My routine procedure for any restaurant always includes the menu scan—a fleeting opportunity for any ingredient, flavor or taste to provoke instantaneous salivation and entice me to reconsider “the usual” that I religiously order. As this technique is easily applied to cocktail lists as well, while out for drinks at 67 Orange St I grabbed a menu to see what combination of alcohol and juice would best quench my thirst.
Artichoke…basil…rosemary…jalapeno…rhubarb…my appetite was whetted but I wasn’t here for dinner, “drink menu please.” At second glance, and this time with meticulous reexamination, I quickly discovered that the dozens of gourmet recipes listed before me were, in fact, beverages.
A step above the college standards of wristbands and all-you-can-binge-drink Budweiser, if you appreciate the art of a cocktail, you are definitely getting what you pay for at 67 Orange St. Here, the silhouette of the liquor cabinet takes a form unlike any I have seen before, replacing Jägermeister-chilling dispensers and pre-made margarita machines with exquisitely-crafted bottles of luxury spirits from all ends of the globe. Homemade liquor infusions of natural fruits, herbs and spices are brewed several times a week to create salty, sour, savory and sweet concoctions that hit the tongue like a 3-course meal.
Aside from the cocktails, the ambiance alone sets 67 Orange St apart from any other bar north of Central Park. The small, darkly-lit space makes for a speakeasy feel, where conversation centers around the circulating art exhibits that adorn the walls and the poise of the bartender who works her cocktail shaker like an artist uses a paintbrush. A private room downstairs serves for weekend overflow and can be reserved for private parties as well.
While the prices leave a steep bill for an unemployed undergrad with compounding student loans, on Tuesday nights from 7:30 to 9 anyone is welcome to get a taste of the cocktail experience for free during their Complimentary Cocktail Education Series and Tasting. Every week a featured liquor is showcased in a variety of house cocktails served in shot glasses to all in attendance. Pamphlets are distributed with the facts and history surrounding the highlighted liquor. But as the night goes on and reading becomes an increasingly difficult task, resident bartender Kali Erwin is a cocktail encyclopedia, ready to answer any question you can slur at her.
And for anyone prone to the munchies after a few drinks, the food, just like the cocktails, is not your typical bar fare. While the daily selection of market fresh shellfish (at MP) or the Orange Roasted Duck Leg with rutabaga and grape succotash ($9.50) seem a more appropriate pairing for sophisticated cocktails, the warm and welcoming hospitality of Sarah Duffin, staff supervisor and VP of Business Development, could compel even the most pretentious Manhattanite to unwind with a $4 mountain of their homemade, greasy onion petals.
With Cachaca, Bison Grass, and Tequila tastings on the line-up for the coming month and midterm season winding down, visit the website to reserve a spot at next weeks free tasting before this hidden Harlem Treasure (and all its free alcohol) is discovered by the masses.
2082 Frederick Douglas Blvd
212-662-2030
B C to Cathedral Parkway, 2 3 to 110th St-Central Park
Hours: Mon-Tues 6pm-12am, Wed-Thurs 6pm-2am, Fri-Sat 6pm-4am, Sun 6pm-12am
Comments | Posted on October 26, 2009 | Categories: Event-Related, From the Blog, Harlem, Manhattan, Neighborhoods, Nightlife
