Fatty Johnson's

Image by Jori Jane Emde

After our stop at Vandaag, it was off to see noted barkeeps and buddies Brian Miller and Phil Ward at Fatty Johnson's, Zak Pelaccio's short term pop-up bar in the old Cabrito space (50 Carmine St between Bedford and Bleecker St, 212-929-5050).

That evening Miller and Ward were presenting old favorites from their Death & Company days. The menu included:

SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY by Brian Miller (as contributed to liquor.com)

1.5 oz (45 ml) Tanqueray No. 10 Gin
1 oz (30 ml) Chablis wine
.5 oz (15 ml) Cinnamon Syrup*
Fill a mixing glass with ice and add all the ingredients. Stir, and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

*Cinnamon Syrup

2 to 3 Cinnamon sticks, broken into pieces
5 oz (150 ml) Sugar
5 oz (150 ml) Water
Add all the ingredients to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to low and simmer for a few minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for at least six hours. Strain, and store in the refrigerator.

OAXACA OLD FASHIONED by Phil Ward (serious eats)

1 1/2 ounces (45 ml) reposado tequila (El Tesoro recommended)
1/2 ounce (15 ml)  mezcal (Los Amantes Joven recommended)
1 teaspoon agave nectar
1 to 2 dashes Bittermens Xocolatl Mole bitters (substitute Angostura)
Wide swath of orange zest, for garnish

Combine ingredients in a mixing glass and fill with ice. Stir to chill, then strain into an ice-filled Old Fashioned glass. Twist orange peel over drink and use as garnish (for extra flavor and excitement, flame the peel by spraying the orange oil through the flame of a lit match and on top of the drink)

CHOCOLATE MARTICA by Phil Ward (Bitterman's)

1 oz (30 ml) Appleton V/X Rum
1 oz (30 ml) Cognac (Courvoisier VS)
1 oz (30 ml) Carpano Antica
1/4 oz (7.5 ml) Luxardo Maraschino
2 dashes Bittermens Xocolatl Mole Bitters

Stirred and served up in a cocktail glass.

THE CONFERENCE by Brian Miller (Bitterman's)
A play on the Old Fashioned by Brian Miller at Death and Company, 2007. It’s one of those drinks that evolves as the ice slowly melts into the cocktail.

1/4 oz (7.5 ml) Demerara Sugar Syrup
1/2 oz (15 ml) Rittenhouse Bonded Rye (100 Proof)
1/2 oz (15 ml) Buffalo Trace Bourbon

1/2 oz (15 ml) Cognac

1/2 oz (15 ml) Calvados

2 dashes Angostura Bitters
1 dash Bittermens Xocolatl Mole Bitters
Orange Twist (wide)
Lemon Twist (wide)

Stir all the ingredients aside from the twists in an ice filled shaker glass. Strain into a double old fashioned glass over ice. Add orange and lemon twists.

MONONGAHELA  MULE by Phil Ward | Old Overholt Rye, Lemon Juice, Ginger Syrup, Mint, Raspberries, Club Soda

THE BLACK MARKET MANHATTAN by Brian Miller (looka)

2 ounces (60 ml) Bernheim Wheat Whiskey.
1 ounce (30 ml) Martini & Rossi sweet vermouth infused with Market Spice Tea*
1 dash Angostura Bitters.

Stir ingredients and strain into a coupe. No garnish.

*For the Market Spice Tea-infused sweet vermouth: Place four heaping tablespoons of tea to 1 bottle Martini & Rossi sweet vermouth. Let it sit for an hour to an hour an a half, then strain and refrigerate.

