December 4, 2008
Cool drinks for a hot summer night
Pimm's Punch is one of the signature drinks at the Clover Club at 210 Smith Street in Caroll Gardens, Brooklyn. (Ryan Thatcher)
The heat has us hankering for something fresh to quench our thirst. And though certain cocktails have become staples in our summer drinks repertoire, barkeeps around the city are creating new concoctions sure to keep us refreshed and happily inebriated. So if you're over drinking sangrias, margaritas and mojitos, check out these new creations.
Clover Club
210 Smith St. at Butler Street, Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, 718-855-7939
Drink: Pimms Punch $42 (serves 4 to 6), $62 (serves 6 to 8)
Along with the Clover Club's endless list of juleps, swizzles and cobblers is a throwback to the ultimate in communal drinking: the Pimms Punch. Playing with distinctly summer flavors, barkeeps muddle fresh strawberries, mint, ginger and cucumber with Pimm's and gin -- concocting a contemporary version of this classic, seasonal favorite.
Anyway Cafe
34 E. 2nd St. at Second Avenue 212-533-3412
Drink: Fruit Vodka Infusions, $6 (shot), $25 or $47 (carafe)
At this Russian-inspired watering hole, vodka is king. Clean and simple, it's the fruit-infused vodkas that incorporate the bounty of summer with flavors steeped with organic seasonal options including black currant, raspberry, strawberry and blueberry. The bar boasts that the libations are based on traditional Russian recipes, and keeping in tune, the barkeeps are hush-hush about the specific ingredients.
Hecho en Dumbo
111 Front St. at Washington Street, Dumbo, Brooklyn
718-855-5288
Drink: Michelada, $6; Michelada Cubana, $7
For quite a few bar dwellers, it doesn't get better than an ice-cold beer to combat the humidity on a sticky night. But if PBR tastes bland these days and the hoopla over mixology is a tad excessive for you, the Michelada served at Hecho might hit the spot. While there are several variations on this unfussy Mexican cocktail, Hecho rocks a simple version: A tall, salt-rimmed glass filled with Dos Equis (or any Mexican beer) and a touch of lime juice. If you need more zest, the Michelada Cubana is a spicier interpretation made with hot sauce, a dab of Worcestershire and a top-secret ingredient the owners hold very close to the vest.
Baraza
133 Avenue C, between 8th and 9th streets
212-539-0811
Drink: The Caipirinha, $6
Nothing makes you feel more removed from the grit of the city than visions of sipping a cold, sugar-saturated drink on a remote beach outside of Rio. Tastes of Brazil can be found not too far away at this Alphabet City bar where bartender Lea serves up Brazil's famed national drink: The Caipirinha. Resembling the mojito, this cocktail is garnished with sugar and lime -- only instead of rum, it is made with its cousin cachaça, a distilled alcohol also made from sugarcane juice, but not aged in barrels.
J.G. Melon
1291 Third Ave. at 74th Street, 212-744-0585
Drink: Bloody Bull, $8
You might have to fight your way through the throngs of suits and Upper East Side locals to get to the bar, but once you've secured a spot at J.G. Melon, ask the bartender to make you a Bloody Bull. With some kick to it, this drink is the slightly more intense sister of the Bloody Mary. Complementing J.G. Melon's pretension-free vibe, the Bloody Bull is a spicy, straightforward drink made with vodka, tomato and lemon juices, beef broth, Tabasco, pepper and salt, and finished off with a thick wedge of lemon.
Mixx it!
Copyright © 2008, AM New York
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