Pegu Club

[slkinsey]

From the web site:

We do not take reservations, nor do we intentionally prioritize guests as they arrive. It is our priority to take care of each guest on a first-come, first-serve basis.  As far as we're concerned everyone's a star, and it's more interesting to see what kind of characters fill up the room anyway. . .

If you're a large group arriving at 11:30 on Saturday, I don't think you'll have much chance of getting seats at the bar -- and depending on the night, you might have to wait to get in.

Got to have cocktails with some folks last Sunday at Pegu while I was in town for some business- what a beautiful place!!

Don't forget that Seattle has a pretty great place in The Zig Zag Cafe. In fact, I had a chance to meet one of the guys from Zig Zag a few weeks ago trading recipes at the Pegu Club bar.

[little ms foodie]

The Zig Zag is good Samuel but it doesn't have the same vibe that Pegu club has. The drinks are top notch and Murray has been tending bar in Seattle for a long time, I dare to say he served me when I was 23!!

Another comparison may be Sambar in Ballard, the vibe here is definately more Pegu Club, the cocktails depend on the bartender......

BTW, tonight my husband made us Pegu Club cocktails based on David Wondrich's recommendation, yum!!

[M.X.Hassett]

Please go. If you like a properly made drink go. For the love of god go. Yes you, logout and go now. Quit your job ditch the SO sell all of your possessions and GO NOW.

[lambretta76]

Went again last night for a quick cocktail after a so-so Ambulance Ltd. show at the Bowery. The cocktails were great as always - I had the apple cobbler, highly nuanced drink with about a half a page worth of ingredients - shaved this and muddled that. A bit sweet, perhaps, but very good. I was a bit put off by the floating orchid in it, but I'll live. It can't be a girl drink if it's made with applejack.

The waitress and hostess again were incredibly friendly and (the waitress) quite knowlegable - the best in any bar in NYC. However, the soundtrack has switched from jazz to 'jazzy house', or that kind of music typically found at any lounge in New York. I was a bit disappointed at the change, as it made the scene all a bit cheesier, more loungey (obviously). I hope they consider going back to the slightly more formal, classier jazz, even if this isn't an entirely classy place. (Though the room is beautiful.)

[baw]

I was also there last night with a group of 10-11 people. 8 of us were first timers and I think everyone was pretty psyched about the place. There are 3 new drinks on the Fall menu, the Apple Cobbler lambretta reffered to being one. There is also a Negroni and (I think) an applejack manhattan. (sorry for not remembering; we were there to celebrate so I was already a couple glasses of champagne in by the time we arrived.) I was impressed by the table service for our big group: friendly, knowlegeable and well-paced. The place was full during the time that we were there (around 9-11) but all of our drinks and chow came pretty quickly. The folks behind the bar must *really* be busting their butts to get huge numbers of labor intensive drinks out as fast, and as high quality, as they do. I had a lovely Martinez cocktail and an Old Fashioned.

Edited October 28, 2005 by baw (log)

[plattetude]

As I recall, the Negroni was actually a variation called the Cornwall Negroni, in tribute to Gary Regan. It included Punt e Mez and Regan's Orange Bitters #6 along with the standard Campari and gin (Plymouth, I think it was), and a flamed orange peel.

The "applejack manhattan" was actually more a reverse applejack manhattan called Perfect Parallel, having sweet and dry vermouth as the base and applejack in lesser amount. A crabapple slice serves as garnish.

(I tried one of each the other night. Both superb in their very different ways.)

Christopher

[KatieLoeb]

Well - I finally made it to Pegu earlier this week on a sojourn to Manhattan. Can I say that it's my new favorite bar? What a wonderful place, with incredibly knowlegeable bartenders (shout out to Chad and his encyclopedic brain of all things cocktail and spirits related), incredibly care taken with the freshest ingredients and a bar well stocked with the finest spirits. Throw in the mellow vibe and gorgeous decor and it's heavenly. A place I'd frequent far too often if I lived closer by.

