summer days
i have a bit of a confession. an addition of sorts. recently eclipsing one year, my friend and i mainstays at our local cocktail bar. critics say we’re alcoholics lol. i like to think we’re supporting our local business. i probably have spent a thousand dollars on drinks there in the past year. my partially delusional mind tells me its been worth it for all the free experimental drinks and shots ive received.
its comforting going to a place with relative consistency. we love the drinks, the ambiance, and of course the staff. particularly in new york, cocktail bars have a tendency to be overly experimental - they cooked but no one was hungry typebeat. yet, day in and day out we often see our local bartenders blending new creations asking for our feedback - whether this base spirit is better, whether the sweetness is dialed in properly.
the cocktails there are crafted with intention. though im sure its that way at other bars, seeing the art form behind it makes the drinks taste that much better. a revolving seasonal menu highlights the bars strive to always move forward. in particuar this summer, they have a focus on underrepresented south eastern and eastern asia spirits. a thai iced tea drink, a spicy thai curry, a new twist on an old fashion. trying them months prior makes them all that more better today.
as someone who is cantonese with roots in hong kong and friends in taiwan, this bar is the perfect blend of cultures. the finger foods compliment the drinks which in turn compliment the ambiance. i often find new school “abc - american born chinese” restaurants and bars to be overtly pretentious - serving dishes and drinks on the count of nostalgia. generally most fusion places lie on a spectrum with one end being authentic and another being westernized. how the bar manages to balance both so well is beyond me. if i were to ever open any store/cafe/bar this is how i would design it.
of course the staff. always down for a conversation on whatever. one in particular we’ve mentored over a few drinks. introducing himself as a bartender who moved half way across the country in pursuit of coding opportunities, he did not realize he was serving two industrymen (lol i dont think we’re good at our jobs but at least from his perspective he wants to strive to be where we are). a few months go by and suddenly he tells us hes going to chase his dream. i would like to think we had a hand in that decision. i hope it works out for him. his replacement isnt nearly as talkative, yet. maybe we just need to share a few more shots.
thank you 929.
be good,
simple