Visiting Temple (Bar)

Drinks with the Girls

Last night, I caught up with two close friends from Stern (Michelle and Olivia). I wanted to try out a bar I read about near school, Temple Bar (http://www.templebarnyc.com/). I love trying out new places - there are simply too many bars in this city to always go to the same places. I read about Temple Bar's reputation for expertly crafted cocktails and was convinced I need to visit it immediately, if not sooner!

Beautiful Interior Features a Sculpted Wood Bar

I asked the bartender if they made their own pickle juice - specific question, I know! Instead of a dirty martini, I enjoy a pickle martini. The flavor profile is a bit more subtle and less salty if the pickles are made in-house. Naturally, I ordered it with Ketel One. 

Dirty Pickle Martini

Next, I wanted a Perfect (sweet & dry vermouth) Bulleit Manhattan. I had one this weekend and I loved it. Instead of a cherry (hate them!), I ordered with a twist. Such a good choice!

Perfect Drink! :)

I loved the set-up of the back bar. I snapped a photo. 

Swank City

This place would be a great date spot - check it out! I hope to check it out on a date sometime soon :)

Cheers,

Liz

The Commodore

Birthday Drinks in Brooklyn

This past Friday, there was a Stern birthday celebration at The Commodore (no website, http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-commodore-brooklyn). I've heard that the food there is legendary, so that alone was worth the trip. For a dive bar, the Commodore offered several interesting drink options. I wasn't sure which to order first...the Perfect Manhattan or Old Fashioned. 

Where to Start?

I started with a Bulleit Rye Perfect Manhattan. I love love love Bulleit! It really makes wonderful cocktails. I've been dabbling in dark spirits more. I haven't gotten to just drinking bourbon neat, so a little cocktailing never hurt. 

Perfect Manhattan - made with Sweet and Dry Vermouth

After I finished this delicious drink, I moved on to the Old Fashioned. I ordered it with Bulleit Rye as well. This cocktail was a bit too weird for me. For the size of the glass, the slice of orange was HUGE and the drink was way too red. It just seemed off - should have gotten another Manhattan since it was "Perfect" after all. 

Old Fashioned

Once we were hydrated, we checked out the menu. I loved the monkey on it - really different!

The place is pretty famous for the fried chicken. Ingrid was smart and ordered that. I ordered a Kale Caesar salad. Complete rookie mistake. I'm trying to eat healthier...yet ordering a salad in a place famous for frying food is just a bad call.

What You Should Order - Fried Chicken

What You Shouldn't Order - Salad...

The birthday boy, Tim, kept ordering rounds of  Bandera Shots aka Mexican Flag Shots. The shot is made out of three separate shots: tequila, lime juice and Bloody Mary Mix. Woof. I didn't partake. It looked interesting..

Bandera Shots

This is definitely a place to check out. It was cold outside and HOT inside. The bar is small and I got overheated pretty quickly. I would recommend wearing layers so you can prevent yourself from sweating your face off.

Cheers,

Liz

Picking Apples

Apple Restaurant & Bombar

A good friend of mine, Scott F., suggested getting drinks at a local spot near Stern. I couldn't believe he would actually suggest this spot for a good martini. I've walked past it many many times but never thought of it as somewhere to actually go inside! I want to come from a "Place of Yes," so I agreed and went to Apple (http://applerestaurant.com/). 

Ketel One Dirty Martini

I am SHOCKED to admit I was wrong. The bartenders make incredible martinis for a great price ($10)! This is the spot to go near school. The interior of the spot is completely random and super weird. The bar is shaped like a piano. If you can get beyond the decor, the drink selection and pricing is a bargain. Happy Hour is 4-7pm, half off the entire bar. 

Good job Scott!

Cheers, 

Liz

Chelsea Brewing Company

Brewery Tour with Block 3!

This past Saturday, I organized a tour with some Sternies to the Chelsea Brewing Company. Since it is October, I wanted to find a spot that featured something special for Oktoberfest. After doing some research, I found that Chelsea Brewing Company (http://www.chelseabrewingco.com/) was having a Wet Hop Harvest Festival from October 18th to October 20th. The event featured 20 Beers on Tap from Chelsea Brewing Company and Brew Master select guest brews, traditional Oktoberfest food and live music. 

Another reason why this venue was attractive is they offer a brewery tour each Saturday for Free! They are offered on the hour starting at 2pm. The tour includes a sample of beer as well. 

Pat Greene, Director of Brewing Operations

The tour lasted for about 30 minutes and included the history of the brewery and interesting facts about beer production. During this tour, I found out that Pat is also an NYU alum (I was wearing an NYU shirt). 

Free Sample!

During the tour, we were all offered a sample of our choice. I chose the Pumpkin Pie Ale. Pat explained it is made with fresh roasted squash and a mix of spices (cinnamon, cloves, pumpkin pie spice, etc.). It was lovely! I'm not a huge beer fan, but I do love beer that has a fun flavor profile (typically sweet).

Inside of the Brewery Restaurant

The restaurant features all of the beers produced by the Brewery. The beers are very fresh - right from the tap!

