but you've heard, i assume (see: Eater, Urban Daddy, Thrillist, etc., etc.)

i'm going to ignore this whole public secret silliness because cocktails are good and the place, although small, very comfortable. entering from inside crif dogs (door on the left - not really a phone booth but don't ask the crif staff, i hear they are getting mightily annoyed by andy PDT related questions), you'll find yourself in a cozy den. exposed brick, black tufted leather banquettes, long lit-from-underneath bar, taxidermy.

cocktail menu by the very talented and supernice Jim Meehan (what can I say, i hate bitchy bartenders) of Pegu and Gramercy Tavern. I'd say he's my favorite bartender in the city (i'm hardly alone on this one), but i digress. i had the good luck to get a sneak peek last night during friends & family - it opens on Thursday.

the rye cocktail with manzanila and grand marnier is very, very good (although could use a better name), el diablo (tequila, cassis, ginger beer) was very popular and deservedly so. a mean mint julep. i loved the pimm's rangoon but not the too-sweet pisco sour. the east india cocktail was also on the sweeter side but i could see enjoying it when it gets colder - the first sip just warms you up. The trident was all caraway aquavit with cynar, manzanilla and peach bitters. I'm intrigued by the use of manzanilla in drinks.

btw, if you go to Pegu regularly, you may recognize some of the staff. you'll feel at home it's small so go early.

I was sworn to secrecy on that one.

oh, and Sam Mason (Tailor) was there. doing "research," i bet, heh heh

Swish, dark space, nicely decorated. Beautiful soft leather bar stools. Certainly has a secluded feel - no chance of any natural daylight, unless you count the dim glow from the smoking yard out back.

Entrance is amusing. You have to squeeze into the telephone booth inside Crif Dogs, as hot dog-munching patrons studiously ignore you, press a button (instructions are posted) and then tolerate a look up and down from the doorman who insists on asking "Yes, can I help you?"

The food menu is basically hot dogs, which appear wittily through a little hatchway from next door. I can't review the cocktails, because luck dictated we were served by someone being trained. Everyone needs to learn, but I wonder if customers should be charged full price ($11) while acting as guinea pigs?

If you are going, go before the crowds pack it. It was mentioned in Dining Panties yesterday, so word is getting out.

I managed to find this thread by searching for Crif.

A better experience at PDT this time around, as our drinks were mixed by an experienced bar-tender. I liked the Rye Witch - a variation on the Sazerac. Oh, I can't remember the ingredients. This was followed by a classic Brooklyn, which is like a Manhattan led down the wrong path with Amer Picon.

A nice touch: a tequila-based cocktail from the specialty list was judged slightly bitter by its recipient. After pondering, the bar-tender added a splash of Agave nectar, which adjusted the mix perfectly.

Early evening (around 7pm), we snagged the last stools at the bar.

It seems that we must have been occupying seats at the bar at the same time. The Rye Witch was very tasty indeed, as was the Frankfort Rose. Jim was a very personable fellow, but spent more time working the room than behind the bar, so I didn't have anything personally shaken by him. Excellent tater tots too.

oh, sounds like new drinks on the menu, must investigate...

So last night, after an 8 o'clock dinner at Ssam Bar, my friend and I walked over to PDT.

45-minute wait.

Then over to Death & Co.

20-minute wait.

Maybe I'm a stodge, but I can't bring myself to wait to get into a bar.

(I also can't bring myself to schlepp over to the East Village for cocktails if I'm not sure I can get into a bar.)

I think the New York Cocktail Revival has passed me by.

nah, it's just the East Village cocktail revival - there is always Pegu, Flatiron Lounge, etc. and the east village also Blue Owl - although i don't know if the drinks are still any good

i refuse to wait as well so i go early but i'm crazy like that.

I agree. Timing is everything, but I won't wait for drinks.

As I said above, we took the last two bar-stools at 7pm the other night. I think a table might have been free. Pegu Club has such a long bar that it's a safe bet a little later, toward 8pm say. Flatiron too, I'd say.

None of this is a problem for me, as the cocktail hour is over by 8pm, and you should be doing (and drinking) something else.

We also usually arrive early enough to get seated in most places except perhaps trips to Little Branch where I confess I have waited for a table at times.

more new drinks: Benton's something - bacon infused whiskey - delicious. the staggerac good too. and i have to say i love the chang dog

Just looking at the list which has been posted over at eGullet. Confirms my impression that the mixers here have a sweet tooth.

As I mentioned on another thread, I re-visited the other night and had two cocktails about as sweet as they need to be. The Table 8, I think it was called, involved Barenjager Honey Liqueur. I also had a kind of tequila-based Old Fashioned with, I think, agave nectar. Almost every cocktail on the list features concentrated fruit syrups and purees, and/or sweet liqueurs. I am reminded that I've also had the Dewey D before, sweetened with sherry.

