Monthly Archives

December 2019

ON Tap: ANDY SCHWARTZ, Brewmaster at Stony Creek Brewery Talks Blackjack and Beertenders.

By | Mixology News

Stony Creek Stills Brew Deck

A brewery located in a casino? Casinos have long been home to first-class restaurants and bars, so why not?

Connecticut’s Foxwoods Casino has an operating brewery onsite named Stony Creek Brewing. Chilled shared a cocktail with brewmaster, Andy Schwartz, made by one of his brew-happy beertenders.

Stony Creek Stills

Stony Creek Stills

Tell us about having an actual brewery on-premise at a casino.

It was imperative for us to have a fully functioning brewery onsite at Foxwoods. We’re a brewery first and foremost, so beer comes first in everything we do. Having a brewery onsite does several important things for us. First, it allows us the opportunity to test and innovate new beer recipes on a small (smaller than our production brewery in Branford) professional brewing system.  Our brewers can create multiple batches of a new beer and quickly and effectively get feedback from our customers. Second, it gives our guests at Foxwoods the opportunity to see a working brewery firsthand. For many of them, this is a new experience and the chance to see a brewer behind the glass making beer and then try something fresh at the bar (or even directly from the fermenter if Johnny or Alex gives you a private tour), makes for an exciting experience. 

Stony Creek Cocktail Flight

Stony Creek Cocktail Flight

Talk to us about the beer cocktails at your brewery.

Again, we are a brewery first and foremost, so beer leads the way with everything we do. But beer is also super versatile and meant to be fun. What better way to express this versatility than making beer cocktails? Each cocktail is designed onsite by our innovative “beertenders” and handcrafted in front of you. We have some unique drinks. Our staff is continually creating new beer cocktails.

How many beers are brewed on premise?

We generally have 3-4 house-brewed beers on tap, sometimes more. The rest of our 16 taps are supplied fresh from our Branford Brewery.

Stony Creek Coaster

Stony Creek Coaster

What are some of the most innovative beers you’re brewing?

We’ve made some unique beers at Foxwoods, several of which have been promoted to the big time and brewed and packaged out of our main Branford Brewery for distribution into the general market. We developed our super unique Koi Bird at Foxwoods. This beer uses three different types of rice, grapefruit juice, and Citra hops, and then fermented with sake yeast. This beer was tested at Foxwoods and has been distributed throughout our entire New England distribution footprint.  

Any new brews coming soon?

Look for a series of beers brewed with a rare Norwegian Farmhouse yeast. Also, look for some test brews for possible fall beers using various spices and flavors, as well as possibly a fruited sour brew.

The post ON Tap: ANDY SCHWARTZ, Brewmaster at Stony Creek Brewery Talks Blackjack and Beertenders. appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News

Three Unconventional Holiday Pop-Ups to Visit in New York City

By | Mixology News

East Terrace at Midwinter Nights Dream, featured image

There’s no better time to be in New York City than the holiday season, as the city always shines brighter than usual at this time of year.

It’s also a time to gather with friends, family, and work colleagues to raise a glass to the past, and toast the future. Below are three wonderfully welcoming Pop-Ups for your holiday meet and greet. Think: 15,000 silk roses, a floral-light tunnel, a pink carousel, and, of course, festive cocktails!

Floral Tunnel

Floral Tunnel

Photo by Michael Kleinberg

The Winter Rose Garden

The Lobby Bar at Dream Downtown, 355 West 16th at 9th Avenue DreamHotels.com/Downtown

This is Dream Downtown’s first holiday Pop-Up installation that will see The Lobby Bar transformed into a red rose haven with 15,000 silk roses brought in to complement the oversized rose walls, red furniture, and red candles. Every single rose was pulled pedal by pedal to create the dramatic effect that can be seen at the bar and on the wall. Yvonne Najor, director of marketing for Dream Midtown & Dream Downtown, says, “For the Winter Rose Garden at The Lobby Bar at Dream Downtown, we created this fantasy-like-destination with the intention of making our guests feel like they were not just in an ordinary hotel lobby, but a true floral oasis. Najor collaborated with Design House Decor’s lead designer Laila Ahmed, for this venue’s first holiday installation.

