625214 Thu Jun 04 13:48:06 -0700 2009 15 12 Boston Area 0 4742927 i can't seem to get some of my friends to leave the North Shore and do my usual Deep Ellum, ESK, Drink circuit. is there any place in/near the Salem/Peabody/Beverly area that are doing any sort of Craft Cocktail thing? Thu Jun 04 13:48:06 -0700 2009 12603 ScubaSteve 1 4743900 I might click over to North Shore Dish and ask the question there. They do talk about cocktails and had a recent post about Cygnet that talked about cocktails. http://www.northshoredish.com/2009/06/01/take-the-cygnet-challenge/ I know they follow this board and may chime in on this. Thu Jun 04 19:59:30 -0700 2009 4742927 21331 BostonZest 2 4743945 thanks! i do follow that Blog, will try there. Thu Jun 04 20:23:25 -0700 2009 4743900 12603 ScubaSteve 2 4744029 NSD doesn't seem to have a public forum. or a way to contact the Admin/Owner. unless i'm just not seeing it. Thu Jun 04 21:10:47 -0700 2009 4743900 12603 ScubaSteve 3 4744403 Hey Steve, Right now we just rely on comments to posts for "conversation", interesting idea about a forum, though. 62 on Wharf in Salem and Cygnet in Beverly both have terrific bars with well made cocktails, though I think 62 has more innovative with fresh ingredients. I have been told the bar at Mandrake in Beverly is a hopping scene and they make a great martini, but I haven't been there myself. Let me know where you end up going, I'd love to hear feedback. http://www.northshoredish.com/ Fri Jun 05 05:17:51 -0700 2009 4744029 285543 NSDishGal 4 4748256 Tryst in Beverly has an outstanding drink list dedicated to some REAL old-school cocktails. Kudos to Sean the bartender for putting that list together. Nice job, man. Sat Jun 06 10:39:21 -0700 2009 4744403 38176 hoohah 5 4748309 funny you should mention Sean. i was at ESK yesterday lamenting to Bob et al about the dearth of Proper Cocktails on the NS when he told me to definitely check out Sean at Tryst. i guess they used to 'Tend together at The Wild Horse, our was it Tom Shea's? oh well, Tryst is on my next-to-visit list. Sat Jun 06 11:21:30 -0700 2009 4748256 12603 ScubaSteve 5 4749710 Thanks for the heads up, have been meaning to go to Tryst for a while, and now you've piqued my interest. Sun Jun 07 05:25:40 -0700 2009 4748256 285543 NSDishGal 1 4744049 Been a while since I've been back, but Keon's in downtown Haverhill did what I considered Franklin-level cocktails. Not Green Street exactly, but not all stupid, flavored-vodka BS, either. Much more recently, I was pleasantly surprised by the level of bartending at the bar at Evenfall, also in Haverhill. More in the Cuchi Cuchi / Masa vein, more about muddling fruits and fresh herbs than reviving 19th-century classics, and more vodka confections than I like, but still able to make good traditional shaker drinks with care. http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/ Thu Jun 04 21:24:10 -0700 2009 4742927 10143 MC Slim JB 2 4744133 Not to get away from the North Shore focus, but if I could ask a quick Cuchi Cuchi question: how are their classic cocktails? Not to say you are wrong (as I always go for the Sugar Daddy From Miami--their Godfather cocktail variation), but they do have a full page of unadulterated classic cocktails. Wondering how they stack up... Thu Jun 04 22:31:34 -0700 2009 4744049 235722 Canadian Tuxedo 3 4744862 It's actually been a while since I stopped in at Cuchi Cuchi, but when I have, I've usually gone for what I always think of as their specialty, the muddled drinks, which they were relative pioneers of locally. Their bigger problem is two-fold: a) it's such a small and popular bar that it's usually too packed for comfort; and b) Green Street, Rendezvous, and Craigie on Main are nearby, all focusing on a style of bartending I prefer. I'm glad to hear C2 is also listing classic cocktails. I read on drinkboston.com that Clio just got on board with this trend (hired a new bar manager), and is ditching its vodka-centric specialty cocktail menu for a more Golden Age approach. Good news. http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/ Fri Jun 05 07:42:23 -0700 2009 4744133 10143 MC Slim JB 2 4745106 MC, was your last visit to Keon's over two years ago? Fri Jun 05 08:42:55 -0700 2009 4744049 12603 ScubaSteve 3 4745159 That sounds about right. What, does it suck now? http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/ Fri Jun 05 08:54:27 -0700 2009 4745106 10143 MC Slim JB 4 4745192 it doesn't suck. but let me just say that now even their cranberry juice is from a mix on their Wunderbar. Fri Jun 05 09:03:56 -0700 2009 4745159 12603 ScubaSteve 2 4745479 But can they make a Bronx? Fri Jun 05 10:22:33 -0700 2009 4744049 294401 Keith15 1 4745156 How about taking them to the 'big city' buy the first round, that'll get'em, and then turn it into a crawl and a credit card roulette game. Fri Jun 05 08:54:09 -0700 2009 4742927 147961 treb