Old City, Philadelphia, PA - We absolutely love this time of year when the air begins to get crisp and the seasons start to change. Fall brings with it many wonderful flavors, beyond Pumpkin Spice. Today The Olde Bar by Chef Jose Garces is introducing some new wonderfully hand-crafted cocktails to help celebrate the season. The Olde Bar, located in Old City at Philadelphia’s landmark Old Original Bookbinder’s, is at once a tribute to the city’s storied past and an updated version of one of our most beloved dining spaces. Read on to learn, in detail about each of these 8 new drinks.
If you’re looking for a creative wine cocktail, we’d say you should try A Better T’Amaro. Named for the three spirits involved (although The Tempus Fugit isn’t actually an amaro, its blended with Zucca and Amaro Nardini (made from Grappa), and balanced with Spanish Albarino wine.
We’d suggest the Enemy at the Gates for every lover of Manhattan’s. This Manhattan variation is made with rhum agricole, Kronan Swedish Punsch, Gran Classico, and a dash of Aphrodite bitters. Stirred over ice, this drink is strained into a chilled glass, garnished with a Maraschino cherry, and served up. Traditional views insist that a Manhattan be made with American rye whiskey. However, more often than not, it is made with bourbon. The Manhattan is subject to considerable variation and innovation, and is often a way for the best bartenders to show off their creativity. The first drink originated at the Manhattan Club in New York City in the early 1870s, invented by Dr. Iain Marshall for a banquet hosted by Winston Churchill’s mother in honor of presidential candidate Samuel J. Tilden (how’s that for a fun fact?)!.
One of our favorite new cocktails at Olde Bar is Magic Carpet Ride. This uniquely flavored and refreshing drink is made with gin botanicals, Kummel, ginger, lime and Morocan Bitters. This savory drink was a hit right away during R&D and we can see why.
We also really enjoyed Here Gose Nothingwhich is a gin based fizz variation with house made plum jam and Cardamaro, topped with blood orange gose and garnished with Himilayan Pink sea salt to play on the tart and sweet flavors of the drink. This drink was delightful in both color and flavor.
Harissa Explains It All might be another favorite of ours, due to the name alone (we’re 90s babys). This vodka based drink is named as a pun for the Nickelodeon television show Clarissa Explains It All. Starting with a nearly taste free spirit allows a blank canvas to work with, a floral grapefruit spirit with some added grapefruit juice and lime for acid, Aperol, and a syrup of sugar and harissa. Its glass is rimmed with anise sugar.
All Systems Down is built on a Boulevardier frame with the addition of one dash of Black Walnut bitters. If you’re looking for Fall flavors, this is most certainly the drink to order. The apple brandy and bitters make for a simple, yet well-balanced drink.
Last Days of Raj is much lighter in comparison. Made with Old Raj gin (flavored with saffron- giving it a beautiful yellow color), Aveze, honey, and bitters come together in this herbal and spice based sparkling cocktail.
And last but certainly not least, for tequila lover’s of course, is Picasso in Jalisco. This drink is named for the tequila’s home region and the Painting of a Suze bottle by Picasso. Try this cocktail for relaxed agave flavor in resposado tequila which goes well with cilantro and Suze. Honey inflused with turmeric adds a touch of sweetness as a garnish of cilantro and sprinkle of Aleppo pepper (with medium heat) finishes it all off.
So hurry over to The Olde Bar at the Original Bookbinder’s in Old City to check out all these spectacular new additions to their outstanding drink menu. You can enjoy Happy Hour at The Olde Bar everyday, Monday-Friday 5pm-7pm, and Saturday-Sunday 4pm-6pm!
Stop by for dinner everyday or brunch on Saturday and Sunday to enjoy these delectable libations. And if you’re not hungry enough for a full meal, may we suggest some of Olde Bar’s smaller plates. The Buffalo Cauliflower is possibly the most delicious way to eat cauliflower, lightly battered and fried on top of buttermilk ranch, and garnished with scallions. The Crawfish Croquettes are a bit of Southern comfort food made with andouille sausage, and creole remoulade. And you can never go wrong with the Olde Bar Burger topped with kale and cabbage slaw, cheddar, tomato, avocado, and a side of duck fat fries.