Winter Rose Garden

Winter Rose Garden

Photo by Edward Menashy of Michael Kleinberg Photography

Of course, the holidays wouldn’t be complete without some festive cocktails. Phil Testa, Beverage Manager for Dream Midtown & Dream Downtown, says, “A fabulous holiday cocktail prep should be fun, bright, have seasonal flavors, and be nostalgic. Some simple ingredients associated with holiday drinks are warming spices like cinnamon, maple, nutmeg, cardamom, pomegranates, blood oranges – anything that reminds us of those fireside tastes.”

Winter Daiquiri

Winter Daiquiri

Photo by Michael Boyle

Some of the new festive cocktails curated by Testa for The Winter Rose Garden, include:

  • Primrose Cider ($18) – sparkling rosé, Barking Irons Applejack, cinnamon syrup, lemon Juice, and rose ice cube.
  • Winter Daiquiri ($18) – rum, simple syrup, Barking Irons white night, lime juice, with apple slices.
  • Dream in Roses ($18) – Campari, Pama, lemon, prosecco, fresh lavender.

Testa explains how he chose the glassware to accent the presentation, “I wanted elegant. I thought of the Met Gala Red Carpet and envision cocktails walking and posing. I used classic, curvy glassware that accent the drink, but also give the same visual as the elegance of roses or orchids or lavenders.”


East Terrace at Midwinter Nights' Dream post

East Terrace at Midwinter Nights’ Dream

Photo by Michael Kleinberg

Midwinter Nights’ Dream

PHD Terrace at Dream Midtown, 210 West 55th St PHDTerrace.com

This year-round rooftop bar will be transformed into a whimsical dreamland for the holiday season. Over 8,000 hanging twinkle lights, an ascending series of winter white and gold floral installations, swings, lush greenery, and pops of emerald and gold will shine throughout the West and East Terraces. Najor states, “We wanted to capitalize on the breathtaking views of Manhattan and create a unique experience that makes you feel like you’re sitting in a magical garden in the sky.” The beloved tunnel of lights is decorated with over-the-top florals, perfect for that Instagramable photo. Najor collaborated with designer Jenevieve Penk, founder of Pimenta Productions, and artist/designer Ellen Robin of Flower Culttt.

Blanc de Blanc

Blanc de Blanc

Photo by David Jacobson

Check out these yummy holiday season cocktails, also curated by Testa, who explains, “I wanted to play with the garnishes. Apple, cinnamon, and candy canes. It was an opportunity to give our guests reason to have fun with their drinks. With such a photogenic venue, the cocktails had to compliment that same fun, seasonal environment.”

  • Peppermint Mojito ($17) – ornament filled with rum, muddled mint, peppermint syrup, lime, mini candy canes, and mint.
  • Goldtini ($18) – homemade almond milk, Ciroc coconut, creme de cacao, amaretto, with gold glitter rim.
  • Plumberry Smash ($17) – muddled blackberries, Milagro tequila, lemon juice, and cinnamon syrup.

West Terrace at Pink Holiday Playground

West Terrace at Pink Holiday Playground

Photo by Eric Cunningham

Pink Holiday Playground

Magic Hour Rooftop Bar & Lounge at Moxy Times Square, 485 7th Avenue at 36th Street

Moxy-Hotels.Marriott.com/NYC

Manhattan’s largest hotel rooftop bar will also be launching their first holiday Pop-Up installation, which will pay homage to the bright lights of Times Square and Manhattan. The rooftop will be transformed into a magical pink oasis with ceilings covered in hundreds of hot pink twinkle lights, oversized rotating mirror balls, and human-size festive bears, all anchored by the infamous central carousel.

Snow Globe Cocktail

Snow Globe Cocktail

Photo by Mikey Boyle

Below are some of the seasonal cocktails curated by beverage manager, Nikki McCutcheon

  • Snow Globe Cocktail ($22) – cherry noir vodka, elderflower liqueur, white cranberry, pineapple and pink sprinkles.
  • Disco Ball Red Sangria Tiki Punch ($60) – shareable for two; red wine, Ripe Bajan Tiki Punch, clove, cardamom, lime slices, pomegranate seeds, orange slices.

For a full ‘pink’ holiday experience at Moxy Times Square, the hotel’s atrium on the 2nd floor comes alive as an all-pink space, wrapped in metallic ornaments with festive drinks. Moxy Chelsea and East Village locations will also be showing their pink over the holidays, visit: Moxy-Hotels.Marriott.com

All three locations will be keeping their pop ups open until March 2020, so there’s plenty of time to warm up inside over those cold winter days ahead.

The post Three Unconventional Holiday Pop-Ups to Visit in New York City appeared first on Chilled Magazine.

Source: Mixology News