Amir Babayoff, the cocktail innovator last seen at NYC’s Barley & Grain whiskey bar, was recently tasked with creating the drinks menu for Ophelia, a swish new Manhattan rooftop lounge atop the Beekman Tower. This wouldn’t be just any menu. It had to complement its location in the Beekman Tower, an Art Deco landmark with […]
Chinese food has a reputation. And, like many reputations, it’s pretty unfair. Most Americans are under the misconception that Chinese fare is not especially wine-friendly. Even though the Chinese are now the world’s largest consumers of Bordeaux, and Chinese fine dining is ascendant across the U.S., many diners can’t shake the illusion that the only […]
With skyrocketing sales and famous friends (¡hola, George Clooney!), agave spirits like tequila and mezcal are having a banner year in the United States. Now, savvy bartenders and industry folks are embracing raicilla, a distilled Mexican agave spirit with nuanced, vegetal flavors. Despite its centuries-old history, for many, raicilla remains shrouded in mystery. In part […]
Wassail wasn’t only the first all-cider bar in New York City — it was one of the most acclaimed spots in town. The design was “upscale tavern,” with rich woods and a gorgeous white marble bar top. It offered dozens of obscure ciders on tap and hundreds more in bottles.
In one of Brooklyn’s coolest neighborhoods, free-spirited locals sip on a beverage they say helps them relax, unwind, and socialize. At a similar bar in Berkeley, Cal., students imbibe during a mid-afternoon study session, taking gulps from coconut shells and chasing it with bites from a juicy tangerine. What they’re drinking is called kava. It’s […]
Looking for a healthier happy hour? Cue superfoods. Turmeric, matcha, and the like are popping up in everything these days — including your cocktail. “People are generally more health-conscious these days,” Jason J. Mendenhall, owner and operator of such NYC bars as The Wild Son, The Lost Lady, and The Wayland, says. “Being able to […]
In the midst of New York’s seemingly endless gray winter, an evening at Brooklyn’s Leyenda is an excellent option for those who can’t escape to warmer climates. Drinks are finished with fresh flowers and small bouquets of mint, and the bar has an extensive selection of Latin American spirits like tequila and mezcal. Ivy Mix, […]
Your great-grandmother was probably a pretty cool lady. If she lived in New York, she may have sipped an exciting new cocktail called a Bloody Mary, which, as the story goes, was invented in the 1930s at the St. Regis hotel’s famed King Cole Bar (named for the iconic 1908 mural on one of its […]
Growing up in St. Louis, the only Saturday activity I loved more than a Cardinals game was a trip to Anheuser-Busch. Visiting the mammoth brewery was about so much more than beer.
