Sandy’s hook, sweet and smooth
Sandy’s hook, sweet and smooth
Story and photos by Robin Elisabeth Kilmer
Franklin Pimentel knows Superstorm Sandy’s strength well.
The storm’s punches left him without power the days following her steamroll through town.
“I had to drink martinis to keep warm,” he said with a laugh.
Pimentel, a bartender who works at Oregano Bar and Bistro in Riverdale, was at least able to extract inspiration from the superstorm, and invented a cocktail in her name.
If you are seeking revenge on Sandy, the thinking is, you can at least put her to rest in your belly.
Though, be cautious, as Pimentel has conceived of it, she still might get the best of you.
A concoction that includes Balvenie Caribbean Cask, whiskey aged in rum barrels, Hispaniola white rum, Antica formula, orange bitters, lemon juice, and simple syrup, this lady is meant to be sipped.
“I’m not a cocktail person, but this is amazing. You have to sit at a bar, and enjoy it,” said Martin Sandelier, a regular at Oregano.
Taste tests prove that Pimentel has managed to harness the power of the superstorm, while packaging it in a cocktail that is far easier on the palate.
Unlike its abrasive namesake, this Sandy is nice—with some sugar and spice.
Mixologist Pimentel sought to create a perfect balance; he noted that it is important that one flavor doesn’t overpower the next.
“I want people to taste every ingredient,” he said.
Sandy’s Hook is at once summery and autumnal. Orange bitters, lemon, whisky and rum help her taste both tropical and northeastern—fitting for a storm that first battered palm trees before downing deciduous trees in the Northeast.
Pimentel, who concocted Sandy’s Hook on Tuesday while working at the bar, said he was conflicted about whether or not to add whiskey. “We wanted to do something with rum, because it’s a tropical storm.”
“The Balvenie makes it,” agreed Sandelier.
Try Sandy’s Hook for yourself soon, before, just like the storm, it blows away.
Oregano Bar and Bistro
3524 Johnson Avenue
The Bronx, NY 10463
347.843.8393
