Kings County Distillery

Finally, NYC's first whiskey distillery since pre-prohibition. They had us at "moonshine."  The planets seem to be aligning for us ever since Fatty Cue and Dram put us in a whiskey mood.

Available at Astor Wine & Spirits, UVA, Park Avenue Liquor, and restaurants (come September).

Weekend Docket: Meandering...

SATURDAY: Carroll Gardens has been so incredibly lovely this Fall. Take a walk down those brownstone blocks lined with trees and littered with dead, fallen leaves. Stop into Smith+Butler and warm up inside the Modern Alchemy-scented room filled with antique pieces. Try on the oversized Filson cloth hunting jacket and the Randolph Engineering Aviators. Then nab the last pair of Quoddy Trail black canoe shoes before stepping down into the Unis menswear outpost where Red Wings line the shelves and the concrete floor shares space with a vintage motorcycle (yes, that too is for sale). If you're late to the game or have never walked down boutique-laden Smith St in Bkyln, take note: this store was inspired by the kind of characters made so famous by Dean and Brando and is reminiscent of the biker shops on which co-owner Jay Alaimo had been transfixed. 225 Smith, Bklyn, NY 11231

Pop in to Clover Club north along Smith St. and share some punch or grab our favorite Sour Cherry Fizz along with spiced almonds, then learn the difference between a mule and a buck. 210 Smith Street, Bklyn, NY 11201

Weekend Docket: Hamptons in the Fall

We could write sonnets about our favorite season Autumn. What's on the docket for a quick Fall getaway is taking the car up to the Hamptons to revel in the ghost-like ambience that takes to the streets come October, long after the maddening crowd of Summer has shut its doors to return to the City. We love meandering around the quaint villages, checking out the pottery and sales racks at Steven Alan, resting on Rugby's bamboo furniture next to the acoustic guitars, gawking at the wild turkeys along the backroads, and then staying indoors at night to listen to the rain as we prepare dinner. Homemade bruschetta, cauliflower soup drizzled with truffle oil and (dare we flatter) some of the best lobster rolls we've ever eaten.

We recommend stopping in for drinks and a quick bite at The Living Room inside the Maidstone Inn on the East End, where the bar serves up a tasty, little house concoction called a pumpkin martini made from organic vodka then dusted with nutmeg and cinnamon. The iconic Inn was redone by Swedish hotelier Jenny Ljungberg. But her style of Scandinavian design has nothing to do with minimalism. Instead you'll walk into a rich, gem-toned painted room cozily furnished with an eclectic, colorful mix of vintage-inspired upholstered loveseats and chaises. Look underneath the window bench and you'll find vintage boardgames too. Perfect for wiling away the hours when it starts to get stormy.

Outdoor shower at the Surf Lodge, Montauk
Private cottage and surfboards, Montauk
Rugby store, Easthampton
Wild turkeys, Southampton
Dinner, Southampton
Warming up, Southampton

Weekend Docket: Feeling Vintage

FSC loves Autumn and so do we. They've just announced their new Fall line, newly arrived in their store. New peacoats, cords (on the short list), along with the machinest shirts made from 100% short-loomed Japanese cotton and Italian mother of pearl buttons and the 3-piece English Donegal suit by Brooklyn's Martin Greenfield, their revered master craftman. Freemans Sporting Club : 8 Rivington Street, NYC

Williamsburg's Rye speaks to our love for all things vintage and quintessentially [old] NY. As their website states, there was no new construction done to this space, just a "labor of love" for restoring what was once a factory into a restaurant, taking us back to a different time and atmosphere (thanks to the dim lighting absorbed by the darkly-painted pressed tin ceiling). The oak bar they brought in to the front of the restaurant is 100 years old and looks like it'd always been there. We could go on and on about the space and all it evokes, but truly, it's the comfort food- braised short rib, tamarind glazed ribs, baked mascarpone mac and cheese, and the veggie wild mushroom lasagna- that won our hearts (and stomachs). Our favorite cocktail was the Southside, ubiquitous on our short list as of late. Rye : 247 South 1st Street, Brooklyn, NY

We rekindled our fondness for pisco sours last February in Buenos Aires then recently noticed the large number of Prohibition-era egg white drinks on our vintage cocktail menus. Below are some recipes we found from some of our favorite bars and restaurants that are a little more comforting on a cool night.


