Happy Hour

Cocktail creations, shaken, stirred and remixed by Paystyle.

Paystyle was born in Tehran and grew up in Los Angeles (aka Tehrangeles) before moving to Brooklyn with his wife and co-pilot Vanessa Bahmani who provides the stunning photography of Pay’s cocktail concoctions. His Happy Hour column posts every Wednesday.

June 15, 2011

Happy Hour: Pusser’s v. Painkiller

by Payman Bahmani

The Painkiller

In the past week there’s been a lot of buzz in cocktail circles regarding the outcome of a legal dispute between Pusser’s rum and Painkiller, a tiki bar in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. It’s a story that’s led to a lot of anger among us folks in the cocktail
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June 1, 2011

Happy Hour: MCC Recap (And Behind the Scenes)

by Payman Bahmani

CRW_1387

Like a whirlwind, the Manhattan Cocktail Classic came and went in a flash, leaving a trail of devastation and destruction in its wake. Except in this case the damage wasn’t in the form of homes and property, but rather brain cells and livers. After many many jamba juices and wheatgrass shots, full recovery was
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May 25, 2011

Happy Hour: Rainforest Cobbler

by Payman Bahmani

Rainforest Cobbler

It feels good to return to normalcy (read proper hydration) now that the Manhattan Cocktail Classic (read Manhattan Hangover Classic) has concluded. For myself and the other Bar Fellows of this year’s cocktail classic, normalcy took a bit longer to reach, as we were in the Astor Center Kitchen 12
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May 4, 2011

Happy Hour: General Ignacio

by Payman Bahmani

General Ignacio

Tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo, and many of you will be sloshing down the compulsory Margaritas and tequila shots, which in no way would I want to stand in the way of. But if you’re an adventurous drinker like I am and want to try something new (but no less fitting of the
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April 20, 2011

Happy Hour: Good Morning Heartache

by Payman Bahmani

Good Morning Heartache

Being out of the country for nearly a month has a tendency to adjust a person’s perspective of “home.” Home has had various meanings and geographical locations in various moments in my life. Conceptually, it means numerous–and sometimes conflicting–things at one time, and all this really came to light on my recent
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April 6, 2011

Happy Hour: The Desert Ain’t That Dry

by Payman Bahmani

Traditional Duds

The Prohibition Era figures prominently in the collective imagination of the cocktail world. The aura and mystique surrounding that era still wields great influence on popular culture. The popularity of HBO’s Boardwalk Empire is a perfect example of our still not fully reconciled fascination with that period, as is the proliferation of
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March 30, 2011

Happy Hour: March Cocktails: Out Like a Lambs Club

by Fredo Ceraso

lambs

“Floreant Agni” (May the Lambs Flourish) - Motto of the original Lambs theatre club

The month of March is supposed to end like a Lamb but Mother Nature is not playing nice–it is still 30˚F outside! Nevertheless, this week’s cocktail captures winter’s last stand and book ends the month quite nicely! The Lambs Club Cocktail is
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March 23, 2011

Happy Hour: March Cocktails: The American Trilogy

by Fredo Ceraso

Trilogy1

There is nothing like an expertly crafted Old Fashioned-style cocktail to help you navigate the rapidly changing weather of late March. Since, it is not quite Gin Rickey weather and too warm for a Hot Toddy, a solid whiskey cocktail is just what the Doctor ordered. Now let’s
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March 16, 2011

Happy Hour: March Cocktails: Bloody Caesar for the Ides

by Fredo Ceraso

bloodycaesar1

When selecting a mid-March cocktail for this article, I was tempted to go the easy route with a St. Patrick’s Day whiskey drink. Then this weekend, I had the fortune to dine at Magasin Wells (aka M.Wells), the critically acclaimed Québécois-American diner in Long Island City, Queens.

M.Wells’ haute comfort food menu
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March 9, 2011

Happy Hour: March Cocktails: In Like a Lion’s Tail

by Fredo Ceraso

Lionstail1

March, as the idiom goes, comes in like a Lion, and goes out like a Lamb. This month may bring us spring-like temperatures, but also one more blizzard for the road. Winter’s last blast requires a libation celebrating the flavors of the season and is worthy of the ferocity of the month’s namesake, Mars, the
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