drink2that: a TOAST to 2013

In honor of the New Year and to celebrate this past year, I am going to make a toast. Ahem, To a great year full of good food, full bellies, bold flavors, love and happiness, growth in the right direction and measurable success. May 2014 be bigger and better and even more flavorful!

All that is true, though I really meant a more figurative toast (made up of figures). I have collected my favorite images of drinks I have tried this year from the Beacon Big Apple at Beacon Bar, to the Red Root from Whitman & Bloom, to the Milano at Bar Felice, even to lazy gin mojitos and Pims at home and the occasional glass of wine at Satis. We are going to party like it’s 1999!

It is almost the New Year! Thanks again for your support in following foodie ventures on facebook, instagram, twitter, yelp and pintrest! Share the love and let's make 2014 even bigger, better and more flavorful!

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12.31.13

re. CAP: Storied Sips & Cocktails for a Crowd Holiday COCKTAIL party at Beacon Bar

RER 11.5.13

Beacon Bar (more here and here) was alive last Tuesday night with the tunes of smooth jazz, melodies of familiar chatter, and the rhythmic shake-shake-shake pour behind the bar. Darkness came in through the big front windows of the chic bar and the lights made the colors smolder and reflect in the mirrors. The occasion was a cocktail party to ring in the holiday season and, at the same time, to celebrate the books Cocktails for a Crowd and Storied Sips by Kara Newman and Erica Duecy, respectively. It truly felt like an intimate gathering of close friends, indulging in their favorite cocktails.

 

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The guests enjoyed tiny pulled pork sliders, sweet and spicy, chicken skewers with a thick and creamy dip, and potato croquettes, warm and savory, all the while the drinks kept coming. Beacon Bar’s bartenders did not skip a beat, serving up the evening’s featured drinks, including three from the authors’ books. The French 75 Punch, a prohibition classic, felt light in contrast to the cool evening. The combination of gin, lemon juice, orange bitters and champagne, makes for a lovely occasion drink, bubbles and all and as Newman puts it, “pairs very well with all kinds of holiday nibbles.” While the Moscow Mule echoed the light refreshing nature of the French 75, its spiciness gives a kick reminiscent to the first chilly days of fall. Finally the classy Negroni executed with gin, bitter campari and sweet vermouth added a darker sophistication. The last selection was Beacon Bar’s signature drink, the Beacon Big Apple, a mix of dark whiskey, apple juice and strawberry and cucumber shrub, garnished with a crisp slice of apple.

 

Kara Newman and Erica Duecy

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Though both are cocktail books, each brings something different to the table. What sets Newman’s book apart is “two words: cocktail math.” Cocktails for a Crowd, she adds, “is the only book out there that presents drinks both in ounces, which bartenders prefer, and cups, which home bartenders prefer,” ensuring that the book caters to a wide audience. It was hosting parties that helped to inspire the  book. Newman mentions that she “spent far too many parties trapped behind the bar, trying to make one cocktail at a time, and never enjoying the festivities” and she is hoping to help hostesses with recipes from bartenders across the country.

 

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Storied Sips dives into the past, unearthing “the best stories… in the last 200 years,” using incredible illustrations and “easy to make” cocktail recipes to take readers on a journey. Duecy notes that cocktail history is oftentimes obscure and adventurous: “Wine stories often follow a similar script… So there are a few common formulas. But then, you get to spirits, and all bets are off – you’ve got pirates and outlaws, and emperors and royalty, and literary figures and actors who are bootlegging and smuggling and doing all sorts of nefarious things."  She is exploring the “great drama in cocktail history” in Storied Sips.

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Both books make great gifts for the coming holiday season, whether it be for the hostess with the mostest, bartending professional, or cocktail novice looking to learn more. The stories and recipes of each book are perfect handbooks for entertaining during this time of year, when good food, good company and great drinks are essential.

