May 2nd, 2010
Nips – 5/2/10
A friend of mine told me that an old flame put the moves on him recently after plying him with drinks. Acknowledging the futility of the attempt to rekindle, the old flame apologized for her brazenness. But she offered this excellent excuse: “It’s spring, and I’m a mammal.”
Well, it’s spring, and I’m a blogger. So here’s some link love…
» LUPEC Boston reviews Todd Maul’s new bar menu at Clio, which leaves all previous bar menus at Clio in the dust. “The 80-plus drinks … run the gamut,” say the Ladies United for the Preservation of Endangered Cocktails, “from aperitifs ($9) to drinks for two ($25) to tiki drinks & daiquiris ($13), and feature a blend of pre-Prohibition and modern classics.” Many of the offerings are designed to pair nicely with the raw delights at Uni, the sushi bar adjacent to the Clio bar.
» Speaking of tiki drinks … doesn’t the balmy spring weather make you thirsty for the serious Donn Beach/Trader Vic-style versions of these rum-tastic cocktails? Sure, you can get them on demand at Drink, Eastern Standard and now, of course, Clio, among a smattering of other spots. But could somebody open up a REAL tiki bar in Boston, already? This city was once a tiki mecca, and, well, how ’bout sprucing up down-on-its-luck Downtown Crossing with a ridiculously fun bar? Silvertone and Stoddard’s (yes, it’s finally open!) can’t do it all by themselves. Sheesh.
» Speaking of LUPEC Boston and new joints, one of the Ladies, Jane Robertson (aka Pinky Gonzales), does an astute write-up of Harvard Square’s new Russell House Tavern for Joonbug (which reviewed drinkboston’s Bartenders on the Rise event not long ago). She pretty much echoes drinkboston’s first impressions of the place: it’s got some baggage to overcome, but its bright spots — including the cocktail list and the horseshoe-shaped, marble bar downstairs — make us root for the place.
» Congrats to these talented barmen and women — who work in some of drinkboston’s fave joints — for making the Improper Bostonian magazine’s long-running Boston’s Beloved Bartenders list: Trina Sturm of Trina’s Starlite Lounge, Scott Marshall of Drink, Corey Bunnewith of Coppa and Ned Greene of Hungry Mother.
» Dan Okrent, whose Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition was recently reviewed on drinkboston, will talk about his book at an open-to-the-public lecture at the Boston Athenaeum on May 27. So much material here for us history-minded imbibers — reserve your seat starting May 14. And by the way, yours truly will be serving a Prohibition-era cocktail at the post-lecture reception (which also features wine, beer and cheese from Capone Foods).
» Speaking of alcohol, history and lectures, I’m also attending Boston Beer: a History with Michael Reiskind at the Boston Public Library on May 12. Oh, and speaking of beer, don’t forget that the annual American Craft Beer Fest is coming up at the Seaport World Trade Center June 18-19.
» If you like to drive your car to Boston-area bars but don’t want to risk a DUI (or worse) on your way home, Boston’s Designated Driver is a good service to know about. I haven’t tried it out yet and would love to hear from anyone who has — leave a comment, will you?
» Hey, did you know that drinkboston and Trina’s Starlite Lounge are having a Highballs party on Sunday, May 9? Reserve your ticket at 617-576-0006 or info@trinastarlitelounge.com and come party like it’s 1965. See you there!
Permalink | Filed under Bartenders, Beer, Booze in the news, Boston bars, Nips | Tags: Boston Athenaeum, Clio, highballs, Improper Bostonian, LUPEC Boston, Prohibition, Russell House, tiki, Todd Maul
May 3rd, 2010 at 11:21 am
Hi,
I just wanted to let you know that the Boston Public Library has posted a collection of Boston brewery poster on its Flickr account.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/boston_public_library/sets/72157604229758253/
Enjoy!!!
-Tom Blake
Digital Projects Manager
Boston Public Library
May 3rd, 2010 at 11:38 am
Thank you Tom — I meant to mention that! It’s a gorgeous collection. Are you considering putting the “nightlife” collection online at some point?
May 4th, 2010 at 8:54 am
FYI, The ACBF at the Seaport World Trade Center, not the Cyclorama.
http://beeradvocate.com/acbf/
May 4th, 2010 at 9:00 am
Well, thank heaven the Improper started recognizing a few more bartenders for something other than decolletage. That issue always annoyed the bejeezus out of me: “Lily Laboom wows them with her signature Flirtini at Vox Populi. ‘The secret is Stoli Raz, tee-hee!'”
Nice to see Maul getting some props: he is a fine talent and a long-overdue upgrade for that bar.
The Russell House Tavern currently reflects a problem at a lot of Boston bars: a gifted bar manager whose skills haven’t yet been instilled in his entire staff. It’s early yet there: I am hopeful the training program will be as well-designed as the cocktail list.
May 4th, 2010 at 10:54 am
Tyler: d’oh! Thanks, fixed. Slim: yeah, being recognized for knowing how to make a decent drink — revolutionary.
May 4th, 2010 at 9:44 pm
really rooting for Russell House. Aaron is fantastic, but we already knew that. His bartenders have a little way to go, which hopefully includes not free pouring a Scottish Play. Last time I went, Aaron was incredibly hospitable and knowledgeable, which makes me leave my home base of Eastern Standard more often.
ps – does anyone know where Kevin Martin has gone? PDT for a stint?
May 6th, 2010 at 1:22 pm
I heard that Kevin badly injured his hand and so hasn’t been behind the stick in a while. Hope he’s healing up nicely.
May 10th, 2010 at 1:50 pm
I was alerted to Maul’s presence on my recent trip to Boston by Slim, who told me that you, Miz Clark, and he were big fans. I was highly impressed with him—not only his skills but his sense of humor. He’s a new one to watch for sure.
And agreed about Russell House’s smart subterranean layout: sophisticated but cozy.
May 11th, 2010 at 11:00 am
I’ve just crafted a new Tiki drink called “Darth Maul”.
The secret ingredient is Stoli Razz. 😉
August 30th, 2010 at 5:06 pm
Boston Designated Drivers are amazing. I recently moved back to Salem, and am pretty thrilled to have the service. I usually call in advance and put in a reservation. About an hour or so before the pick up, they’ll call and let you know where to meet. They then take your keys and drive you home while someone follows them. They take bothy cash and credit. At $50.00, plus a $10.00-$15.00 tip, its nice to know your car is parked safe and sound and you did the right thing. Obviously the closer to the city the better. Give them a try!