wWw Holiday Edition at Flatiron Room

Last Wednesday we decided to host an impromptu event to have one last drink together before we all went our separate ways for the holidays. 

We chose the Flatiron Room, for it's cozy ambiance, live music, and well-crafted cocktails. 

The bartender pouring a flaming drink

Flatiron Room is famous for its "Bottle Keep" service.

Good whiskey is meant to be enjoyed at your leisure and preferably in the company of good friends. We created our “Bottle Keep” program for this very reason. Most of our whiskeys can be purchased by the dram or by the bottle. If you come across an expression you really like then you might consider purchasing the bottle. 

It works like this: You purchase your favorite bottle and enjoy as much as you’d like at your table. When you’ve had enough, we’ll tag it with your name and store it safely in our Bottle Keep. 

You’ll also receive some “Entitlement Cards”. These cards give the holder authorization to drink off the bottle (so be careful who you give them to!). Next time you come by simply give the server your Entitlement Card and we’ll fetch your bottle. It’s a lot of fun and it makes a great gift. 

 The bottles are kept in beautiful, softly lit lockers that line and decorate the length of the bar. 

The "Bottle Keep" Locker

We started off the evening with a round of Old Fashioneds at the bar, while we waited for our table, and perused the menu of Tasting Flights and Classic Cocktails.

An Old Fashioned

When we finally sat down we got a round of Templeton Manhattans, straight up, and waited for our food--truffled mac and cheese, mushroom pizza, and beet salad. We were starving! 

The Flatiron Room's standard is a Perfect Manhattan (made with half sweet and half dry vermouth) and served with a twist. Personally, that how I prefer it--something about the citrus aroma really opens up the flavors--but Kim was a little disappointed that they didn't have brandied cherries. 

Templeton Manhattans

Given the last minute nature of the invitation, we had a small group, but it gave us the chance to catch up with each other and share an intimate evening over delicious drinks and tasty snacks.

Mary and Julia

Julia and Andrea

Kim and Elizabeth

The live jazz was a delightful addition to the cozy, timeless atmosphere. 

The Flatiron Room is the perfect place for a quiet evening with friends, or a romantic, intimate evening with a lover. 

At around $15 each, the cocktails are a little on the pricy side, even for Manhattan, but they're impeccably mixed and the service is flawless, so it's worth the little extra, especially if you want to impress.

***

The Flatiron Room

37 W 26th Street

(6th Ave)

212.725.3860

***

Happy Hour at American Whiskey

{Buffalo Trace Manhattan}

Last Monday, Women Who Whiskey had an impromptu Happy Hour at American Whiskey, a brand new Whiskey bar that just opened in Chelsea. 

We were very pleasantly surprised by the bar, which sported an impressive whiskey list--available in 1 oz and 2 oz pours, in case you want just a taste, or want to design your own flight!--as well as an innovative cocktail menu. 

I started with a Manhattan, as usual, which was made with Buffalo Trace and an orange peel, instead of the traditional cherry. It was delightful, and I was quite enamored with it, as you can see from my lipstick!

The bartenders were unbelievably friendly and attentive, which made the whole experience much more enjoyable. 

Tony, who tended to us for most of the evening, was on cloud nine, after having just that day proposed to his girlfriend (she said yes!). His giddiness infected everyone at the bar with good spirits. 

And I may have even recruited Margaret, the lady bartender, to join Women Who Whiskey! 

We had solid showing of ladies--all eager to catch up with each other after busy summers--and we even had a guest appearance by some of the gentleman from Gents Among Men, who stopped by to discuss an upcoming event we're planning together! 

{Amanda's beautiful Old Fashioned}

{Alexa, Mary, and Kim--all in teal!}

{Danielle and Megan}

{Julia and Amanda}

{Samantha's amazing new iphone case}

{Julia and Samantha--in white lace!}

{Alexa, Samantha, Amanda, and Zara}

{Old Forester 100 Proof Bourbon, neat}

{Amanda and Julia}

American Whiskey definitely became an instant favorite of Women Who Whiskey!

Do yourself a favor and go have a drink there, asap.

***
American Whiskey
247 West 30th Street 
(between 7th and 8th Ave)
212.967.1070

***

 

Vanilla Old Fashioned

Try this tasty twist on a traditional Old Fashioned from Fabric Paper Glue!

