A Speakeasy in Murray Hill

Middle Branch - Hope in Fratville

I caught up with one of the lovely ladies (Lauren F) I met at Stern during my first year. She had an incredibly intense internship in investment banking this past summer. We wanted to catch up and celebrate her full-time offer over cocktails. I suggested a speakeasy near her apartment that I had not visited: Middle Branch (no website). The exterior of the spot is incredibly reclusive. If I didn't have the street number, I would have walked right by. This is clearly on purpose and part of the appeal - you're only going to come in if you're in the "know" vs. well-known spots such as Joshua Tree (ughhh). 

I found the service very personalized when I walked down the front stairs and the doorman kept repeating "Liz? Liz? Liz?". Once I could understand what he was saying, I said "Yes. Yes. Yes". I didn't realize Lauren got there before me. I figured he may have just been a psychic on the side. 

When I entered the venue, I went upstairs. The space is a bit small. Once we reviewed the cocktail menu, I ordered a traditional daiquiri and Lauren got a Moscow Mule. 

I loved that the cocktails were served on cloth napkins. It added a certain level of sophistication vs. a coaster or a paper napkin. The drink was nice and refreshing but a tad too sour. It can't compare to those made at Diageo with Zacapa!

After I noticed that the woman next to me ordered it, I had to get the Queen's Park Swizzle (above). It is made with rum, mint, lime simple syrup and bitters swizzled and served with a metal straw (so fancy!). I'm sometimes on the fence about mint, but I loved it in this drink. It wasn't too "minty" (as mojitos sometimes are), it was just the right amount. 

Cheers!
Liz

Houston (Do You Copy?) Hall

Yet Another Beer Hall

A bunch of people from Stern wanted to meet up for drinks to celebrate a birthday and to acknowledge that it is Wednesday (HUMP DAY - isn't the Geico commercial great?). A favorite spot near school is Houston Hall (http://www.houstonhallny.com/). It is a large style beer hall, complete with wooden tables and massive benches. I tend to wear dresses, so it can be a wee bit difficult to sit down on the bench without falling into some Miley Cyrus over-exposure situation. I decided to stay on the beer trend from last night (Blind Tiger) and ordered an apricot ale. It was ok at best. The temperature didn't seem very cold and I have sort of a "thing" with room temperature beer. I feel I am not unique in my distaste of tepid beer.

It is a great spot in terms of space (plenty of it and ceilings for days) and pricing (affordable drinks). Keep in mind that the seating is a bit tricky, so shorts or pants could be good options.

Until next time,

Liz

Blind (Date) Tiger Ale House

Beers in the West Village

It is wonderful to write a post about a fabulous new drinking spot as well as meeting someone incredibly fascinating. I haven't had the best run of dates lately, but I was pleasantly surprised last night. The gentleman in question is a bit of a beer buff, so I suggested The Blind Tiger Ale House (http://www.blindtigeralehouse.com/) in the West Village. My Strategy professor at Stern is a huge fan of the spot, so I figured it was a safe bet. I suggested going during the Happy Hour (every week day from 11:30 - 8:00 pm, $1 off draught beers, cask ale, wine, prosecco or mead). We met at 7pm and the place was incredibly busy - a popular spot! We managed to find a quieter table in the corner and ordered the Brooklyner Weisse. It was lovely and we had several - yum!

Check it out - definitely during Happy Hour. It will please even the most discerning beer connoisseur. 

Cheers!
Liz

Sipping on a Berry Bier in Brooklyn

Radegast Hall and Biergarten

The weather was absolutely fantastic yesterday - perfect date weather. After speaking with someone on OKCupid, we decided to meet up for a daytime beverage at Radegast (http://www.radegasthall.com/), a lovely biergarten in Willamsburg. I failed to snap a picture of my first drink, a lovely Aspall Dry Cider. It tasted incredibly similar to Martinelli's sparkling apple cider but a bit less bubbly. It should be assumed, given this description, that I drank this beverage rather quickly. Next, I ordered my favorite beer. It isn't really fair to call it a beer, it is more like alcoholic raspberry goodness. 