GANNT'S TOMB by Brian Miller | Gosling’s Dark Rum, Rittenhouse Rye, Lemon Hart 151 Proof Demerera Rum, Pineapple Juice, Orange Juice, Simple Syrup, St. Elizabeth’s Allspice Dram

BITTER FRENCH by Phil Ward (educated guess )

1 ounce (30 ml) Plymouth gin
1/2 ounce (15 ml) simple syrup
1/2 ounce (15 ml) lemon juice
1/4 ounce Campari
Chilled sparkling wine, preferably champagne
Twist of lemon peel, for garnish

A chance to meet Brian Miller and that other guy, wow! It was a must-do on the list for this trip, and disappointed I was not. Sorry Phil...I've never met you, but your reputation proceeds you. You do have a gift for mixing drinks and I must admit to being a fan of several of your recipes. The attitude though, not so much.

Which is why I asked Brain to make me my first "D&C" Oaxaca Old Fashioned, which he did very happily and of course extremely well. I didn't get a chance to talk to Brian much, but this was not exactly happy hour either.  The place was hopping and the crowd was thirsty. So better yet, I was able to get a seat at the bar in front of his work station and watch him in action.

Brian and Phil worked madly away that night with the speed and ease of bartenders working a big crowd with nothing more demanding than a seven bottle speed well and a soda gun. Rather than churning out mix-mashed garbage by the bucket loads however, the fruit of their labor was of the highest quality.

A true feat considering that though the bottle selection at Fatty's would be good for most bars you run into, its limited at best compared to the top spots in the city. (The exception being Milk and Honey, where they make some of the very best drinks in the city with an amazingly limited selection of ingredients).

Those working the space are often making the best approximations they can with the ingredients available, but that's part of the fun too. You get to see these guys improvise and try something new, possibly (but not likely) even better!

As a follow-up I asked Brian for something dark and stirred with rye and amaro, a classic D&C style cocktail. He produced riff on the Boulevarder with rye, campari, martini & rosso vermouth and honestly, I cannot read my own notes to tell you which amaro he used.

I do remember liking it quite a bit, but this was stop #4 of the night, and my handwriting and memory became fuzzy at this point. Warm and fuzzy, and we'll leave it at that. This was a fun and unexpected treat as it was announced long after my travel plans were made, and I was glad to be able to add it to the itinerary.

Vandaag

Vandaag had its soft opening on Tue, July 27th, 2010 and so is still relatively new to the east village.

Introduced as an upscale restaurant specializing in Northern European cuisine, it was also billed as a genever bar and created a buzz in the cocktail world when it opened. While it was certainly not the first genever bar to open in NYC, it was the first in many a year!

Owner Brendan Spiro came up with the concept for Vandaag, which means "Today" in Dutch. The cocktail and spirits program was put together by Katie Stipe, a former bartender at Clover Club in Brooklyn and partner with Mayahuel’s Phil Ward in the consulting firm "Last Call Consulting". The chef is Phillip Kirschen-Clark, who has previously worked at Jimmy’s No. 43, Pegu Club and, more recently, Corton.

When Vandaag opened, much attention was paid to its wide range of genevers, European beers and wines, along with inventive cocktails using a beer/spirit combination including the classic Dutch shot-and-a-beer combo known as the kopstootje (or “little headbutt”).

We stopped in at Vandaag after PDT on our way to Fatty Johnson's for a quick drink. As expected, the space was open, light and modern. The zinc bar is a nice fit with the polished concrete floors and Scandinavian-like "new modern" decor. The touches of wood throughout kept the space feeling comfortable, and the overall ambiance works with the restaurant's concept.

The main press about this spot revolves around the Northern European cuisine, and it seems that management has struggled a bit to shed the "gin bar" label and focus on their kitchen program. I was there to experience the bar program so I did not try any food this visit, but from the dishes I did see I would be happy to come back for a meal. 

Working that evening and taking very good care of us, was Dan Nicolaescu.

I caught up with Dan recently, and was able to ask him a few questions.

Dan is passionate about his craft, always studying to create new combinations, and a blur behind the bar.

Dan has been in the restaurant business for some time now and like many barkeeps, got his start working the front of the house.

Interacting with customers and their drink orders, ducking behind the bar to make the occasional drink and eventually covering shifts here and there will get you a lot of practical experience!