Ingredients:
2 oz Bourbon
1 tsp Vanilla Syrup
2 dashes Angostura Bitters

Directions: Stir ingredients with ice in a rocks glass. Garnish with an orange peel.

Head over to the blog to see how to make the vanilla syrup!

Overproof Old Fashioned

When you're making a stirred cocktail, you always want to consider how temperature and dilution will affect the final drink. For an Old Fashioned variety you want something higher proof that won't just taste like water after a couple minutes. We use Charter 101 at the bar, which is an overproof bourbon from Kentucky by Buffalo Trace, but really you can use any 101-proof bourbon. Wild Turkey 101 and Four Roses Single Barrel are a bit easier to find, and would work really well for this drink.

Ramblin' Man, from Esquire

From The Silver Dollar, Louisville, KY

• 2 oz Charter 101 bourbon
• .25 oz honey syrup*
• 1 dash Peychaud's bitters
• 4 drops Sheldon bitters**

Put 1 dash of Peychaud's bitters into an old fashioned glass and add the honey syrup and bourbon.  Stir to taste with ice, pour into a separate old fashioned glass over 3 ice cubes and garnish with Sheldon bitters (do not stir ).

* The honey syrup is 2 parts honey: 1 part water, boiled until slightly thickened.

** Sheldon Bitters are house-made sassafras bitters, with notes of cinnamon and cherry bark. You can substitute with Bitter Truth Old Time Aromatic bitters or Scrappy's root-beer bitters.

See more Esquire Cocktails of the Week!

Pierre Hotel - Fall 2012 Cocktail Launch

September 25, 2012 was the official launch of the Pierre Hotel Fall 2012 Cocktail Launch, where E Lounge--the hotel bar--debuted it's new line of cocktails for autumn.

I was the lucky recipient of a call from my new friend Christine, asking me to be her plus one to this exclusive PR event. 

When I arrived, fashionably late by 15 minutes, Christine was already there, making the acquaintance of the two other PR girls at our table. They had ordered their drinks but were waiting for me to get mine before trying them and comparing. 

The cocktail menu was crafted to reflect the Taj Hotel's transition from the 19th to the 21st century, with remixes of classics like the Whiskey Sour, the Gimlet, and the Sazerac, as well as original concoctions, such as the My Fair Lady of Cafe Pierre and the Star of Taj (a real showstopper, as you'll later see). 

Star of Taj

The Pierre Sparkle

Rotunda's Whiskey Sour

Cheers! Me and my Whiskey Sour

My Fair Lady

Christine with the Pierre Sparkle

 

With a jazz trip playing in the background and subtle lighting the mood was intimate and friendly as we chatted over our drinks and took notes. 

The entire evening was comped by the hotel as a promotional event, and so the drinks and food were plentiful, in an effort to sweeten our experience and elicit sincere positive reviews. 

They then invited us to view the making of two of the cocktails, the Gimlet and the Star of Taj--a spectacular drink that involved setting fresh Indian herbs on fire and pouring the flaming mixture into a fruity cocktail.

Indian Spices

Making the Gimlet

JP Getty's Gimlet

This was accompanied by a delicious tasting menu spread of tiny versions of their new fall menu.

Infusing the Indian Spices

Mixing the Star of Taj

 

Lighting the herbs on fire

When we'd tried everything on new menu, they brought out their regular bar menu and encouraged us to try some of their regular cocktails and restaurant menu appetizers, in case we were still hungry.

Beef Carpaccio

The Antique Fashioned

 

 

Charles' Sazerac

Christine and I were impressed by the skill and speed with which the bartenders were mixing gorgeous and elaborate cocktails, so we went up to the bar to watch, as they explained what they were making and how. 

Vintage Stolichnaya Lemon Vodka--one of a limited number of bottles

A glass of Balvenie, neat, to finish off the night. Courtesy of a Nigerian business man who insisted on buying.

I have to say, this may have been a night where my eyes were bigger than my stomach, and on the cab ride home we were quite a bit tipsy. But it was more than worth it--the staff were delightful, the cocktails divine, and the food delicious. 

I highly recommend both the E Lounge at the Pierre Hotel for a vintage evening where no detail has been forgotten.