It was a moment of stagecraft that was almost perfectly captured in cocktail bars of today.
A stylish man behind the counter at Stay used a single large ice cube and a thin slice of orange peel to strain a reddish-bronze cocktail into a textured rocks glass. Then he covered the glass with a wooden “chimney” top, lit a torch lighter that was fitted with a wood chip cartridge, and aimed the flames.
He carried the drink to the couch where I was sitting with a friend. The top lifted and the smoke spiraled upwards. Pictures everywhere. The aroma of the campfire persisted in the glass, blending with hints of citrus, vanilla, caramel, and ginger. Our server recommended it as the best option, and we had already placed multiple orders, but he said true about that.
A fresh phase in the revolution in NA
The concoction, dubbed the Ox, consists of a blend of bitters, ginger syrup, Roots Divino Aperitif Rosso (a vermouth derivative), and Kentucky 74 Bourbon Alternative. It tastes exactly like a Manhattan, but it’s alcohol-free. Not do any of the cocktails at Stay, the recently opened zero-proof cocktail lounge housed in a historic Chinatown building.
I don’t usually dash to bars or restaurants the week they open to welcome patrons, but Stay’s appearance is especially important. As we enter the heart of Dry January, I’ve never seen the subject receive as much media attention as it has this year.
Last week, the Food team delved deeply into the topic of nonalcoholic drinking, exploring our top picks for NA cocktails, conducting a taste test of 19 NA beers, creating drink recipes, and featuring actor Danny Trejo and his 55 years of sobriety in a profile.
My primary contribution was an article highlighting the genius of Kato’s bar director, Austin Hennelly, and lead bartender, Han Suk Cho, whose combined skills result in the most delicious NA cocktails I’ve ever tasted.
