Booze Briefs:
What's New?
USBG/LUPEC Winter Ball
For those of you curious as to how this event went, you can click HERE to be transported to my blog, in which I described the event to the best of my ability. But, in all truth, 'ya really had to be there!
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Our Chicago Friends
Earlier this week, the Chicago chapter of the USBG arrived in NYC with a mission. That mission was to connect with our NY chapter, volunteer for a good cause, and enjoy all that the NYC bar scene had to offer.
Here's a quickie run-down of what we did:
Winter Ball...Bridget and USBGIL pals were there in full force...bar crawl afterwords...visited Pegu Club, Little Branch, Employees Only, then those still standing made the trek to Alex Day's goodbye party at Huckleberry Bar in Brooklyn...next day Volunteer Day at God's Love We Deliver...amazing organization...very touching experience...then lunch at Dos Caminos (thanks Cazadores Tequila!)...cocktails later at Clover Club...dinner at Clover Club (thanks Admiral Imports!)...Brooklyn bar crawl...Char 4...Jakewalk...home.
USBGIL goes home...back to normal...great times...thanks guys!
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The Empire Room, a magnificent Art Deco cocktail lounge set to open in the Empire State Building in the coming weeks, is seeking knowledgeable bar staff. A full understanding of classic cocktails and proper service is a must!
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The USBG NY Chapter
Goings-on...
Our newly formed USBGNY committees are hard at work planning our mixers, educational experiences, trips and more.
Thanks, guys!
The DonQ Rum Cocktail Competition is set for Monday, March 15th at Toloache in Manhattan. A trip to Puerto Rico is on the line! This competition is only open to USBG members.
Is your brand interested in sponsoring one of the NY Chapter's monthly mixers, luncheons, or other events?
The USBGNY Council (from left to right): Treasurer Brian Van Flandern, VP Allen Katz (who is currently beardless), President Jonathan Pogash, and Madame Secretary Charlotte Voisey. |
Business Class:
Mack's Bar & Grill
Park Slope, Brooklyn
You may have noticed that I narry say a negative word about the spots I visit, and that for the most party I'm pretty go-lucky when it comes to reviewing places of drink and grub.
I'm sorry to say that I'll have to break that tradition in this week's Business Class section.
What once was "Snooky's," (no relation to the Jersey Girl) your real down-home neighborhood bar (smoky, dark, smelly, dirty - really quite a spectacular place) recently (about 4 years ago) closed down only to re-open as a "nouveau" Italian restaurant called "Elementi."
Well, two years later, Elementi has shuttered and made way for "Mack's Bar & Grill." From the outside, it looks promising: sports bar-type hightop tables, long bar with flat screen tv's, back dining area . We walked in and the vibe was comfortable. The service waspersonable. The food, on the other hand, was a completely different story. Yes, the place is very new. Yes, they probably still have some kinks to work out. But I was just left with such a bad feeling in my stomach (literally), that I had to get this out on the table!
We ordered a warm spinach and artichoke dip to share as an appetizer, and we were pleased. A Toasted Blue Point Lager to wash it all down - yes please! A good start, indeed. The mussels marinara and thin crust pizza with mushrooms and spinach arrived in a timely fashion. The mussels were fine. Perfectly acceptable. The thing that left me feeling like I had a huge lump sitting in the bottom of my asophagas was the thin crust pizza. It tasted like it had been sitting in the kitchen out on the counter since Christmas. The spinach was the frozen foods section kind of spinach that sits in the back of your freezer for years on end without ever seeing the light of day. The mushrooms were uninspiring, and the cheese and sauce flavorless, yet full of odor.
I feel badly writing all of this. Perhaps it's because it's one of my first negative reviews. Although, I wouldn't really call it negative. I do believe the place has potential, and I will most likely try it again in a few weeks or months.
The cocktails? We did not get to try them. I'm not really that eager to, either.
Mack's Bar & Grill is located at 140 Seventh Avenue, Brooklyn, NY
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The Aviation Cocktail
This classic, a bright blend of Gin, Marachino liqueur, and fresh lemon juice, was invented sometime around 1930. Or so we thought! This was simply the recipe being used at that time, since Creme de Violette was not available. The original recipe, which, according to Gary Regan, first appeared in print in the 1916 book "Recipes for Mixed Drinks" (by Hugo Ensslin), included 2 parts gin, 1 part lemon juices, and a couple of dashes of each of the liqueurs.
Creme de Violette has now been widely available here in the states for a couple of years, and we thank the lord for it each and every day!
I've explored the proportions of Mr. Hugo Ensslin's recipe for a couple of years now, first coming up with a nice balance that for some reason, as the years went on, left me with an unsatisfied palate. I went back to the drawing board, fiddling around with the recipe, attempting modern-day variations that I felt would please not only my palate, but those of my bar guests.
I came up with a nice one, which we just started serving at Bookmarks Lounge at the Library Hotel (299 Madison Avenue, NYC). Stop by and try one for yourself. Or if you're really feeling saucy, make one at home:
The Aviator (variation on an Aviation Cocktail)
1 1/2 oz. Winter Spice-infused Beefeater Gin**
3/4 oz. Luxardo Maraschino liqueur
1/2 oz. Rothman & Winter Creme de Violette
1 oz. fresh lemon juice
Directions: Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice and shake very well. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Garnish: thin lemon wheel floating on top
**Winter Spice-infused Beefeater Gin: Take 3 tbsp. of your favorite mulling spices (I use cloves, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg) and add to an airtight container with 1 bottle of gin. Allow to infuse for 1 hour. Strain out spices and re-bottle. |
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Jonathan Pogash is a beverage consultant, educator, and mixologist for bars, restaurants, and liquor brands.
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Cheers,
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