Some New Yorkers drink to forget their MTA-related woes, hoping to ease the pain of a long delay or sweaty subway car with a strong cocktail at the local bar.
But beleaguered straphangers won’t find an escape at Grand Army Bar. The bar’s newest themed menu is an alcoholic homage to the city’s transit system, with 14 drinks inspired by the wonders and horrors of the daily commute.
“The 242nd St./Van Cortlandt Park,” for example, is a “whiskey-based tiki swizzle” flavored with apricot, lemon, and poppyside and inspired by the Lloyd’s Carrot Cake steps from the end of the 1 train line in the Bronx. One of the non-alcoholic drinks, the “Accessible Station,” is made with spirit-free gin, papaya, guava, and dairy-free clarified coconut milk, is described as “accessible to many.”
The bar, located at the corner of State and Hoyt streets, regularly rolls out new themed menus, and this one is both a celebration of the MTA and of the bar’s 10th anniversary — Grand Army’s first-ever themed menu in 2015 was called “Trains and Railroads.”
Developing the drinks was a little more challenging than usual, said head bartender Patty Dennison.
“The thing that I want to be important and top of mind is not coming up with a drink and then forcing it onto something related to the theme,” Dennison said. “But doing some research, finding something that relates to the theme, and then creating a cocktail around that…which can be very challenging, I will say.”
But the whole team chipped in with their own ideas and mixes. They agreed that after a “tough winter,” they wanted to lean into summery flavors — lots of fresh fruit and some unexpected ingredients.
There’s the “G-train,” inspired by the taco trucks that often park outside stations along the route and made with Mexican gin, cilantro, poblano, blanc vermouth, and Gentian; or the “Manhattan Bound” — a riff on a classic Manhattan with Irish whiskey, rye, sweet vermouth, toasted coconut, and pineapple.
One bartender at Grand Army “really is passionate about public transportation being free,” Dennison said, and his drink is the “Fare Evasion,” with mezcal, Manzanilla sherry, cantaloupe, and chamomile.
For Dennison’s own creation, the “Union Square,” she thought about the fresh fruit and flowers she’d buy at the Union Square farmer’s market when she worked in Manhattan. The finished drink is a fizzy refresher with vodka, strawberry, jasmine, and blanc vermouth.
So far, the “Dirty Dog Martini” with gin, dill-infused aquavit, vermouth, bay leaf, and pickled tomato is a customer favorite, Dennison said, and the “Fare Evasion,” which described an “absolute banger,” has been a hit.
Grand Army itself is decked out with MTA-themed decor, like custom-made “Courtesy Counts” ads painted by one of Dennison’s friends.
In an era where many small businesses are struggling, Dennison said it’s “kind of a feat” for any bar to celebrate its 10th anniversary.
“I think the thing about Grand Army is that it’s been so different throughout the ten years,” she said. “Whoever’s running the program … it just kind of morphs and changes the bar in a way that’s cool. It’s just cool to be part of this iteration of Grand Army.”
