Ivy Mix’s New Cocktails at the Relaunched DIEGO Bar
Thoughtful concoctions from the lavish lobby bar at NYC’s PUBLIC Hotel
From the mind of the brilliant Ivy Mix, a brand new cocktail selection is now available at PUBLIC Hotel‘s sophisticated but cozy bar, DIEGO—which relaunches tonight. An LES favorite for over a year, the bar is named for artist Diego Rivera, and the new menu is partly inspired by the artist’s nomadic life and world travels. Plush and rich, a tapestry reproduction of Rivera’s Man at the Crossroads adorns a wall at the jewel-toned space—thanks to the Estate of Diego Rivera. We had a sneak peek at the cocktail menu, tasting the new concoctions, and have selected a few of our favorites (complete with recipes, if you want to attempt making them at home) below. From the tropical to wintery, fruity to bitter, each one is delicious yet also offers something unexpected.
The Peacock
Most cocktails designed to serve eight people do not look this good. Served in a brass peacock, this fruity vodka number separates itself from the rest by way of a mint bouquet and premium ingredients, including a house-made lavender syrup and cardamom bitters. This is certainly a fun one—and photogenic, as well.
9 oz Absolut Elyx Vodka
3 oz Lavender Syrup
3 oz Lemon Juice
3 oz Mandarin/Tangerine purée
10 Dashes of Cardamom Bitters
Soda to top
Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker, whip shake, and pour into large-format vessel. Top with soda and garnish with mint bouquet.
Desert Wind
Tequila may be the primary component here but it’s the Mezcal that stays on one’s tongue the longest. The hotel’s house-made Palo Santo syrup also adds a second layer of smokiness that’s equally smooth.
.5 oz Mezcal
1.5 oz Añejo Tequila
.25 oz Honey Syrup
.25 oz Palo Santo Syrup
Dash of Angostura Bitters
Add all ingredients into ice-filled mixing glass. Stir until well chilled. Strain over ice into Old Fashioned glass. Garnish with orange twist.
LES Sour
The brilliant layers of color here allude to an unfurling flavor profile within this Sour variation. Here, citrus plays the dominant role while bourbon packs the final punch. It’s the aromatized wine-based apéritif Byrrh that truly defies expectation and makes the drink so memorable.
1.5 oz bourbon
.25 oz Ancho Reyes
.5 oz orange juice
.5 oz lemon juice
.5 oz simple syrup
.5 oz Byrrh
Add all ingredients to ice-filled mixing glass, stir until well-chilled, and strain into rocks glass.
Red Vespa
Spritz lovers will rejoice over this flavorful variation of a refreshing session sipper—where light beer replaces prosecco for the bubbles and Contratto and vermouth take on the role of Aperol. It is delectable without a doubt and perhaps unexpectedly so.
1 oz Contratto
.5 oz sweet vermouth
.5 oz dry vermouth
Tecate
Add Contratto, sweet vermouth and dry vermouth to an ice-filled highball glass. Top off with Tecate and garnish with orange wheel.
Prada Colado
Perhaps the child of a crushed ice sherry cobbler and piña colada, the Prada Colado’s banana and coconut sweetness drives the mixed drink, but the spice of the Amontillado and Moscatel lend it complexity.
.5 oz Moscatel
1 oz Amontillado Sherry
.5 oz Smith & Cross Rum
.25 oz Crème de banane
1 oz coconut cream
Add all ingredients to ice-filled cocktail shaker and shake until well combined. Strain into ice-filled rocks glass and garnish with sprinkle of nutmeg and mint sprig.
La Catedral
Perfect for winter—with a nostalgic reminder of summer buried within—La Catedral uses a spicy rye in conjunction with the much-loved Plantation Pineapple rum. Anyone looking for something new from the rye world can appreciate the sheer scenic balance here.
.75 oz rye whiskey
.5 oz Plantation Pineapple
.75 oz Torres Spanish Brandy
.5 oz Oloroso Sherry
.25 oz simple syrup
Light a small piece of Sandalwood incense on fire and cup it with a rocks glass. Build and stir the drink, pour the drink in and serve Sazerac style. Garnish with a twist of lemon.
Images courtesy of DIEGO
