You know The Smith. With three NYC locations – the original in the East Village, a second outpost in Midtown East and another across from Lincoln Center – The Smith is known for its popular weekend brunch and approachable yet delicious food, including the Hot Potato Chips with Bleu Cheese Fondue, a handful of yummy salads (we love the Kale & Quinoa) and a perfectly cooked Bar Steak. But what you might not have known is that The Smith also has a creative cocktail program, including five winter-centric beverages.
Separated into three different sections – Muddlers, Long Pours and Fancy Cocktails – the drinks at The Smith are both classic and contemporary, made with locally-sourced artisanal ingredients, according to Beverage Director Jeff Leanheart, who has been with the restaurant group for over 4 years.
“We change the menu five to six times a year,” Leanheart tells ThirstyNYC. “I think it’s vital to add a seasonal component, and to be innovative. With the growing availability of products – from farmers markets and small local companies – it would be stupid not to use these fresh, seasonal ingredients.”
Leanheart admits it can be tough to explain all of the different ingredients since The Smith locations tend to be loud, high-volume restaurants he insists, “While we can’t always describe everything in 90 seconds but we are using really fantastic artisan crafted ingredients in the cocktails.”
So what are some of The Smith’s best-sellers?
“Our customers really love the classic Moscow Mule, and the rum and pineapple Ginger Smash, the tequila-based Cucumber Loco and the Hungry Teacher with bourbon and mint are staples. But I like creating new drinks and watching people try things they haven’t had before.”
For the winter menu, Leanheart leaned heavily on citrus – whether in the spirit, the bitters, a carbonated beverage or the garnish – which is on display in the Pom del Sol. A muddled mixture of Charbay pomegranate vodka, Limoncello, lemon salt specially-made in house, blood orange-ginger bitter Tears Lucille and topped with Prosecco, the Pom del Sol brings out the beautiful acids and aromatics.
“The Pom del Sol is perfectly balanced,” Leanheart explains. “The Prosecco breaks up the Limoncello and the blood- orange-ginger bitter flavor really comes through. All the flavors just work.”
For the Happy Camper, Leanheart got his inspiration during a trip to Seattle.
“I took a trip to Captive Spirits in Ballard – the hipster neighborhood – and just loved the Big Gin,” he says. “It’s London-dry quality but has that juniper nose.”
Adding pine liqueur from Austria and Mastiha – a Greek digestif made from tree sap, with a holly quality – and then softening it with Cardamon-lime syrup and grapefruit soda, Leanheart pinches in hardwood-smoked salt and finishes it with Thai bitters “to give it some spice.”
“The Happy Camper is very herbal, earthy and acidic,” he explains.
For drinkers looking for something with just a bit of sweet, the Winter Escape – appropriately named for this unbearably cold season – is based with a Rhum Blanc, a toned-down version of many popular rums which are usually processed with molasses.
“Rhum Blanc is unctuous and less sweet,” Leanheart points out. “We add the Aperol which is a softer alternative to Campari to give it a nice bright color, chocolate and Angostura bitters for the feel of the islands and pineapple to add balance.”
The Barrel Trader (which Leanheart admits, along with the Happy Camper, is his favorite) also uses rum as a base, but this time Leanheart opted for Rhum VSOP, which is aged for four years in Limosuin casks, and then adds a pear and ginger vermouth from Uncouth Vermouth based in Red Hook and a housemade safron-honey syrup and baska snaps, which Leanheart explains is “a Swedish version of Amaro.”
“The Baska snaps really brings out the woodsy flavor while the trader spices give the cocktail a Caribbean feel.”
For The Smith’s final winter cocktail, Leanheart created the Hot Chai Spiced Toddy, made with Guayaki chai-spiced mate and Lucano Amaro – “a woodsier, barkier flavor profile with hints of dandelion,” – pomegranate molasses and cinnamon-bark syrup.
“It’s the winter, so I used a lot of warming agents,” he says.
As for Leanheart’s cocktail of choice? He loves a classic Vesper (“I love London dry gin”) and bitter cocktails made with amaro, crafted vermouth and absinthe.
“I make an absinthe cocktail at home, and it’s such a peaceful harmony,” he reveals. “It’s what you drink to escape. It’s a different kind of buzz.”
Looking ahead to spring, Leanheart plans to incorporate more tequilas and gins as well as herbs like basil, veggies including celery and cucumbers, coconut water and berries.
“Margaritas are always very popular and gin is getting more and more popular. People like familiar drinks,” he admits, adding “I want to create a healthier style.”
The Smith
www.thesmithnyc.com
East Village: 55 Third Avenue, 212.420.9800
Midtown East: 956 Second Avenue, 212.644.2700
Lincoln Center: 1900 Broadway, 212.496.5700
Twitter and Instagram: TheSmithNYC
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