I had the pleasure of meeting a few fellow eGulleteers for a drink or two. Cachaca Dave and M.X.Hassett are both great company and loads of fun to talk to. My friend Claire and I tried several cocktails each. I ordered some of the house specialties, but she decided to leave her fate in the well trained hands of Chad, our bartender with the mostest that evening. After explaining that she was normally a scotch drinker, a perfect Blood & Sand appeared before her. I liked it too, and I normally don't like scotch in the least. I tried an Apple Cobbler first and it was very tasty. Quite a lot going on in that drink. I then tried a Pineapple Sour and really enjoyed it. Claire asked Chad to surprise her, so he whipped up a Fruit Cup. It was delicious and gave me the sudden urge to go play a round of croquet! When I asked Chad to surprise me he made me a Williams Fizz which I really enjoyed. I love pear flavors in almost anything and the aromatic tincture of cloves floating atop the drink was just the right spicing for it. Lastly I tried a Tantris Sidecar to end the night and it was a revelation. I've always been a Sidecar drinker and Calvados sidecars are my favorite. Since this had both Cognac and Calvados I knew I would love it and I was not disappointed. Delicious drink that I'm going to have to master for at home.

Added bonus was getting to meet Dale DeGroff who happened to be at the bar that evening too. He's incredibly charming and a hoot to converse with. We had a blast and Mr. DeGroff was gracious enough to buy us a few drinks. I don't often get to meet one of my personal heros, so that was just about as much fun as I've ever had. Sadly, Audrey was off that night, so I didn't get the chance to say hello, but I will definitely be back before long and I hope to see her then.

[bergerka]

Eric_Malson and I hit Pegu last night after a tango lesson in the East Village. Naturally, our first objective was to sexually harass Toby and Phil, who look FAR too cute in their Pegu togs, but we figured while we were at it we might as well have a few drinks.

I think I remember everything I had...I know I started with the Perfect Parallel, which was amazing - light and refreshing and full o' applejack goodness. Then I had ummmm...a Jack Rose, I think, couldn't tell you what's in it other than applejack and pomegranate syrup, but it looks like a "girl" drink (the pink exactly matched my jacket, actually), tastes like a real drink, and packs a wallop. Then I had a Cornwall Negroni, I think, which was lovely - and oh yeah, then Phil surprised me and made a gin-gin mule with muddled cucumber and strawberries instead of mint. It made me want to go sit on a beach somewhere and watch the ocean while I drank it.

Finally, Eric and I shared a delicious, sparkly, STRONG Jimmie Roosevelt.

I then staggered home, and just got out of bed about twenty minutes ago.

I have to say - I love everything about Pegu, not least that I can walk in, say "Toby (Phil, Chad...), whatever you feel like making is just fine with me," but last night I had the most fun watching the people around us get excited enough about OUR drinks to branch out from raspberry martinis (or Maker's and coke. Why ruin perfectly good bourbon like that?) into something totally different that they had no idea they'd like.

K

[Eric_Malson]

Eric_Malson and I hit Pegu last night after a tango lesson in the East Village.  Naturally, our first objective was to sexually harass Toby and Phil, who look FAR too cute in their Pegu togs, but we figured while we were at it we might as well have a few drinks.

←

Speak for yourself! As you know, I am always the model of decorum!

There's very little to add, except that my favorite drink of the evening is the one Phil surprised me with--a Little Italy. Rye, sweet vermouth and Cynar, served up. It tastes even better than it sounds... a pretty spectacular drink.

[richl2214]

Great time Saturday. Walked in at 11pm and sat right down at a window table for two right across from the bar. All the drinks were impeccable but the Apple Cranberry special was my favorite. Truthfully I had to gag down the Earl Grey MarTeaNi because the finish was so dry. The cocktail itself was excellent but just not agreable with my taste buds.

Great place, unpretentious, cool atmosphere, friendly staff and killer drinks! Still I don't think they can hold a candle to the drinks and atmosphere of Milk and Honey but that place is a totally different animal.

Edited November 1, 2005 by richl2214 (log)

[slkinsey]

I always laugh when I think about the various liquors and ingredients of which Pegu Club is going through unprecedented amounts. I am quite sure, for example, that they are going through as much Rittenhouse rye, Punt e Mes and Green Chartreuse as the rest of the island of Manhattan combined. And I've got to suspect that they're going through a significant percentage of NYC's Laird's applejack now, too.

[johnder]

It is pretty safe to say I haven't been to another bar recently that had Creme de Violette behind the bar.