Good ol' Lindemans Framboise Lambic always delivers. It was served in a fancy glass, a bit different than I've had before, but I loved it! During the date, we didn't eat any food, but I will add that the sausages, saurerkraut, fries and pretzels are phenomenal. Because I was on a date though, for the sake of all involved, I was a lady and just drank my fancy berry bier with my pinky out.

Cheers,

Liz

Super Swank Hotel

The Crosby Bar

I recently went to The Crosby Street Hotel (http://www.firmdalehotels.com/new-york/crosby-street-hotel/crosby-street-bar) for a date. The bar is awesome! I really loved the cocktails but it can be awkward to navigate cocktail documentation while meeting someone for the first time. That being said, I wasn't able to take any photos of my drinks. Sad face!

I had the Passion and Ginger Caipirinha, made with cachaca, ginger, fresh passion fruit and lime. I also had the Crosmopolitan, made with gin, Pavan, blueberries, lemon juice and Champagne. My final drink was the Mango Tango, made with Pavan, mango puree and Champagne. 

I definitely plan to head back and you should too!

Cheers,

Liz

Stopping by the Rooftop of the McKittrick Hotel

Gallow Green - AMAZING!

To celebrate the end of our incredible internships, my good friend Olivia and I went to an awesome spot: Gallow Green (http://mckittrickhotel.com/gallowgreen/) at the McKittrick Hotel. We had visited the hotel last year to see the interactive Macbeth performance of "Sleep No More" - this was certainly a different experience!

The venue is gorgeous. I highly recommend visiting it for drinks (the live music is fantastic) and/or dinner (the food is also lovely). I am a huge fan of large format cocktails, so we started with a bowl of boozy popsicle punch. It was made with Ketel One vodka and absolutely splendid! There were two fresh fruit popsicles inside - one pineapple and one watermelon - and a large square ice cube. The shape of the cube allowed it to melt slowly (chilling without too much diluting). As they continued to melt, they added to the taste and profile of the punch.

Once we finished the punch, we moved on to more cocktails! I ordered a glass of rose Champagne. It was served in a couple glass - how lovely! 

I strongly believe that glassware can influence the taste of a cocktail. My Grandma always said this and it has stuck!

After we finished up at Gallow Green, we went to The Heath (one floor below the rooftop). It was AWESOME. Great live music and dancing. I ordered a twist on a vodka lemonade, it was tasty. The credit card machine wasn't working though, so it was a bit annoying with cash/ATM fees.

You must check out this spot! A real "wow" location in the city.

Cheers,

Liz

1 Hour Unlimited Cocktails!

Yerba Buena!

A week or so ago I met up with some Sternies and their significant others for a lovely brunch! I am always a fan of checking out unlimited brunch spots. My friend Christine picked Yerba Buena (http://www.ybnyc.com/media/yerbabuena.html). Here is the deal with the unlimited hour of cocktails. You pay $14 for one hour of whatever you want on the featured menu. My two favorite cocktails were the passion fruit Bellini and pisco drink made with guava.  There were also tequila and beer based cocktails, as well as sangria.

Bellini!

Pisco!

I felt that the cocktails were a bit better than the food. I ordered a burger though, which may not have been the best call in a Latin American restaurant. I was also sad that the side of fries were incredibly thin (like shoestrings). I am NOT a fan of that style! I will most likely go back, but order a Cuban or something more authentic to the cuisine.

Cheers!

Liz

Keens Steakhouse!

Birthday Dinner!

My wonderful brother and I share August birthdays. Since we both live in NYC now, we tend to have an annual birthday dinner at a steakhouse to celebrate. I heard rave reviews for Keens (http://www.keens.com/) and it is randomly right near my apartment in Midtown: #winning! While we contemplated which massive piece of meat to order, I ordered a cocktail.

I don't recall everything that went into the cocktail, but it was gin based and delicious. It felt incredibly adult, which is fitting because I am older...ugh!

The decor is really beautiful and historical. Starting in the early 20th century, men would keep their pipes at Keens. The pipes were too fragile for transporting around and remained at the restaurant for safe keeping. 

