Cue the trumpets … cue the confetti … round #1 of the Challenge is over and in the bag!
We finished the first round off over two days and on the whole, these last two days (four participants) yielded the best over all series of drinks with two of the participants receiving the highest scores yet. These final two groupings also continued to highlight certain aspects of imbibing in a city like the Big Apple, namely that high quality drinks prepared by top flight professionals can be found.
The second to final grouping saw a perennial fixture in the NYC upper crusty flow go against a relative newcomer to the higher end bar scene an in all respects, it was no contest.
Round: #1
Grouping: The Summit Bar and The King Cole Bar
Winner: The Summit Bar
The Summit Bar
Recap: Finding Summit can be an interesting trip in and of itself – while not all that far away 
from the “busy” stretch of the city that houses powerhouse drinking locales such as PDT and Death & Co., the bar is located on Avenue C in what seems like a relatively sleepy part of Alphabet City. The front of the bar is a totally inviting space accentuated by the wide, deep windows at the front façade. You enter the main bar area, which is essentially two spaces, the front half of the bar (with its own bar area, counter and spirits) and the aft half with a similar albeit smaller section — essentially a long, deep but not all together wide space. We met up about a half hour after the bar opened and except for one other group, it was all about us. Our bartender for this experience was James, an extremely friendly and from what I witnessed, solid professional bartender. Handing us menus, James asked us if we had any drink preferences (in order to make suggestions) and upon noticing that their menu contained a Manhattan we triggered the rule, and ordered one for the both of us. This Manhattan was no ordinary Manhattan; as many bars are now attempting (as are certain hip, cool booze bloggers) this drink was an “aged” drink. James gave us a tutorial on their process — honey tea is infused into Oak Cross scotch for several days and then in proper proportions is combined in a used oak barrel with a mixture of bitters and Carpano Antica vermouth. The drink is aged for three months, tested and then stored in used Vodka bottles (this is what I have in my notes). James measured out what looked to be 3 ounces of the mixture into rocks glasses containing a single large block ice cube, stirred several times, garnished with a lemon twist and served.
Note: for this round we were only able to use two judges (vs. the standard three). The 3rd judge that was lined up ended up having to back out at the last moment (due to weather related issues). Given time constraints on completing the first round, we decided to proceed with only the two of us.
theSpeakista’s Score and Review: 8 points (out of 10 possible) – SMOOTH! This drink is so 
incredibly SMOOTH and a clear example of what barrel aging can do; so much so that I could have polished off several of these without even noticing it. Very sweet on the first several sips with rich notes of the honey. The drink opens up more as it warms revealing nice floral notes and the scotch starts to shine. My one big strike against the drink is that as it sits in the ice (without pre-chilling first) the drink dilutes pretty rapidly. One quibble, this really should be called a Rob Roy (not a Manhattan) … at least in my book.
The Godfather’s Score and Review: 8 points (out of 10 possible) – Very good – perfectly balanced drink with an incredibly smooth texture. Nice honey taste at the beginning … I could drink these all night long.
Total Score: 16 points (out of 20 possible, total points)
The King Cole Bar
Recap: Located in the back part of the St. Regis Hotel, the King Cole Bar is what you would expect of a posh NYC hotel, especially at 8 pm on a Thursday evening – loud, cramped and full of Manhattan’s elite (at least in their own minds). The bar is relatively small and frankly not all that conducive to chit chat given the high decibel level of conversations occurring around you. We entered the bar at the height (this again goes to show, that timing is everything when it comes to certain locations) and unable to find a seat either at the bar or at a table we stood (actually hovered) near the bar attempting to get the attention of one of the two bartenders. After shouting our order across the bar three separate times, we watched the bartender go to work on our drink; free pouring what looked to be a gallon and a half of Cinzano sweet vermouth and a tanker size amount of Makers Mark into a shaker, the drink was shaken for all of three seconds before it was strained (not double strained) into two large cocktail glasses that had been garnished with the typical maraschino cherry. We note that no bitters were harmed in the making of this drink.
theSpeakista’s Score and Review: 5 1/2 points (out of 10 possible) – this drink oddly sort of worked in spite of itself. Far from balanced, the taste of the drink skewed to the sweeter side and the bourbon while detectable was much too faint. Given the amount or style of vermouth that was used, a richer bourbon would have been better. At $21, the drink is not only over priced, but clearly not worth it!
The Godfather’s Score and Review: 7 points (out of 10 possible) – Not bad, but “by the book.” No bitters! Tasted ok, like something you would make at home; smooth but basic.
