Craft Cocktails on the North Shore?

[ScubaSteve]

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?

[treb]

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.

[MC Slim JB]

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/

[Canadian Tuxedo]

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...

[MC Slim JB]

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/

[ScubaSteve]

MC, was your last visit to Keon's over two years ago?

[MC Slim JB]

That sounds about right. What, does it suck now?

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[ScubaSteve]

it doesn't suck.
but let me just say that now even their cranberry juice is from a mix on their Wunderbar.

[Keith15]

But can they make a Bronx?

[BostonZest]

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...

I know they follow this board and may chime in on this.

[ScubaSteve]

thanks!
i do follow that Blog, will try there.

[ScubaSteve]

NSD doesn't seem to have a public forum.
or a way to contact the Admin/Owner.

unless i'm just not seeing it.

[NSDishGal]

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/

[hoohah]

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.

[ScubaSteve]

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.

[NSDishGal]

Thanks for the heads up, have been meaning to go to Tryst for a while, and now you've piqued my interest.