Pier 59 at Chelsea Piers

While we were enjoying our afternoon, we sat on the patio. The view is incredible! The weather has been pretty warm this season, though yesterday I started to feel the chill of fall. 

German Food!

I ordered the bratwurst with chopped onions and dijon mustard. It was so yummy!

PUG!

On my way home, I ran into a pug (my favorite dog breed ever!). This capped off a wonderful afternoon.

I would highly recommend visiting Chelsea Brewing Company. It was a great way to spend the day with some classmates, learn about the beer industry and support a local business. Consider it as a first date idea!

Cheers,

Liz

Imbibe with the Irish

Féile - Local Irish Bar

Even though I live in Midtown West, I tend to not cross Sixth Avenue much to venture further west. The other night, I went on a date at a local bar that I never heard of - since it is past Sixth Avenue! The place is called Féile (http://www.feilenyc.com/). It is a standard set-up and not very different from other bars I've been to in that category (the category being casual bars).

I wanted to try a honey bourbon and their brand selection wasn't that wide in the flavored bourbon category. I tried Wild Turkey Honey. It is SWEET. I wanted it on the rocks and I'm glad I didn't mix it with anything that would have made it even sweeter. 

Overall, I'm not sure if I would go back here. It is convenient, but I imagine if I cross over Sixth Avenue more, there are likely even more options!

Cheers,

Liz

Another Day, Another Date.

Keeping it Casual at Galway Pub

Although I tend to prefer fancier cocktail spots, lately I've been leaning towards more casual places to meet for a first date. I feel like it relaxes the tone and may not make me appear as high maintenance ($12-$15 cocktails could do that, so trying new strategies). 

I messaged back and forth with a new gentleman. We hit it off and planned to meet at The Ginger Man. My date arrived earlier than I did and asked for me to scope out some other spots, since the original location was super crowded. Next door, he suggested Galway Pub (http://galwaypubnyc.com/). We ended up going there and it was a great location. We met around 9pm. As the night wore on, it started to get more and more douchey (a bit too fratastic). We managed to find a quiet spot at the bar and stayed there, away from the first pumping. I ordered a Ketel One and Soda - didn't take a picture, since it wasn't that exciting. 

I'm not sure if I would go back on another date, but it met the needs (quiet enough, somewhere to sit, cheaper drinkers, low key).

Cheers,

Liz

Visiting the House of Walker

Keep Walking

A classmate at Stern passed on that he was attending a House of Walker event. Naturally, I am always inclined to attend a "spirited" event, so I RSVPed for two and invited another Sternie. The House of Walker events take place in a space that has been entirely transformed to fit the Johnnie Walker brand. We arrived about 30 minutes early to ensure that we could get into the event - even with the RSVP, entry is not guaranteed. 

Ice Artist

At the rear bar, an incredibly skilled gentleman was carving beautiful designs from blocks of ice. Johnnie Walker Black Label and Double Black Label were served at the back bar. 

Put Your $$$ on Black!

We moved over to the other bar; it featured Johnnie Walker Red Label in expertly crafted cocktails. I chose the first option, White Gold. In addition to JW, it had Canton Ginger Liqueur and Lilet Blanc. The cocktail was very balanced and delicious. Drinking scotch neat or on the rocks is a bit intense for me. The addition of other spirits rounded out the profile.

Which to Pick?

White Gold Cocktail

After we each got a cocktail, we sat down to a scotch tasting with Johnnie Walker Black and Diageo's Master of Whisky. It was informative! We got to try it three ways: neat, with a drop of water and with an ice cube. 

Scotch Tasting

The next part of the evening consisted of hearing the Diageo Master of Whisky ask questions to Hella Bitter's Eduardo Simeon and Tobin Ludwig. Their company, based in Williamsburg, was funded by Kickstart.com contributions. Check them out here: http://hellabitters.com/

Hella Awesome

Each corner of the venue had different "themes" - did you know that the Walker family initially began blending teas...not scotch? I snapped a photo of all the different blends that make the awesome Johnnie Walker labels. 

Blended to Perfection

I encourage you to attend one of these events in the future: https://rsvpjohnniewalker.com/ 

Keep Walking!

Liz

Bell Book & Brenne (Candle)

Celebrating Allison and Brenne!

Last week, some classmates and mine attended a year-anniversary for Brenne Whisky (http://drinkbrenne.com/). Allison, the "Whisky Woman", launched this brand because of her passion for whisky and she has absolutely crushed it! Her blog, http://drinkbrenne.com/blog, details her journey. Allison lives in the West Village and chose Bell Book & Candle (http://bbandcnyc.com/) for her anniversary celebration.

Celebrate! Brenne is 1!

The expert bartender crafted a delicious Manhattan with Brenne - so yummy. 

YUM! Check out that orange peel :)

One of Allison's good friends made a cake with a bottle (a BOTTLE) of Brenne. I tried a little bit and it was fantastic!

Apparently, others liked the cake as well

Isn't the bottle for Brenne beautiful?

Brenne: Incredible Whisky!

I will need to go back to Bell Book & Candle to try some of their signature cocktails. Wherever you go, look for Brenne and try a cocktail with it. You will be glad you did!

Cheers,

Liz