Nothing wrong with it; I'm just puzzled in the context of old-style cocktails being dismissed as sweet.

some do, some don't.

but many/most of the fall/winter cocktails were in the vieux carre family...and not sweet at all...spring/summer does tend to get you more into a fruit zone...though as always, balance is key.

fwiw, I definitely think Audrey Saunders over at Pegu has a touch of a sweet tooth.

with that said, I virtually always go off-menu at PDT so it's hard for me to gauge the actual tenor of the menu.

I'd further add that PDT, like most SCB's, emphasizes gateway drinks due to the nature of most of their clientele. just tell the bartenders you're not a neophyte and want a boozier drink. you'll get it.

The tequila Old Fashioned was off menu. In this kind of spot, I usually start with a listed drink, then ask the mix-person to suggest the next.

Finally got my fist around the Benton's Old Fashioned. Made with bacon (or smoked ham) infused bourbon. Amazingly rich and creamy - quite delicious.

I also tasted a tweaked Mojito: I think it's called a "French Maid". French is in the name, anyway. Very good.

In case it isn't mentioned above, the hot dog menu is now swanky: they've collaborated with Wylie D. and David C. on dogs, one topped with the WD-50 fried mayo, the other with Momofuku kimchee. Haven't tried them: just passing it on.

I have 3 more cocktails to go and then I think I've tried the entire spring menu.

So far my favorite is the "Rite of Spring": gin (Tanquery, I believe), vermouth and the brine from Ssam Bar's ramp pickle. Goes great with the Chang Dog.

Last time, I really enjoyed the "Beer Cassis". It uses Brooklyn Local 1 (bottle fermented beer), cassis and something else that added a vague, rich sweetness - not fruity or syrupy, there was a definite depth of flavor. I'll try and find out what it was.

I've also had the Coda a few times - it uses an egg, has a bit of all spice in it and maybe some rum if I'm remembering correctly. I dig those eggy cocktails and I think it's a nice cocktail to finish with.

The French Maid and Swiss Mist are extremely refreshing and that Benton's Old Fashioned is great!

The Beer Cassis makes me think of lager and blackcurrant - which is off-putting.

ever had the beer kir at 15 East?

very refreshing. (sweet mountain yam vinegar though, not cassis)

Benton's Old Fashioned was too orangy last night but i liked the Swiss Mist and Dewey D - both were very good. The Mariner (scotch and citrus and who knows what else) was good but not as complex and layered as i expected. Bee's Sop was more medicinal-chamomile than i thought - more of a drink to ponder while sipping than one to knock back. and they made a lovely Scotch Lady for me too, although Death & Co's is a tiny touch more to my taste.

finally tried the Wylie dog (gotta love that fried mayo) - good but i think the Chang edges it out...

Funny. While posting about Benton's ham on the Ssam Bar thread, I was trying to remember where I'd recently seen it used to brilliant effect as an ingredient, other than in the scallop dish at Ko.

Of course. It was this cocktail.

That's interesting, nux. There's definitely been a noticeable trend over time toward oranginess in the Benton's Old Fashioned. A friend who just tried one for the first time described the drink as "fruity", which was never the case initially.

Someone will have to remember to ask them about that. I wonder if it's on purpose or not? I liked it better the old way.

me too.

i would have said something had we been at the bar but since there were 4 of us, we got a table

I quite enjoyed the Dewey D (rye, sherry, Aperol). Nice balance of flavors. The Bee's Sip is, surprisingly, not sweet at all. Nux's description (medicinal-chamomile) is spot on. Odd but interesting.

I had a bite of the Wylie dog. Fried Mayo - what a concept. I'd had the fried Holandaise at wd~50 on Monday. Cool texture, familiar flavor. The dog at PDT is exotic and very rich. (I shudder to think of how rich the John Deragon dog must be - it sounds like a cholesterol depth charge).

The speakeasy vibe is amusing. Dark walls, creepy stuffed animals peering over your shoulder, the silly little pass-through slot for the dogs. Great fun! (Good company helps).

had some old favorites - Benton's less orange-y! Dewey D even better than the last time. (different bartender, i bet.) very nice light Rhubarbarita (tequila, of course) and the Kin Kan (Beefeater, lemon, kumquat, St. Germain) was also perfect for a warm summer night

i'm a sucker for the dogs too - love to get ppl to try the chang especially...

I meant to post about the Benton's that I had on Monday. I agree with you 100% about it - the infusion of the Benton's this time around was much smokier. The overall result was more complex - the orange flavor was less prominent as well. Probably the best Benton's Old Fashioned that I've had.

The bartenders on Monday night were mixing up some experiments that we happily ordered. The "Eldridge & Houston" was refreshing and quite enjoyable: rye based cocktail with strawberry preserves a few drops of simple and I think some lemon juice (Sneakeater, please correct me if I'm leaving anything out).

I think it's clear how much I love anything Momofuku, but the Deragon Dog is absolutely fabulous as well. I really enjoy the Wylie Dog, my only complaint is that sometimes I end up with a mouthful of the fried mayo without any hot dog.

Sounds right to me.