IN CROWD: The Late Late Spring Cocktail Tasting
Recent Lower East Side haunt The Late Late has had some of our favorite wall-to-wall 2 a.m dance parties, so when they had a "Spring Cocktail Tasting," we jumped at the chance to see the bar in its natural form. Being the bustling venue that it is, they were having a Pilsner beer tasting concurrently downstairs, which we accidentally walked into. Being the first to arrive, I spotted the only other person who was on time, Buzzfeed VP of Creative Services and foodie Melissa Rosenthal. Relieved to have picked up my date for the night, we extensively looked at the drink menu and decided on the obvious choice - tequila. Not your everyday Irish pub, the bartender made us an exquisite summer drink called "Picnic With the Kennedys," containing Avion Silver Tequila, Demerara, smoked tea, raspberries, fresh lime, balsamic drizzle, salt and pepper. Citrus meets fruity meets smoke and spice with every sip, without overwhelming your taste buds. We're declaring it the Springtime drink of the season - it's that fucking good.
While sipping on cocktails, the owner of The Late Late, James, came over with a warm welcome, giving us some history on the bar. His inspiration for opening The Late Late came from his friends overseas, who saw Irish Pubs in the states that didn't resemble anything back home. He created a traditional Irish atmosphere with Lower East Side flair, and a snack menu with traditional Irish bar food, even including "nachos" with Irish chips instead of tortilla.
As much as we love our tequila, we had to go a bit traditional and order a dessert - the "Latte Latte Irish Iced Coffee" - fresh cold pressed coffee served with an Irish Whiskey and Demerara, topped off with fresh whipped cream. Serving two purposes in one, the delicious coffee both kept our buzz going while giving us that extra jolt of energy. This is one drink we'd recommend to anybody after a day-drinking excursion. Stop by for an early drink after work (the earlier the better as it gets packed quickly) or a Friday/Saturday night to dance the night away on either floor.
159 East Houston Street
By Nisim Frank
Photographs by Jeremy Sailing