As is easy to do working in good eating establishments, Dan became a bit of a wine guy and developed a good level of oenophilic knowledge, but says he never lost his interest in spirits.

Before landing his current gig at Vandaag, he started making more and more friends in the industry, taking classes and reading all he could get his hands on. Before long, he found himself "submerged" in the world of craft cocktails.

When I asked about his favorite cocktail books, he said he was currently enjoying David Wondrich's recent title Punch, and also greatly enjoyed Imbibe by the same author. For beginners he recommended Dale Degroff's Essential Cocktail and Craft of the Cocktail.

He also gave a nod to Left Coast Libations by Ted Munat & Michael Lazar, which is a great book if working a bar program with kitchen resources like Vandaag has.

I asked about his favorite "under-appreciated" classic cocktail recipe and his response came quickly citing the "Hanky Panky" cocktail.

(The Hanky Panky, Ada Coleman's classic recipe from Harry Craddock's 1930 title, The Savoy Cocktail Book, is a pleasing mix of gin and sweet vermouth nicely balanced with a few dashes Fernet Branca.)

To the age old (but still great) question, "What do you like to drink at home?", Dan told me he prefers high quality whiskeys including single malt scotches, straight bourbons, Japanese, Irish and other whiskeys - and that when drinking them on their own, he always takes them neat.

Dan was also kind enough, after checking with Katie of course, to provide the recipe for the very enjoyable drink that he served to me that night. (Big thanks to both Dan and Katie for this!).

Daisy de Hollanda By Katie Stipe, winter 2010, Vandaag NYC

1.5 oz Genevieve
0.5 oz Lustau fino sherry
0.5 oz pine syrup*
0.5 oz lime juice
0.25 oz green chartreuse
0.75 oz soda water

Shake all ingredients, beside soda water, with ice and strain over fresh ice into Collins glass. Top with soda and stir a couple times. Garnish with pine stem. Serve with straw.

*VANDAAG PINE SYRUP:
1 cup superfine sugar( by volume)
1 cup water
Fresh pine clippings

Make a simple syrup by heating water and sugar together in a pot over low/med heat. Add fresh pine clippings and remove from heat. Let steep overnight and strain. If it's not piney enough add more pine clippings and heat gently (pines don't have a consistent flavor so you have to adjust the amount of clippings). Do NOT reduce the syrup. Keep refrigerated.

So...if you find yourself in the east village, do yourself a big favor and stop in to see Dan or Katie for great drinks, and an education in the wonderful world of genever and other Northern European beverages and cuisine.

PDT

PDT, short for "Please Don't Tell", has become an establishment in the craft bar world. Created as a cocktail-lounge annex to Crif Dogs, known for their "Jersey Style" deep fried hot dogs, PDT is entered via a vintage phone booth within the Crif Dog restaurant.

Crif Dogs, 113 St. Mark's Place in the East Village

At the back of the phone booth is a "secret" door.

When PDT opened in May of 2007, the old-time speakeasy approach was a perfect fit with the pre-prohibition cocktail craze sweeping the city.

Owned by Crif Dogs owner Brian Shebairo, PDT is the creation Jim Meehan, a well known figure in the cocktail world, who was a veteran of Grammercy Tavern and Pegu club prior to creating PDT's bar program.

Since that opening, with the added talents of Don Lee and John Derragon, not to mention the allure of experiencing the secret entrance, Jim has managed to maintain PDT as one of the most popular craft bars in the country.

Sometimes you eat the bear, and sometimes, well, he eats you.

It's 2011 now, so I admit to being quite late to this party. The Benton's bacon-fat washed old fashioned that I felt obliged to try as my first drink, was all the rage when it was unveiled by Don Lee 3-4 years ago, and though the drink may have lost its status as a new "it" drink, it remains a popular staple of PDT's offerings.

When a recipe is so powerfully tied with a particular bar as a signature drink, it becomes something of a must-try. My experience with it was positive. I love my old fashioneds, and Don's bacon fat wash process removes any oily or greasy elements, leaving behind a smokey richness. It was like a BBQ bourbon, and in a very good way!

