The Bloody Mary

The quintessential morning cocktail named after Queen Mary of England. Its origins are highly disputed, with both Fernand Petiot of Harry’s Bar in Paris and George Jessel both having legitimate claims. The Bloody Mary is known the world over for its curative effects. It is meant to be sipped slowly as recollections of the previous evening’s revels are told and retold (often, perhaps, with different outcomes.) Please indulge yourselves, but not too much, as they are meant to wake the spirit, not put it back to sleep.

BLOODY MARY – $9

The classic with vodka, nice and spicy

RED SNAPPER – $9

Our house-made mary with gin

MARIA SIN SANGRE– $10

Muddled cherry tomatoes, basil, silver tequila, medium dry sherry, lemon juice

BLODIGA MARY – $10

House-made mary with aquavit

Cobblers

Cobblers are said to have gotten their name, more than a century ago, from the little “cobbles,” or pebbles, of ice they were made with. At one point, they were probably the most popular family of drinks going, with the Sherry Cobbler being the star. Why? Simple. Not only were they delicious, but they introduced a fun new invention of the time, the straw.

SUISSESSE – $10

Herbsaint, dry vermouth, crème de menthe, egg white

BRAMBLE – $10

Gin, lemon, blackberry, crème de mure

SHERRY COBBLER – $10

Medium dry sherry, demerara syrup, orange bitters

BLUSH BABY – $10

Rum, demerara syrup, lemon, blackberry, raspberry, rosé wine

Swizzles

A sour-style drink served with fine ice that is churned using a swizzle stick. Some contend that a swizzle’s ingredients aren’t as important as the actual technique of swizzling. If done properly, the drink will be foamy and the glass frosted. These drinks require both skill in the person making them and patience in the person ordering the. A proper swizzle is a labor of love and definitely worth the wait.

GOWANUS HOUSEBOAT SWIZZLE – $10

Cachaca, lime, orange juice, Galliano, Peychaud’s bitters

QUEENS PARK SWIZZLE – $10

Aged rum, mint, demerara syrup, Angostura bitters

Collins & Fizzes

Collins and fizzes are both, in essence, sours topped with soda. For example, the Tom Collins and the Gin Fizz are made virtually the same way, except the Collins has ice and is made in the glass that it is served in while the fizz is shaken, strained, and served with no ice. Oh, and to keep things interesting, sometimes if you simply add soda water to a drink, that makes it a fizz too. No one said this was easy. Cheers.

BITTER TOM – $10

Gin, Campari, grapefruit, lemon, pomegranate molasses

LILAC FIZZ – $10

Gin, Crème Yvette, cream, lemon, lime, egg white

MORNING GLORY – $10

Scotch, lemon juice, absinthe, egg white

Bracers & Pick Ups

As our local historian (and cocktail superhero) David Wondrich points out, many nineteenth-century cocktails were designed to be consumed well before the sun was over the yardarm, and were utilized to help the drinker brace up during the morning after a long night. So when you stagger out of bed, groggy, grouchy and cross-tempered, we recommend one of these fog cutters to remedy your hangover. It may even help you remember what you did last night.

CLOVER CLUB – $10

Gin, dry vermouth, lemon, raspberry syrup and egg white

BRANDY CRUSTA – $10

Cognac, lemon, orange liqueur, Benedictine, sugar, Boker’s bitters

PENDENNIS CLUB COCKTAIL – $9

Gin, apricot eau de vie, lime juice

SLEEPY HELLO – $10

Scotch, sloe gin, elderflower liqueur, lemon juice

Royales

Drinks made with Champagne or sparkling wine. In the words of Napoleon Bonaparte, “I drink champagne when I win, to celebrate. I drink champagne when I lose, to console myself.” Bubbles make everything better, right?

BLACKBERRY CHARGER – $10

Genever, lemon, blackberry, dash absinthe, Champagne

SBAGLIATO – $9

Bianco vermouth, Gran Classico bitters, prosecco

CHAMPAGNE COBBLER – $10

Rosé Champagne, citrus zest, berries

Punches

Our friendly neighborhood cocktail historian, David Wondrich, defined punch perfectly as, “…a large bore mixture of spirits, citrus, sugar, water and spice.” Punch is the grandaddy of all mixed drinks. There are recipes that go as far back as the 1600′s. They’re a symbol of the communal spirit and meant to be drunk among friends and colleagues. Remember to share.

SERVES 4-6

CHAMPAGNE PUNCH – $46

Rosé Champagne, cassis, elderflower, fresh berries

PUNCH DE GRACE – $46

Gin, Lillet Blonde, elderflower liqueur, pineapple, lemon, Benedictine