Tonight’s Radio Room at The Edison
Zane from Seattle
Thinking about going to The Edison‘s Radio Room tonight? Lucky for you there was a press preview last night of the guest-bartender event under new Director of Spirits Joe Brooke, so you’ll have the details on what’s going to be served. Tonight’s guest bartenders are Simon Ford from Pernod Ricard in London and New York, Giuseppe Gonzalez from Dutch Kills in New York, Zane Harris from Rob Roy in Seattle and Don Lee from Momofuku Ssam Bar in New York. There will be a menu of six cocktails at $14 each, and entrance is $10 at the door (presale tickets here).
My favorite cocktail was Harris’ Vieux Cerde made with 12-year Irish whisky, VSOP cognac, Elisir M.P. Roux and bitters. Yes, I’m biased because I love whisky, but this cocktail had great balance of flavors, making the overall taste smooth and not jarring, like some whisky drinks can be. Harris will also make the Globo Rojo #2 with mezcal, strawberries, port and bitters. This one was very interesting, with the smokiness of the mezcal mixing with the sweetness of the strawberries.
Vieux Cerde
I also liked Ford’s Good Morning, Vietnam, made with gin, ginger, orange marmalade and lemon. It was much lighter in flavor than many of the other cocktails, but I liked the lemon-and-ginger combination. The marmalade wasn’t as sweet as I expect, either, which was good. Gonzalez will be making the Wild Orchid with gin, almond, elderflower and red wine, as well as the Infante with tequila, lime, orgeat syrup, orange blossom water and freshly grated nutmeg — both good. Lee’s savory cocktail is the Rite of Spring, which is a twist on a classic Gibson, this time made with vodka and onions marinated in Korean peppers and rice vinegar. This wasn’t my cup of tea, but other people liked it.
Also look out for oysters and crab from Chef Christophe Happillon to be served tonight and a live performance from DJ Jonny and The March Fourth Marching Band.
In other news, The Edison owner Andrew Meieran has announced that he is finalizing plans for a New York outpost of the bar and hopes to open in about 18 months.
Check out Thirsty in L.A.’s post, which has lots of detail, and e*starLA’s post.
This was a hosted event.
The Vieux Cerde was one of my faves too, definitely something to squawk about.