Total Score: 12.5 points (out of 20 possible, total points)
Round: #1
Grouping: Death & Co. and Eleven Madison Park
Winner: Death & Co.
Death & Co.
Recap: The Godfather and I were joined again for this round/grouping by BY, a good friend and kindred spirit in all things Manhattan Cocktail related. We all managed to meet up, just prior to opening, and it was a good thing we did because the place was already packed and it wasn’t 
even open. First in, we secured three seats at the bar and prepared for the show. Manning the bar this night was Joaquin Simo and Jessica Gonzales and it was Jessica who was lucky enough to take our order and boy were we in for a treat. With each of us asking for a Manhattan, Jessica stepped away to procure some items, most notably she returned to our area of the bar with what looked to be a large beaker like mixing glass. To this she added five large dashes, by my count, of bitters (these were poured from a special craft bottle versus a bitters bottle), added several ounces of Carpano Antica, 6 ounces of Rittenhouse bonded rye and what looked to be an ounce or so of Buffalo Trace bourbon. With several pieces of cracked and non-cracked ice added she stirred the mix for what seemed like an eternity, taste tested it and then poured forth the libation into waiting serving glasses.
Writer’s Note: in contrast to our experience at The Clover Club, we only needed one round of Manhattan’s to evaluate. As BY had never been to Death & Co. we each ordered a second round of different drinks (not evaluated) and all that I can tell you is that if you get a chance, go to Death & Co. and ask Joaquin to mix you his take on the Rob Roy (using Islay) — my notes, verbatim, are as follows … “HOLY MOTHER OF GOD! This drink is so f#@%-ing good!”
theSpeakista’s Score and Review: 8 1/2 points (out of 10 possible) – Text book, classic preparation with a really nice twist added in (in this case the bourbon). A very balanced drink, the rye is paired off nicely against the bourbon and held in check by the Carpano. Very well executed.
The Godfather’s Score and Review: 8 3/4 points (out of 10 possible) – Very good; a smooth, great texture to the drink. Very tasty with a nice long finish on the palate.
BY’s (Guest Judge’s) Score and Review: 8 1/2 points (out of 10 possible) – Well done! Using fairly standard Manhattan ingredients with a touch of bourbon, created a smooth drink that lingered in the mouth. Not too sweet, but a balanced drink overall.
Total Score: 25.75 points (out of 30 possible, total points)
Eleven Madison Park
Recap: A some what hidden gem, the bar at the restaurant Eleven Madison Park is a fantastic respite from the grind that is daily working life in the Big Apple. Usually crowded with banker types (it is housed in the lobby of a major investment bank after all) the bar produces fantastic libations and is overseen by the top flight bartender (bar chef, mixologist, call him what you will) Leo Robitsheck. We entered the bar and it was clear that the restaurant was quite busy although we did manage to secure a table. We ordered our round of Manhattan’s and were presented our glasses, at our table, by the bartender who had created them (not Leo, unfortunately). She explained to us that she used Old Overholt rye, Carpano Antica and Angostura bitters.
theSpeakista’s Score and Review: 7 1/2 points (out of 10 possible) – Nice, balanced to slightly sweet. Faint hint of the bitters comes through on the after palate. I prefer a stronger rye in my mix, especially when paired against the Carpano Antica. The sweetness builds as the drink warms in the glass.
The Godfather’s Score and Review: 7 3/4 points (out of 10 possible) – Feels like what a good Manhattan should taste like when ordered at a high end restaurant. Sweet in taste yet there is a boozy after taste; drink became better textured as it warmed.
BY’s (Guest Judge’s) Score and Review: 6 points (out of 10 possible) – Good but not great. Too sweet for my taste; the after taste burns the throat slightly. Tasted almost too cold and was better as it warmed.
Total Score: 21.25 points (out of 30 possible, total points)
Well round #1 is done and it really has been a fun and educational experience. We have seen so far that venues geared toward the “masses” can become so over burdened that producing quality drinks is almost an after thought. At the same time we have witnessed (that which we already knew to be the case) that professionalism and attention to the art can create truly memorable experiences.
Round #1 Recap:
- The Strip House (16 points) – winner vs. The Campbell Apartment (10.75 points)
- The Star Lounge (20.5 points) vs. The Clover Club (20.625 points) – winner
- The Summit Bar (16 points) – winner vs. The King Cole Bar (12.5 points)
- Death & Co. (25.75 points) – winner vs. Eleven Madison Park (21.25 points)
On we go to round #2, which should commence in a weeks time.
theSpeakista asks:
1. Are you enjoying the Challenge so far?
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