Located a stone’s throw away from the newly developed Hudson Yards in New York is Porchlight, a bar with Southern ambience rich in warmth and comfort.
While a sense of familiarity throughout the space draws in locals day by day, other visitors make the trip out to the west side to experience Porchlight’s thoughtful charm. What makes the place so special is how every guest can feel like they are part of the party.
“Guests can expect to be enveloped in our hospitality from the minute they arrive. The staff is there for our guests before they know it. Whether it’s an informal get-together after work, first date or a going-away party, the atmosphere at Porchlight is vibrant and upbeat while also laid back and welcoming. The idea we always come back is, we like to have fun here,” adds Beverage Director Benjamin Brown.
The rest of the fun comes from the extensive cocktail program set forth by Brown and the former Beverage Director, Nick Bennett. Equipped with a sprawling selection of over thirty concoctions, the program is built on the team’s foundation of “taking what they do seriously but not themselves too seriously.”
On the first page of the menu, guests will come across seasonal offerings utilizing ingredients and themes of the moment, giving them the opportunity to give something new a whirl. The remainder of the menu is evergreen, understanding the importance of a guest’s usual drink and honoring the meticulous work that’s gone into creating these drinks that have stood the test of time.
The former and current Beverage Directors share a penchant for carefully-made retro beverages enhanced by fresh spins. Delving into the shared passion and how its reflected in the menu, Brown explained, “Our curiosity with retro drinks stems from their inherent structure. These drinks, similar to Charlie Brown’s Christmas tree, just need a little love. Our Long Island Iced Tea on draft, for example, takes the format from the original of using vodka, gin, rum, and tequila, but Nick gave this drink lots of love by creating beautiful citrus and cola syrups to replace the less-loved sour mix and cola product. These ingredients give that extra love back to the original recipe and therefore challenge our notion of what a Long Island Iced Tea should and could be.”
Falling into the same category are Porchlight’s crafted versions of a 7&7, Cosmopolitan, Salty Dog, and Wisconsin Brandy Old Fashioned. The bartending staff’s passion is guiding guests to these liquid delights in hopes to ultimately exceed their expectations.
When making a modified retro beverage of your own, Brown emphasizes the importance of structure and integrity. “The Long Island Iced Tea example showed us to first look to where flaws lie and then we can start to brainstorm creative ways to bridge that into something playful and delicious. We like to think outside the box and ask ourselves, “Who Wrote The Rule?” Just because a drink has not always been well made, why couldn’t it be?”
Classics are iconic for a reason, but when the proper steps are taken to discover untapped potential, new masterpieces can be conceived. This is the Porchlight way.
Drive-In Old Fashioned
Ingredients:
- 2 oz Butter-Washed Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon*
- 1/4 oz. Corn Tea Syrup**
- 3 drops saline
- 1 dash Bittermens Transatlantic Bitters
Preparation: Build ingredients in rocks glass/Quick stir with ice. Garnish: Skewered cherry
*Butter-Washed Bourbon
- 300g. Unsalted butter
- 1 L. Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon
Gently melt butter taking care not to brown. Mix with Bourbon stirring occasionally for 2 hrs. Put in freezer overnight. Remove solidified butter and strain until clear
**Corn Tea Syrup
- 100g. Corn Tea (10 packs)
- 1000mL water
Brew with water just off boil for 5 minutes/strain. Add equal parts by weight white sugar and stir until dissolved.
The Planetarium
Ingredients:
- 1 oz. Vodka
- 1/2 oz. Linie Aquavit
- 1 oz. Cold Brew Concentrate
Preparation: Build ingredients in mixing tin, shake, strain into a Nick & Nora.
*Root Beer Syrup
Heat 12 bottles (144 oz.) of Fitz Root Beer on high until it begins to boil. Reduce to medium maintaining a lively simmer until the root beer reduces to ¼ its original volume (36 oz.). Add 360g. White granulated sugar and stir until dissolved.
The Spackler
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 oz. Vodka
- 1/2 oz. Vanilla Syrup
- 1/4 oz. Crème de Peche
- 1/4 oz. Falernum
- 3/4 oz. Lemon
Preparation: Build ingredients in mixing tin/shake and strain in Collins glass. Top w/ Iced Tea.
Nightswimming
Ingredients:
- 1 3/4 oz. Bombay Dry
- 3/4 oz. Banana Syrup
- 1/4 oz. Orgeat
- Bsp. Branca Menta
- 1/2 oz. Lemon
- 2 dash Absinthe
- Ice: pebble
Preparation: Build ingredients in mixing tin. whip shake, strain, top w/ 6 dashes Peychaud’s in 17 oz. Beer Glass
The post Porchlight Offers Southern Charm in New York City’s Hudson Yards appeared first on Chilled Magazine.
Source: Mixology News
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