For dinner, we chose the Porterhouse for two. It was delicious. So delicious in fact, that this happened.

YUM! Keens is a classy joint. It is an old-school steakhouse, rich with New York history. It isn't like the new swanky steakhouses (Strip House or STK). I highly recommend it. Even if you don't want to have dinner here, visit the bar. It is worth the trip.

Cheers,

Liz

The Dead Rabbit (The Hot Bartender)

The Speakeasy to End all Speakeasies!

FINALLY! After researching this spot for a school project and hearing it swept the Tales of the Cocktail awards, I HAD to come! Boy, was this trip down to the Financial District worth it and then some! My friend Kate and I had an incredible evening and Jack McGarry (International Bartender of the Year) gave both of us HUGS. Love him! We planned to have dinner at Dead Rabbit, but wanted to eat and drink at the bar by Jack to see him in action - it is quite the show!

Do you see all of these beautiful bitters and tinctures? The teacups are awesome!

Look at that huge ice cube and teacup!!! I have no idea what the drinks are that I ordered. I just stared into Jack's eyes and he knew what I wanted. It was that simple!

Delicious, but no idea what was in this!

Again, fabulous but ?

I wouldn't want to be a bartender with Jack in town. Check out what he sent to a rival bar - WATCH OUT NYC!

It is absolutely worth the trek downtown to check out this fantastic location! It is truly amazing. Make sure to go and sit at the bar upstairs to watch Jack in action.

Cheers, 

Liz

Beco in Brooklyn

Brunch with Birdie!

I meet up with some lovely Stern ladies (Lisa and Minden) for a lovely outdoor brunch in Williamsburg at Beco (http://www.becobar.com/). The service at the spot may not be the best, but the food and drinks are spot on! I got the brunch special with a Caipirinha. The spot is Brazilian, so when in Brazil, right? There is plenty of outdoor seating- I even saw a pug! The STAR of the brunch...

BIRDIE! It was such a pleasure to meet Minden's beautiful pooch. I hope to brunch with her again!

Cheers,
Liz

Tiki Time!

Intern Birthday Lunch!

One of my fellow interns celebrated his birthday during the summer and we had a wonderful lunch at Tommy Bahama (http://www.tommybahama.com/TBG/Stores_Restaurants/New_York_City.jsp). We had a DELICIOUS lunch and I ordered a Mai Tai. BOY, was it strong!! Don't get me wrong, I love a strong cocktail, but this was almost to the point of being undrinkable. I had to ask for more pineapple juice to water it down. 

The vibe of the spot is awesome and it really changes up the typical Midtown lunch routine. No more buffets!

Cheers,

Liz

Cocktails by Color at Peels

Feeling Orange!

Peels (http://peelsnyc.com/) is a lovely New American restaurant near Stern. Based on Instagram pics and FourSquare check-ins, it is popular with a lot of my friends. I was excited to check it out with my good friend Liv. 

The cocktail menu is really unique. I love how the cocktails are organized by color. I am a huge fan of cachaca, passionfruit and grapefruit, so I went with orange!

The ice cubes are awesome! Huge square blocks that have a slow melt so they don't dilute the cocktail.

I will have to go back during the school year!

Liz

Pour(ing) on the Ribbons of Cocktails!

Checked Off Another Speakeasy!

I had heard about Pouring Ribbons (http://www.pouringribbons.com/) and wanted to check it out but had not found myself in Alphabet City. After my mid-year intern celebration (I've been bad in posting!), we went to Pouring Ribbons, since we were right down the block! 

Drink #1 - bartender's choice with Zacapa Rum as the base. I thought it was ok but wasn't a fan of some of the bartender's mixer choices - sometimes it pays to be VERY specific of what you do/don't like. Wasn't feeling too adventurous that night.

My next cocktail was straight off the menu, a classic Champagne cocktail. Delicious and refreshing!

Overall, I thought that Pouring Ribbons was a beautiful space and was quiet enough to have conversations with your friends or date. I will keep this in mind to visit in the future!

Cheers,

Liz