The Maison Premiere

Equal parts: 1920’s Paris, New Orleans Energy, New York Mixology

Shake well. 

Garnish with moustache and suspenders.

Williamsburg’s cocktail lounge and oyster den known as Maison Premiere is quite a spectacle.  One can’t help but think of the phrase 'old-time barroom,' as the loud swing/bop/jazz music compliments the organized chaos rattling the walls.  The experience might feel a bit like traveling back to a time when the tavern was where one got the news, and bar-keep reigned as a prominent social figure.

Old school gaslights provide the lighting as a large ovular bar in the middle of the room takes center stage.  The bar is split by a large wall with shelves of spirits, cordials, obscure Italian amari, and of course an  absurd selection of absinthe.  On one side of the shelf, bartenders that share a striking resemblance to Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemmingway mix excellent libations (no, this isn’t the latest Woody Allen flick, just Williamsburg).  On the other side, high speed Oyster shucking keeps up with the demand for the wonderfully slimy cocktail companions.  The bar itself is beautiful.  A gorgeous absinthe fountain centerpiece marks the axel of the bar-side roundabout, and a steampunk-esque antique tap beer system looks like it was rescued from a deserted Parisian hotel.  No details were overlooked in executing this holistic vision.

This is the paragraph devoted to one of the best happy hours in New York City:  One dollar oysters from 4-7 p.m. Monday thru Friday.  Grab a pencil and fill in how many of each of the thirty-plus types of oysters from both the East and West coasts you’d like.  Be sure to get there early though, this secret seems to already have gotten out.  A dollar an oyster?  Seriously, who does that? 

The cocktails, not surprisingly, are phenomenal.  Juleps come in their traditional, frosty silver mugs and a variety of champagne cocktails appear on the menu.  Possibly more noteworthy than the cocktails, however, is the Absinthe selection.  Upwards of twenty worldwide brands of the legendary anise (not licorice!) flavored liqueur warrant a separate menu altogether.

Featured cocktail: Arnaud’s French 75 (Bache Cognac, lemon, sugar, Champagne)

 

Although this is a fairly basic, well-known cocktail, it should be noted that cognac, and not gin is used as the main spirit.  When exactly gin became the primary ingredient in this cocktail is debatable, but the original French 75 was indeed made with cognac.  This cocktail pays homage to the famed Arnaud’s restaurant in New Orleans’ French Quarter.  It also makes a great pairing with a dozen or two raw oysters!