No one ever said Brooklyn in the summertime
was bearable. Not when the humidity turns people’s clothes into
wet laundry, and their hair, well, that’s too gruesome an image
to commit to paper.
There is a simple solution to sweltering heat, one that will
soften the memory of urine-scented subway stations and ease the
heat-induced grouchiness that is summer in the city: an ice cold
cocktail.
Borough restaurants and bars get creative this time of year,
infusing vodkas with fruit or herbs and whirling fresh berries
in the blender for green market daiquiris.
And, never since James Bond uttered, "shaken, not stirred,"
has the martini – especially one made with vodka – been so popular.
Personnel at five of the seven establishments included in this
roundup cited a specialty version of the cocktail as their customers’
drink of choice.
Why not? Anyone who drinks a martini is beautifully groomed,
impeccably dressed and all but impervious to the soaring temperatures.
(At least that’s how they feel after they’ve downed one or two.)
Max Joice calls himself a "bourbon guy." That’s one
reason the manager and cocktail developer at Night and Day, a
bar-eatery-literary-arts-venue in Park Slope, concocted "Honey’s
Tease" ($9).
"It’s a perfect summer drink," Joice says, "like
an alcoholic lemonade." Joice prefers Basil Hayden’s single-batch
bourbon as the drink’s foundation because, "It’s the smoothest."
He shakes the liquor with honey and simple sugar syrup, cuts
the sweetness with fresh lemon juice, and then pours the works
into an ice filled highball glass. Sweet and slightly bitter,
frosty with the heat of bourbon, it’s a sweet tease all right.
Speaking of teases, they’ve got one over at Apartment 138 on
Smith Street. That would be the "Watermelon Martini"
($8), the cocktail that bartender Alfred DiScipio suggests to
his Boerum Hill clientele when they want, (forgive me for this)
an icebreaker. The pale pink, distinctly Metrosexual combination
is a mix of watermelon puree, citrus-infused vodka and De Kuyper’s
"Watermelon Pucker" schnapps.
When the weather heats up, Paloma’s bartender Mack McCarthy starts
shaking. McCarthy, who mans the bar at this popular Greenpoint
eatery-arts venue, pours a lot of "Rhubarb Martinis"
($8).
"The chef sautes rhubarb with a little sugar then extracts
the juice. Then we mix it with lemon-infused vodka and lemon
and lime juices, and shake it up with a little sugar," he
says. "People are really into the drink." For all vodka-based
drinks, or straight up, McCarthy uses 42 Below, an organic vodka
from New Zealand that he infuses with ingredients like lychee
nuts, kaffir lime leaves, chili and ginger.
Even the name of the cocktail Scott Petche dreamed up on a sultry
evening sounds cool: the "Mermaid" ($8). The bartender
at the swanky Royal’s Downtown in Carroll Gardens uses a mix
of Limoncello (Italian lemon liqueur), Stoli citrus vodka, club
soda, simple sugar syrup and fresh pineapple juice then pours
the tropical concoction into a martini glass and garnishes it
with a sprig of mint. One sip of this frothy, herbaceous drink
and you’ll be heeding the siren song of the "Mermaid,"
too.
Keeping the oceanic theme afloat, there’s Sea Thai Bistro in
Williamsburg. Sea doesn’t have a bar; it has two – and a pool
with a small boat in the center of the vast space. (How hip is
it? Samantha hooked up with Smith here in an episode of "Sex
and the City.") Mike, one of the eatery’s bartenders, said
the "Lemon Drop Martini" ($9), a blend of Brimley’s
Gold mango-flavored rum, vodka, Triple Sec and a splash of sour
mix, keeps the patrons’ inhibitions turned to low.
Like Sea’s clientele, the folks at another Williamsburg venue,
Zipi Zape, know how to have a good time. Diners gathered around
the bar of this tapas restaurant, named for Spanish twin cartoon
figures, are quaffing ice-cold "Kasatinis" ($8).
The drink, says the restaurant’s co-owner Ayse Telgeren, starts
with Kas, a Spanish soda flavored with either orange or lemon.
Into the soda goes Cava, a Spanish sparkling wine. A choice of
fresh peach, lemon or mango juice is added and the fruity blend
is served in flute glass. (With the pairing of effervescent beverages,
maybe the drink should be dubbed the "Bubbletini"?)
If the thought if eating anything on a hot night makes you shudder,
head to the Patio Lounge in Park Slope where it’s all booze,
all the time, no food ever. Plunk yourself down at the bar or
sit outside in the shady garden and order a "Key Lime Pie"
($8). The drink is the brainchild of manager Cara Soronen who
mixed Stoli vanilla vodka, pineapple and lime juices and declared
it "almost the real thing" – without the piecrust of
course.
It’s a complete gestalt: The heat makes you drink and the drink
revs up a heat-weary appetite. The establishments above – excluding
Patio Lounge – can help you with that, too.
Apartment 138 (138 Smith St. between
Dean and Bergen streets in Boerum Hill) accepts American Express,
Discover, MasterCard and Visa. Entrees: $8-$22. The restaurant
serves lunch and dinner daily. The bar is open until midnight.
For information, call (718) 858-0556.
Night and Day (230 Fifth Ave. at President Street in Park Slope)
accepts American Express, Diners Club, Discover, MasterCard and
Visa. Entrees: $10-$18. The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch
and dinner daily. Bar is open until 1 am everyday. For reservations,
call (718) 399-2161,
Paloma (60 Greenpoint Ave. between West and Franklin streets
in Greenpoint) accepts American Express, Discover, MasterCard
and Visa. Entrees: $11-$16. The restaurant is open Tuesday through
Sunday for dinner. The bar serves cocktails until 1 am on weeknights
and 3 am on weekends. Closed Mondays. For reservations, call
(718) 349-2400.
Patio Lounge (179 Fifth Ave. between Berkeley and Union streets
in Park Slope) accepts American Express, Discover, MasterCard
and Visa. The bar is open from 5 pm until 2:30 am daily. For
more information, call (718) 857-3577.
Royal’s Downtown (215 Union St. at Henry Street in Carroll Gardens)
accepts American Express, Discover and Visa. Entrees: $18-$32.
The restaurant is open for dinner Monday through Saturday. Closed
Sundays. The bar is open until 10 pm on weeknights and until
11 pm on Fridays and Saturdays. For reservations, call (718)
923-9866.
Sea Thai Bistro (114 N. Sixth St. between Wythe and Berry streets
in Williamsburg) accepts MasterCard and Visa. Entrees: $9-$14.
The restaurant serves lunch and dinner daily. The bar is open
until 1 am Sunday through Thursday, and until 1 am on Fridays
and Saturdays. For reservations, call (718) 384-8850.
Zipi Zape (152 Metropolitan Ave. at Berry Street in Williamsburg)
accepts MasterCard and Visa. Tapas: $1-$14. The restaurant is
open for dinner Tuesday through Sunday. Closed Mondays. The bar
is open weekdays until midnight and on weekends until 1 am. For
reservations, call (718) 599-3027.
