Simple syrup is, of course, house-made, along with flavored syrups like ginger. Fresh citrus is pulled from a big glass trifle dish set on the bar. These two – Gin Fizz and Sour – were served in highball glasses. Someone told me that the name “highball” came from the time of day you were supposed to consume such drink: afternoon, when the sun is a high ball in the sky. I bet that Maloney would know for sure.
Drinks span the spectrum from fizzy and fruity to those serious drinks for practiced adults. One such is the Boulevardier, made with Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Campari and Martini & Rossi Sweet Vermouth for $8. It’s poured into a cocktail glass with a thick chill on it, so that when the alcohol hits it, the bowl warms up first, leaving frost on the stem and a ring of it around the lip. In taste it resembles a Negroni, my favorite cocktail, which swaps the bourbon for gin. Both iterations smell and taste kind of like old-lady perfume, and may be enjoyed by old Italian men and people like me. If you’re willing to open your mind to a new flavor sensation, it’s herbal and bitter and complex.
Softer-but-still-serious cocktails are Barnum Was Right, made with Plymouth Gin, Marie Brizard Apry, fresh lemon juice and Angostura Bitters for $9, and Cocktail à la Louisiane, made with Willet Single Barrel Rye, Peychaud Bitters, Benedictine, Carpano Antica Vermouth and Vieux Pontarlier Absinthe for $11. Absinthe, if you’ve never had it, tastes like anise – but curiouser, worth a try. Also recommended is the Frostbite, made with Siete Leguas Blanco, cream, mint and crème de cacao for $9, in a cocktail glass adorned with a split mint leaf.
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