Working our side of the bar that evening was Karen Fu, who has also been working at ssäm bar, and recently won the nyc round for 42below's cocktail world cup last month with her "Manuka Sage Southside".

Manuka Sage Southside, by Karen Fu
1.5 oz. 42 Below Manuka Honey Vodka
.5 oz. Canton Ginger Liqueur
.5 oz Fresh Yuzu Juice
.25 oz. Nardini Acqua di Cedro
3 Sage Leaves

Muddle 2 of the sage leaves then add the rest of the ingredients. Shake with ice and fine strain into a chilled coupe. Top with 1 oz. Kiuchi Brewery Sparkling Yuzu Wine. Garnish with a spanked sage leaf.

(Nice use of the Nardini Acqua di Cedro Karen!)

Not exactly suited to home use, but that's not what the 42below competition is about, and I thought her recipe sounded well deserving of the win. Good luck at the next round Karen!

My second round at PDT was a drink called the 'Wrong Isle", a combination of Laird's 7 1/2 year old apple brandy, Lillet rouge, Quince Schrubb and Fee's Whiskey barrel aged bitters in a glass that has been rinsed in St. Germain.

Wrong Isle Cocktail

Ingredients
- 2 oz Laird’s Bonded Apple Brandy
- 1 oz Lillet Rouge
- .25 oz Quince Shrubb (Huilerie Beaujolaise Vinaigre de Coing)
- 1 Dash of Fee Brothers Whiskey Barrel Aged Bitters

Directions
1) Stir with ice and strain into a chilled, St. Germain rinsed coupe.
2) Garnish with an orange twist.

It was very dry, with a bit of a flat spot before the raspberry vinegar kicked in adding some interesting fruit flavors. Complex and enjoyable, though one was enough for me.

I've not heard Lillet Rouge spoken of in flattering terms before hearing Karen Fu espouse upon it's many positive aspects, a discovery which was one of the more interesting experiences I had at PDT.

The base wines in the Lillet Rouge are Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Unaged brandy is also cold soaked in various fruits, mostly citrus, before being pressed and blended with the wine. It is then aged in Slovenian oak for 6-8 months before bottling. 

There is a  mild quinine flavor evident as a light compliment to the bright flavors of citrus and wine. It's obviously more tannic than the blanc, but I've realized that comparisons between the rouge and blanc are probably unfair. I'm actually interested in picking up a bottle to experiment with at home after this introduction.

PDT's rules of etiquette are fairly standard for small craft-bars. Operating a small capacity bar room and turning a profit is difficult enough, without the difficulties created by patrons who would flaunt these rules.

While the atmosphere and attitude will not be for everyone here, I found PDT's reputation for maintaining a high quality bar program to be well deserved. The space was lively but quiet enough for conversation, the staff was friendly and knowledgeable, and the dark & cozy speakeasy charm undeniable.

PDT does have the advantage of a kitchen program, even if it is mainly deep fried hot dogs. Many of the recipes you find there contain rare and hard-to-find or house-made ingredients, which is really part of the reason to go out and spend the money drinking at a place like this in the first place. 

As these recipes are not well suited for home use, I'll leave you with this Jim Meehan recipe from Mud Puddle's Big Bartender's Book.

Haitian Fight Sour (Jim Meehan, NYC)

1 1/2 ounce (45 ml) aged rum (Barbancourt 8)

1/2 ounce (15 ml) Benedictine

3/4 ounce (22 ml) lime juice

1/2 ounce (15 ml) simple syrup

2 dashed Angostura bitters

Shake well with ice and strain into a coupe. Garnish with a lime wheel.

This is a deep, dark and mysterious sour deepened even further by my use of a 2:1 ratio demerara sugar simple syrup. The Benedictine's complex profile goes well with the Barbancourt Haitian rum and Angostura bitters are hard to beat as an addition to any drink. A very enjoyable dark daiquiri variation, nice one Jim!