonal berries are available") in the Rose.
Also, to go with the light airiness of spring, there was some misting going on with the drinks. The Swiss Mist I tried on Friday is described as a "grapefruit accented silver gin sour" on the menu. Made with Gin, lemon, grapefruit syrup and egg white, the lightly sweet and foamy drink gets a slight spraying of Kubler Swiss absinthe from an atomizer.
Other drinks get a bit of misting too, but the mist goes in the cup before the drink rather than on the drink. For example, the Kin Kan (Beefeater Gin, lemon juice, kumquat syrup, St. Germain), gets a spritzing of St. Germain.
The the next drink I had to try the Rites of Spring. As someone who finds a swig of sour dill pickle juice straight from the jar or spicy tangy pickled kimchi brine with some cold noodles most refreshing a hot summer day, the mention of "pickled ramp brine" had me salivating as I read the description on the menu. Pickled ramp brine from Momofuku Ssam Bar, Tanqueray Gin, and Vya dry vermouth combine to create a surprisingly not all that sour drink. More clean on the tongue for a dirty martini, the tangy pickled ramp flavor mostly kicks in as an aftertaste.
"It's not as sour as I thought," I told Don.
"Did you try the pickled ramp brine on its own? It's pretty intense," Don said.
I asked for a taste and it was good. Sour, but sweet with a bit of heat. I probably could've just had a glass of that all evening long. Keep in mind though, that the person writing this enjoys eating lemons and limes (besides the pickle juice drinking mentioned above). My tooth enamel cries for me.
"How's the new menu going?" I asked Don who was going through the ingredients with a checklist as Jim informed him of inconsistencies on the behind-the-bar recipes list.
"Ask me again in four hours," he answered.
I tried The Mariner next mostly because I found the cardamom syrup intriguing. Again, I was surprised by how light the flavors were, even with the combination of Compass Box Oak Cross malt scotch whisky, pineapple juice, lemon juice and smoked cardamom syrup.
I tasted the cardamom syrup on its own. You got most of the spicy almost medicinal cardamom-ness (it's a word if I say it is) when you smell it, but when you taste it, that's where the smokiness hits. If you hold it against the front of your tongue, it gives off a slight burn as well.
The interesting thing was, no matter how complex, everything still managed to be light and not overbearing. Cardamom? In a syrup? Smoked? with malt scotch whisky AND pineapple juice?"
It's definitely smoky and a little sweet, but on the whole The Mariner isn't weighed down as a cocktail.
Even spirits-based drinks like the Rites of Spring, manage to come across as airy spring drinks. I asked Jim what I should try next and he mixed me a Hotel D'Alsace, which again, sort of took me aback at how light and sweet it was. Bushmills, Cointreau, Benedictine and rosemary came together as a slightly sugared herbal drink. Jim said that people found this drink to be their new favorite, but it wasn't going to unseating Rites of Spring or the Swiss Mist for me anytime soon, but that's just me.
It came down to the Bee's Sip (Chamomile Infused Barsol Pisco, Masumi "Okuden Kantsukuri" junmai sake and Barenjager Honey Liqueur) or The Kin Kan for me to choose for the last drink, and I went with the former. And the name fits. If bees drank alcohol this is what they'd probably drink. It tasted and smelled like honey and flowers.
I did make it a point to try the new addition to the food menu, The Wylie Dog. A deep fried Crif Dog with tomato molasses, shredded lettuce, dried onions and...battered deep fried mayo. Let me let that sink in with you for a moment.
.
.
.
.
.
OK, so when it came out I thought to myself, "Does that bun have two hot dogs on it?" If you think so, no, you're mistaken. And don't feel bad, I seriously thought that too. That second "hot dog" is the deep fried mayo. A stick of deep fried mayo. I like to think I'm not too shabby when it comes to describing things, but the only notes I have from last night about The Wylie Dog is, and I quote verbatim, "Deep fried mayo is EFFIN' delicious." Apparently I managed to lose all sense of using profanity to this hot dog.
(Download the full Spring Menu from PDT, here.)
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