Cocktail of the Week: Lapham Punch

There are several secrets that surround Bryant's Cocktail Lounge.

Some secrets are known by regular customers and those who have frequented Bryant's for years. For example, if you want a good cocktail, just tell the barman what you are looking for and trust that he will deliver.

Other secrets are known by just the staff. For example, what gives the Black Magic that magical taste that leaves you wanting more.

Still other secrets are even better kept and are known only to two or three people. One of these secrets is the ingredients in Pat's punches.

Pat, the second owner of Bryant's Cocktail Lounge, became somewhat well know for his boozy punch concoctions that would be sold around special occasions- the most popular of which was the Holiday Punch, which we still serve from Thanksgiving to New Years. These punches pack a kick that helps fuel Holiday revelry and are sweet enough to go down like candy.

Many people have tasted the Holiday Punch, but not many have tried the other punches that were served back in the day. One of the most obscure is the Lapham Punch, which was primarily sold around St. Patrick's Day and has a limey, whiskey fueled taste. This punch hasn't been mixed in years and years, but is available this week at Bryant's as the Cocktail of the Week.

If you are a fan of the Holiday Punch, you will most certainly like the Lapham Punch. Stop in during Old Fashioned Cocktail Hour to try this well kept secret for only $5 a glass. Plus, as usual, it is available for only $5 all night on Sunday.

Cocktail of the Week: The Daiquiri Cocktail

Did you know that April 20th is National Look Alike Day?

You can celebrate by dressing like your best friend, dressing your dog like your cat, or sitting around watching the Patty Duke show- a TV comedy about two identical cousins who get involved in all sorts of hijinks.  Cathy Lane, played by Patty Duke, is the refined cousin; raised in a cultured world of travel and minuets.  Patty Lane, also played by Patty Duke, is a Brooklyn Heights girl who loses control over rock and roll and hotdogs.

In celebration of National Look Alike Day, we really wanted to feature a drink of the week that looks identical to another cocktail, but tastes entirely different.  This, of course, is an easy task.  A Forever Amber looks an awful lot like a Briar Patch, though they taste quite different.  The Forever Amber tastes like strawberry, while the Briar Patch tastes like raspberry.  A Manhattan looks like Franks Drink, a Tornado looks like a Rat Pack, and a vodka tonic looks identical to a gin and tonic.

Instead, we decided to challenge ourselves by featuring a cocktail that has an identical name to another cocktails, but is entirely different.  Sounds confusing, but it really isn't.  There are two cocktails, both named "Daiquiri".  Much like Patty and her cousin Cathy, these cocktails are identical in name, just like two matching bookends, but they are different as night and day.

Our featured cocktail this week is the original Daiquiri Cocktail.  About 75% of people equate a Daiquiri with a blended icy drink that tastes like lime or strawberry or maybe raspberry.  It may be blue or purple or red, and it may or may not be made with rum.  At Bryant's Cocktail Lounge, in general, we are a fan of blended cocktails, but the Daiquiri is an exception.  Why?  Because the original, un-basterdised Daiquiri Cocktail is so darn good.

The original Daiquiri Cocktail, as we understand it, is quite simple.  Rum, fresh lime juice, and simple syrup- shaken and strained in to a cocktail glass.  The rum plays with the lime, and the lime plays with the sugar, and the sugar plays with the rum.  It's like a playground in your mouth- a playground made of booze!

This original concoction can also be blended, as it was at the Floridita in Cuba, where Ernest Hemingway hung is hat.  However, we don't recommend it.  Just try it in it's pure form.

This week we want you to find out for yourself why the original Daiquiri is so much better than the blended Daiquiri of the 1980s.  The Daiquiri Cocktail is only $5 during Old Fashioned Happy Hour, which takes place from 5 to 9, Tuesday through Friday.  In addition, we will be offering the Daiquiri Cocktail for only $5 all night on Sunday!  How can you go wrong?

As an added bonus, we have some delicious Fish House Punch, which is a potent and delicious rum punch.  The predominant flavors are lemon-lime, with a hint of vanilla.  Try this after your Daiquiri Cocktail for only $5 for a big glass.

Cocktail of the Week: The Income Tax Cocktail

The Income Tax Cocktail

Yes, it is that time again.  Tax Day.

In case you didn't know (and expect a cocktail lounge's blog to tell you) your taxes are due on April 18th this year.  So, this week, make sure to gather your W-2s, un-crumple your receipts, and prepare to fill in the little boxes answering confusing, "shouldn't there be a comma there", questions.

But first, stop by Bryant's for this weeks Cocktail of the Week: The Income Tax Cocktail.  The Income Tax Cocktail is a pre-prohibition cocktail that is remarkably similar to the classic Bronx- a cocktail that has been a long-time favorite at Bryant's.  The Bronx is a classic mix of gin, sweet vermouth, dry vermouth, and fresh orange juice.  The difference between a Bronx and The Income Tax Cocktail?  A shake of bitters.

Now, we can only assume that the cocktail mixers of yore had a sense of humor.  This is most likely one of those times when a witty barman created a cocktail to make a point.  Even though the bitters do add a touch of complexity, they also make the cocktail a little more bitter- just like doing your taxes.

Want to try it yourself?  Stop down this week when The Income Tax Cocktail is only $5 during Old Fashioned Cocktail Hour, Tuesday through Friday from 5 to 9.  Also, it will be $5 all night on Sunday, April 17th.  The day before your taxes are due.

After sipping on this delicious cocktail, you can rest assured that your bitterness has been shared by generations of Americans who begrudgingly fill out their taxes every year and find that they need a tasty cocktail to help them forget.  Now, where is that recipe for the 4868 Extension to File Cocktail?

Cocktail of the Week: The Velvet Touch

The Velvet Touch

The drink of the week for April 5th through April 10th comes from the Bryant's recipe vault- a dark, secure place, full of cocktail recipes not seen in 5, 10, or even 20 years. We are slowly bringing these recipes out in to the light of day, to once again be enjoyed by our guests.

The Velvet Touch (not to be mistaken for the Velvet Hammer, which is an ice cream drink), is a rum-based cocktail, with hints of almond and strawberry. It is served in a squall glass over ice and is delicious. Like many Bryant's drinks, this cocktail is deceivingly strong and covers the taste of the booze quite well- so well that it is worthy of the name "Velvet Touch".

Don't spend April waiting for Spring to arrive, drink it in a glass! This week only, the Velvet Touch cocktail is only $5 during Old Fashioned Cocktail Hour (Tuesday through Friday, from 5PM to 9PM) and all night on Sunday April 10th!

(Unfortunately, we can not combine offers so we will not be able to accept Groupons as payment for any Cocktail Hour cocktail.)