Category Archives: abv

October 19, 2011 · 6:00 pm

Progress report, v.3

I’m happy to report that things are humming along.

It's thrilling to see so many permits on the front door. Plumbing, electrical, HVAC, oh my.

We now have stainless steel in our kitchen.

Framing in the basement is pretty much done. On the left, the electrical room, on the right, our office.

The plumber insulated a pipe running through the wine room.

We re-sealed the brick where the old duct work was.

Today, Michael and I primed the ceiling. Tomorrow, we paint.

I did the trimming while Michael did the rest. Sometimes, it's good to be short.

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October 7, 2011 · 1:52 am

Gonna build me a wine room

Framing in the basement has begun!

Earlier this week we passed our plumbing rough in inspection with the DOB.  A big thank you to my partners who are making all of this happen while I’m “working” overseas.

Arrivederci Venezia!

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September 27, 2011 · 11:24 am

Progress report, take 2

This post could alternatively be called, “I saw my bar frame being wheeled down 97th street”.

Master Fire is still plugging away on our hood installation.

Breaking through the brick to connect the duct work. We'll be filling the old hole in.

Our bar frame has arrived!

Not something you see everyday.

Bar frame, in its new home, waiting patiently to be installed.

 

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September 23, 2011 · 3:53 pm

Hood Installation

The scene two days ago. Up-to-code black iron, waiting patiently to be installed.

Remnants of the old hood system, when the space used to be a bodega.

Today, a hole, where the old system used to be. The air is thick with welding smoke..

The old system, in pieces, in our air shaft.

Sweet, sweet hoods. I can't stop smiling.

Happy I caught the guys in action today.

It was a welding party.

The dramatic close-up.

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September 13, 2011 · 2:25 pm

Progress report

Thanks to all of you bearing with me.  We just moved to the ‘hood of the bar.  It was daunting at first, having lived below 23rd street for my 10 years in NYC, but so far we are loving it.  I’m certain I will be thanking myself when I can walk home at night after closing the bar.

Sheet rocking for first floor. Check.

The last post had a glimpse of bathroom no. 2.  Here’s the big guy:

A working toilet. Someone has already peed on the seat.

We are currently in line with the DOB for our rough in inspection.

Lots of plumbing downstairs. Don't often see a dirt floor in NYC.

Next up: subflooring upstairs, framing the basement, rough electrical runs.

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August 31, 2011 · 8:25 am

She is a thing of beauty

I’m not talking about Stella, but rather our long-awaited building permit.

I wanted to frame it, but we had to post it on the front door.

I never thought I’d be so happy to see holes cut out of the floor.

Future kitchen.

We are now the proud owners of a 100 lb. grease trap.  I’m becoming an expert in things I never thought I wanted to know.

Future bathroom. Don't worry, this is the small one.

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August 17, 2011 · 3:54 pm

Searching for a Port in the stormy

The Dark and Stormy cocktail is one of my all-time favorites. Dale DeGroff’s recipe is this:

  • 2 ounces Gosling’s or Myers’s dark rum
  • 5 ounces ginger beer
  • Lime wedge

Pour the rum over ice in highball and fill with ginger beer. Squeeze in the lime wedge.

Gosling’s Black Seal 80 proof is definitely the rum you want.  For ginger beer, I’ve had good luck with Reed’s Extra Ginger Brew and Regatta.  I use more lime in mine – I squeeze the juice from 1/2 lime and shake it with the rum and ice, before pouring over rocks and adding the ginger beer.  A little salt is also tasty.
Thanks to Marymount School, our bar will have a beer and wine license only.  I do plan on having a full list of low-proof cocktails, however, which brings us to the point of this post.  Our list will most certainly have a take on the D and S.

Experimenting with some tawny Ports - Niepoort and Warre's Otima 10.

The Niepoort, while delicious, proved to have too much grape-y sweetness.  The Warre’s, mixed with the same proportions discussed above, would make most D and S fans smile.

Even the color of the Warre's was closer to the original.

Bermuda is far from Portugal and 40% abv vs. 20% abv is quite a jump, but the complexity from barrel aging and the natural sweetness found in both main ingredients makes it work.

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July 5, 2011 · 6:08 pm

Shoots flaming balls and reports

Hope you all had a great holiday.  Or, more specifically, I hope you drank and ate well, and as a friend of ours says, “made some things go pow”.

The end of June marks an exciting new chapter for A Thirsty Spirit.  See hint in the photograph below.  I hope you’ll stay tuned.

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