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11.11.13

RER 11.5.13

 

BREAKING boundaries: Beacon Bar

RER 7.16.13

The Beacon Bar is chic and polished, but almost cold when quiet, however the light food and specialty drinks give the new uptown bar warmth and comfort. Since April, the latest piece of the Beacon empire has settled in, nestled between the legendary Beacon Theatre and Hotel Beacon. The bar lounge proves that it is more than just a hotel bar and it can be a neighborhood hangout. It stands apart with its curated drink menu and a list of light bites and appetizers that evoke home, carving out a reputation for regulars, hotel guests and theatre-goers alike.

 

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The menu rallies elevated comfort food with twists on the recognizable while familiarizing the obscure. With choices like a chilled vegetable platter or a Mexican shrimp cocktail, along with other light bites like a portabella burger or pulled pork sliders or the more imaginative French dip sliders and toast with warm goat cheese, there is a dish for every discerning taste. Even the staple cheesecake is offered for pairing with exquisite handcrafted drinks. Each item appears straightforward on the menu, but comes with a surprise of complexity and visual appeal.

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The jumbo lump crabcake light bite is a multifaceted play of decadence and brightness. Each small cake is rich with lumps of crabmeat large enough to be tangible and savored, wanting the breaded filler present in many lesser crabcakes. A pale wasabi mayo accompanies the cakes, adding heat and heaviness. The fennel salad bathed in citrus makes the cakes shine, brightening the dense cakes. The details of the fresh lemon and orange zest to the finely shaved fennel and spicy red onions down to the flourish of chives, echo the careful creation of the drinks and aesthetics.

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Though the macaroni gratin mirrors the classic, it is the refined relative of the mac and cheese of childhood, grown up with the sophistication of gruyere and parmesan. The crumb top of the baked curved pasta casserole adds another dimension of maturity. But somehow the disguised green peas and salty ham revive past memories. The sweetness of the peas breaks the heavy creaminess of the cheeses, hot and almost smooth, but the ham spikes the monotony with salt and texture. 

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Even the pulled pork sliders have transformed from messy summer barbeque to something more distinguished through flavorful accoutrements: a fancy bun, spicy slaw, and vegetable chips. The hot slaw, dotted with tomatoes carrots cabbage and jalapeños, ignites a balance with the cloying sweetness of the sauce mixed with the tender stringy pork. Served with a riot of color from starch and vegetable chips, which supply sweet earthiness and a crunch, the pulled pork sliders suggest outdoor gatherings, contradicting the mystique of Beacon Bar’s interior.

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Each dish brings forth bright colors sharply contrasting the cool hued theme written in the lux dark cobalt leather booths or the sharp lines of the tiled wall or even the infinity of circles on the fabrics. The icy blue and grey scale decor exudes contemporary sophistication and muted elegance, while the flourishes of ingredients and garnishes are enlivening and fresh. The plates demonstrate effortless balance and expertly layered flavor profiles, none too pretentious to break the mold of upscale bar food.

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See what my first time at the Beacon Bar was like here and here.

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7.16.13

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photo op: BEACON bar

RER 6.25.13

Last week I had the opportunity to check out the newly opened Beacon Bar, filling out the Beacon Block, in the Upper West Side. The Beacon Bar is in the company of the legendary Beacon Theatre (where I have seen Adele and the Civil Wars), and the theater's official hotel, Hotel Beacon. The area brings tourists and people from the neighborhood alike to witness excellent life performances, hang out and explore, making the location perfect for a new chic bar and lounge. Take a peak at my article for Miss A, and feast (or drink) with your eyes some of the tastes from the Beacon Bar.

Beacon Big Apple RER 6.25.13

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Giulio Cesare RER 6.25.13

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Oaxaca Smokeout RER 6.25.13

Do you have any bar recommendations for a nice night out, with good food and better drinks? Leave me some food for thought, so I can try new places out. Can't wait to hear from you!

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6.28.13

RER 6.25.13