Darth Vader

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
Fans of Star Wars and hard liquor rejoice! After years of playing with Long Islands, Red Bull/vodkas and Jäger Bombs, there’s a new contender on the scene: Darth Vader. Dreamed up by Kristin, a bartender at new downtown watering hole the Cellar, the drink—to quote the Dark Lord—made me “sense something, [...]

Honey Moon Summer Ale

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
As summer weather approaches, people begin lurking from Broadway toward the ocean to enjoy the sea breeze, oil islands, polluted water and slightly fishy air. While one might emerge as a character from Toxic Avenger after taking a dip in our oily seas, we don’t like to think of [...]

Saison

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
Saison is a Belgian-style beer that is historically linked to the Wallonia region in the south of Belgium. Also known as “farmhouse ale,” saisons were first brewed many centuries ago to quench the thirsts of farmworkers during the harvest season. (In the course of the summer, some farmers would drink as much [...]

Gobstopper Martini

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
With spring officially here, we’re all looking for an excuse to sit in the sun and enjoy an afternoon cocktail. Tired of staying out till last call and seeing the same people in a dimly lit room? Venture over to the Yard House during happy hour, where I recently sat down [...]

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
On those days when you’re rehydrating or simply just over coffee, water and boring old soda, head to Village Grind and order a liquid elixir. Made with sparkling water and one of the shop’s yummy elixirs, the drink is refreshing—not too sweet, not as boring as it sounds, with elixirs made from [...]

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
I had single-handedly killed a bottle of wine when some friends invited me to meet them at Utopia, and although I’d never stepped inside the East Village restaurant, the chianti buzz obliged. Now, common sense would dictate that I should have stuck with wine—but common sense was nowhere to be found. Instead, [...]

Cap’n Crunch Milkshake and Malt

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
Oh Cap’n, my Cap’n: You’re in milkshake form now? It’s true: Carl’s Jr. has decided to corner the cereal-for-dessert market by unleashing a Cap’n Crunch-flavored shake and malt. You could argue that more flavorful cereals (like Cocoa Pebbles or Lucky Charms) would be a better fit for the [...]

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
Only at the Prospector: The Hallucination Shot, a delightful-for-those-who-can-handle-it combination of hazelnut Kahlua, milk and absinthe, the barely legal liquor that may or may not have skewed van Gogh’s madness toward ear-slicing territory. Despite absinthe’s infamy, it puts this foaming formula for fun on par with a White Russian—should the Russian decide [...]

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
Walk into O’Connell’s Cocktails early on a Wednesday night and you’ll find a few questionable characters slouching over the bar, Winehouse’s Back to Black playing on the jukebox and the man behind the counter standing with his arms crossed, looking tougher than your dad ever could. This is Bob, and Bob called [...]

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES
After spending last month under a rare statewide rain cloud, I was craving a dose of summer—and found it down the straw of a Skip & Go Naked at Frisco’s, quite possibly the most potent glass of pink lemonade I’ve ever had. Though it’s not on the menu, Frisco’s 23-year-old general manager [...]