Sour Cherry Fizz (Clover Club, Brooklyn, NY)
1 1/2 oz single malt scotch
¾ oz Sour Cherry Puree
¾ oz Lemon juice
1 egg white
Shake and strain over fresh ice in a collins glass
Top with Cherry Soda (clear)


Early Grey Marteani (Pegu Club, NYC)
2 oz Earl Grey infused gin
1 oz simple syrup
3/4 oz lemon juice
1 egg white
For Earl Grey-infused gin simply add 1/4 cup Earl Grey tea to 1 liter of high-proof gin. Shake the bottle well, and let steep for 2 hours at room temperature. Then strain out the tea with a fine strainer or filter, rinse out the bottle (to get rid of any remaining loose tea) and add the infusion back to the bottle.
Add all four ingredients to a shaker, fill with ice, seal up the shaker, and shake hard at least 10-15 minutes. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with a lemon twist.


Class Act (Range, San Francisco, CA)
1/2 oz lime juice
2 oz Miller's gin
3 dashes Peychaud's bitters
4 dashes orange flower water
1/4 oz simple syrup
1/2 oz egg whites
1/4 oz tonic water
1" wide orange twist, for garnish
Add lime juice, gin, bitters, orange flower water and simple syrup to a cocktail shaker. Add egg whites along with the spring coil removed from a Hawthorne cocktail strainer. Replace cap and shake until drink begins to foam, about 20 times. Add ice to the shaker, replace cap and shake until drink is cold. Top with tonic water and pour into a Champagne flute. Roll up the orange twist and place on the rim.

Morning Glory Fizz (Milk and Honey)
1 1/2 oz Scotch
3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
1 oz Simple Syrup
1/4 oz absinthe
1 large egg white
Ice
2 oz seltzer water, chilled
Place all ingredients except ice and seltzer water in a cocktail shaker. Fill the shaker halfway with ice and shake well for 20 to 30 seconds to get a good foam from the egg. Strain into a highball glass and top with seltzer.


Pisco Sour (Slanted Door, San Francisco, CA)
2 oz pisco
1 oz lime juice
1/4 oz simple syrup
1/2 egg white
1 dash Angostura bitters

Weekend Docket: Our Fave Pizza With A Side of Vintage

We've been waiting a long time to spill the beans on our favorite pizzeria Lucali's, located in Carroll Gardens. On our first visit we waited down the street at Brooklyn Social for almost two hours for the fateful call alerting us our table was ready. Once inside we got cozy in the dimmed, candlelit room (yes, the owner/pizza maker preps his creations by candlelight), where the walls don't exist between the kitchen and the dining room. The crust is bubbled up to perfection, the sauce deliciously fresh, and the basil is free. Our favorite topping is pepperoni. It's cash-only and BYO, so don't forget your favorite red wine or beer. 

When there's a long wait, we usually walk the two blocks to Brooklyn Social, a vintage bar that pays homage to the Italian social club that once occupied the windowless bar. The vintage feel of the space (e.g. pressed tin ceiling, surviving club photos that decorate the walls...) comes off unpretentious and neighborhoody. The Riposto cocktails are unique: the mixologists have definitely taught us a thing or two about aperol and old-fashioneds. 

Lucali's: Henry Street @ Carroll, Brooklyn
Brooklyn Social: Smith Street @ Carroll, Brooklyn

Weekend Docket

We've been obsessing over Grizzly Bear ever since we heard the song The Knife off their 2006 LP Yellow House. If you have yet to fall under their spell, test the waters for yourself this Sunday afternoon at the Williamsburg waterfront and pool party. Oh, how we've missed you infamous dodgeball regulars from ye olde McCarren pool days- you inspired us to cut off our faded denim into shorts and wear the soles out of our Sperrys...

East River Park between North Eighth and North Ninth Streets. Show is Free, gates open at 2pm.

Before the summer was out we had to take half a day and head over to Rockaway Beach just to watch the surfers then grab a bite to eat at Rockaway Taco. It's a little laid-back haven, serving up tacos from fish to carne asada to [veggie-approved] tofu. For maybe half a second we felt like we were in Bonny Doon.

They grow their own vegetables up top.

Weekend afternoons are also best spent over good conversation and a cool drink, especially when it's served up in a sweaty copper mug. Our favorite drink this summer: the Penny Drop at the Standard Grill, which usually comes with candied ginger pieces if you're lucky.

The Standard Grill, under the High Line, corner of Washington and West 13th Streets.