If you find yourself in Red Bank in search of a cocktail, Clever Alehouse is a new option opened recently on Dayton Boulevard, the city's main drag, by the owners of downtown's Bitter Alibi and North Chattanooga's Daily Ration.
The New Yorkah' is a solid cocktail choice for whiskey fans and people who like their drinks tart rather than sweet, says Shelby Gaddis, Clever's front of house manager.
"It's basically a whiskey sour with a red wine float on top, which is what makes it New York style," Gaddis says of Clever's take on the traditional whiskey cocktail.
Gaddis, who describes herself as "a huge sour person," likes that it's a whiskey drink that doesn't taste like straight whiskey.
"The lemon juice and simple syrup and the red wine on top really helps to kind of cut the whiskey," she says. "You can still taste it, but it's a good bite with a sour to it."
The trick to making the drink is mastering the float technique, which is done with a tiny spoon held with a steady hand at just the right angle and distance from the drink.
"Ideally, it's supposed to have a solid layer of red and then slowly seep into the drink rather than going straight down," says Gaddis, adding that she has yet to perfect her own technique.
What you need:
2 ounces Chattanooga Whiskey 91 Proof
1 ounce lemon juice
1 ounce rosemary simple syrup*
Red wine for float (Clever uses malbec or pinot noir)
Luxardo maraschino cherries, for garnish
*To make rosemary simple syrup, put almost a half-cup of sugar into a container and add very hot water. Steep a sprig of rosemary in the syrup to add a hint of rosemary flavor.
What you do:
Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice, shake and strain into a glass with ice. Carefully float red wine on top.
Staff photo by Matt Hamilton / The ingredients for the New Yorkah' at Clever Alehouse.