Destination Charleston DIY Ginger Beer Summery Swizzles Where

THE NEW SCHOOL OF CLASSICS: 10 TIMELESS COCKTAIL RECIPES
Destination
Charleston
DIY
Ginger Beer
Summery
Swizzles
Where to
Drink in
Queens, NY
Perfect Thai
Iced Tea
scene scout Where to Go Now
Queens,
New York City
Diverse doesn’t begin to describe the cultural mix that’s
found at the heart of New York City’s largest borough,
from art and music to food and drink. Check out an
exhibit at MoMA’s experimental art–focused PS 1 or the
Museum of the Moving Image—which happens to be
right next to where Sesame Street is filmed—and stay for
cocktails in Long Island City, followed by a Greek feast
on Ditmars boulevard and some late-night hookah-bar
hopping in Little Egypt. From coffee to cocktails, Queens’
drinks scene is ever-changing and maintains a flavor all
its own. By Miranda Rake
Sweetleaf
Modus Operandi: Following
four years of success with
his first café on Jackson
Avenue, Sweetleaf owner
Rich Nieto opened another
café in Williamsburg and,
most recently, a café-by-day/
bar-by-night just a few blocks
from the original location.
Serving well-pulled shots from
a rotating roster of roasters’
blends—including Stumptown,
Ritual and, as of January, Nieto’s
own house-roasted coffee—
Sweetleaf is the place to get
your morning buzz in Long
Island City.
Coordinates: 10-93 Jackson Ave.,
Long Island City / 917-832-6726
// sweetleaflic.com
94 imbibemagazine.com ~ may/june 2014
Dutch Kills The Queens Kickshaw
Front Toward Enemy
Coordinates: 27-24 Jackson Ave.,
Long Island City / 718-383-2724
// dutchkillsbar.com
Coordinates: 40-17 Broadway,
Astoria / 718-777-0913 //
thequeenskickshaw.com
Coordinates: 40-11 30th Ave.,
Astoria / 718-545-2269 //
fronttowardenemynyc.com
Modus Operandi: “Dutch Kills”
is to the Long Island City
neighborhood of Queens as
“New Amsterdam” is to New
York City: a historic moniker, a
reference to the city’s past and
to the many generations who
came before. Since opening in
2009, Dutch Kills has been a
staple of the drinks scene and
is a must-visit spot for cocktail
drinkers. You’ll find deftly
mixed drinks at a slightly more
wallet-friendly price than their
counterparts across the river.
Try an icy Bayflower cocktail,
with genever, St. Germain
and lemon juice, or slip into a
classic Rolls Royce with gin,
sweet and dry vermouth and a
hint of Bénédictine.
Modus Operandi: Husband-andwife team Jennifer Lim and Ben
Sandler opened this popular
café in 2011 after noticing a lack
of great coffee options in their
neighborhood. While Counter
Culture cortados are indeed
one of the reasons to visit TQK,
be sure to save room for the
many other menu options. Iced
matcha is a refreshing pickme-up during summer months,
while a mug of hot chocolate
made with Brooklyn’s own
Mast Brothers’ chocolate does
the trick all winter long. And
thanks to a cold-brew pumping
growler station, you can easily
grab your coffee to go, or stop in
for a pint of locally brewed beer
at the end of the day.
Modus Operandi: The question
that hangs over Front Toward
Enemy—one of the borough’s
newest additions—is whether
the beautifully designed
rustic-industrial spot is a nice
cocktail bar with great food, or
a good restaurant that serves
great cocktails. No matter—
just be sure to come in with
an appetite for both. Try the
grilled octopus with chorizo
and a rhum agricole-andmezcal-based Chinese Finger
Trap at dinner, or Scottish
smoked-salmon scramble
with a complimentary cup
(or two) of Love Drunk Punch
during one of their weekend
“Punch Brunches”—it’s nearly
impossible to go wrong here.
Finback Brewery
Amaru Pisco Bar Coordinates: 78-01 77th Ave.,
Ridgewood // finbackbrewery.com
Coordinates: 84-13 Northern
Blvd., Jackson Heights /
718-205-5577 // amarubar.com
Modus Operandi: After several
years of incubation within
NYC’s tight-knit homebrewing
community, longtime friends Basil
Lee and Kevin Stafford decided
it was time to take their passion
for brewing from hobby to career.
An 18-month hunt for the perfect
space—one that would allow for
experimentation with sour beers
and barrel-aging—led them to
the Queens neighborhood of
Ridgewood. They launched their
first brew in January, and this
spring marks the opening of their
new tasting room. Hop heads will
not want to pass up their namesake
sipper, the Finback IPA, while more
adventurous beer lovers can sip
recent experiments, such as their
Signature Double Sess(ion), brewed
with ginger, Sichuan peppercorns
and chamomile.
Clockwise from top left: Isaac Rosenthal, Lauren DeCicca, Lauren DeCicca, Angela DeCenzo
Clockwise from top left: The bar at Dutch
Kills; the Shandy, a happy patron and the
beer taps at The Queens Kickshaw.
Modus Operandi: Tucked
away in the midst of Jackson
Heights—an area better
known for its Indian fare than
for its specialty bars—is the
pisco-lover’s paradise that is
Amaru. Classicists will love the
true-to-form Pisco Sour, but
the creativity of the cocktails
(as well as the sheer number
of pisco varieties on offer)
encourages branching out. Try
the Alturas, with pisco, prickly
pear purée, lemon, gum syrup
and aloe vera, or the Captain—
a simple mix of Campo de
Encanto Pisco and Carpano
Antica. Peruvian-inspired bar
bites range from light nibbles
like a ceviche trio to hearty
options, such as beef-heart
skewers and chicken wings.
may/june 2014 ~ imbibemagazine.com 95