[bergerka]

Eric_Malson and I got to spend some quality time with Brian tonight at Pegu. . . another fabulous bartender there. Here is a "Last Word" he made for me:

A great guy, too. I wish I'd taken a picture of the New York Sour he made for Eric, but let's just say my hands were none to steady by that time. It's nice to know that no matter who you're dealing with at Pegu, you're going to have a uniquely wonderful experience!

[lostmyshape]

heading here with my wife and mother-in-law tomorrow night! can't wait! hope to see some of you there (not that i'd know what you look like, but we'll try to be extra friendly at the bar).

[Megan Blocker]

Have fun, lostmyshape! It's a real good time...

Made myself a Fitty-Fitty here in Florida (stuck here for Turkey Day and a wedding) - it was good, but not nearly as good as the one at Pegu!

[lostmyshape]

not that this thread needs another positive Pegu Club reveiw, but why not?

thought that i'd be there with 3, but we picked a few people up along the way. 7 was too many to sit at the bar, unfortunately. got the Little Italy, a variation on a manhattan with rye and cynar. it totally kicks the manhattan's ass. i really need to pick up some cynar and rye (where do i find rye in pittsburgh?). then i had sazerac (after reading a short dave wondrich article in drink? magazine). it was mighty tasty, also. my friends had a variety of drinks, all good.

my wife actually stumped the bartenders by ordering a holland house cocktail. it's sort-of an aviation with genever instead of dry gin that we discovered on the internet cocktail database. i'm not sure what type of genever they're using at pegu, but it wasn't nearly as malty as what we make at home. still good, though.

beautiful place. someone mentioned in another review that the bassy, faux-club/bar music was a little silly, and my party totally agrees. something more exotic might have fit the place a little better, but i didn't go to listen to music. started to get crowded around 10:30, with people almost 3-deep at the bar, but that's what we get for going on a saturday.

said hello to audrey, who seemed to be all business running here and there to direct staff, but was soooo nice.

wish i could have stayed longer, but had people to meet elsewhere. gonna take audrey's suggestion and try to come on a sunday next time, when i might get a bartender all to myself.

sigh, now i'm back in pittsburgh... a city not nearly cool enough for a bar like that. where in the world can you get a good drink in this town?

[Megan Blocker]

Just had another lovely evening at the Pegu Club last night, full of incredible cocktails. The one dark moment was when some guy took my stool when I went to the bathroom...can we say party foul?

Started with a Fitty-Fitty, then moved to a Pegu Club cocktail. Followed that with an Applejack Cobbler (which was delicious - picture to come!), which had (to my fuzzy-ish recollection) Laird's, cranberries, and some other stuff, garnished with a violet (or a pansy?). Beautiful.

One question, for anyone who knows (or for Audrey!) - my friend and I both had the Ritz Cocktail, and the bartender held the orange peel over a flame for a minute, and then singed it quickly before tossing it into the drink. What's the purpose of this? Just to release the essential oils in the peel? It was really good.

[Alchemist]

Holding the twist (the size and shape of a quarter) over a flame dries excess moisture, and primes the essential oils for carmalization. Carelizing the essential oils creates a rounder, deeper flavor. Think of the difference between sugar and carmel. And it's cool to set stuff on fire.

[Nathan]

Twas there last night...ordered an Aviation and the bartender suggested a variation known as the Blue Moon (as well as giving a brief exposition on its origin)...it was terrific.

[KatieLoeb]

What's the purpose of this? Just to release the essential oils in the peel? It was really good.

What Alchemist said is true, but it's also part of the show! Bartender Magic tricks!

[brooklyncook]

Went there last night hoping to get a Tom & Jerry, but there was none available. Instead, I opted for the Velvet Harvest, which was fantastic.

According to the bartender that served my girlfriend and I, they'll have Tom & Jerry's "more available" in the future -- and it's better to get there early in the evening in order to procure one.

[bergerka]

Was there last night as well with a few friends - I had the Velvet Harvest too, YUM - I love pear - and then a Blinker, which is pretty AND tasty.

We sat at a table, for once, because there was no room at the bar for all of us (we were five total). I wish I could remember our server's name - she was from Australia. She was fantastic and very interesting to talk to.

[M.X.Hassett]

Sorry I missed all of you last night. My new favorite of the menu is the Little Italy the luxardo cherries rock.

[docsconz]

Great place. I was part of Kathleen's party. The drinks were superb. I particularly enjoyed the Applejack Cobbler.

[JosephB]

I was also there on Thursday evening, and had a lovely time.