In our #ThirstyThursday series, TIPSY AND TAN, we ask consummate mixologists from New York City’s white-hot new restaurants and bars to create OC-exclusive drinks for our readers. Drinking on the job? Don't mind if we do...
If you only think we only hang out in Manhattan and Brooklyn, let us introduce you to Mar's. Hidden in beer-centric Astoria, the old-timey restaurant is fast becoming a go-to dinner-and-drinks spot in Queens, thanks to oyster happy hours, live jazz Thursday evenings, and a solid cocktail list. Bonus: The bartenders might be the best wingmen ever—especially Paul O'Halloran, an industry veteran with 30 years of experience.
"Once a guy was telling me he was bringing a girl here on a date," O'Halloran says. "And I said, let me tell you something as a bartender. Stop talking. Let the girl speak and ask the girl about herself. Women do it too, but guys always go on about themselves. And you see the girl sort of losing interest."
First-date tips aside, we had O'Halloran whip up a perfect summer cocktail: bourbon, elderflower liqueur, lemon juice, and a little booze called Cointreau Noir, a spin on the classic orange liqueur with some vanilla and almond notes. "Everybody wants boozy," O'Halloran says. "I’ve always joked that if I was going to open up a bar, I would just call it Boozies and have, like, five frozen margarita machines." Or, just grab a margarita at Mar's—Paul does have eight years with Bobby Flay under his belt, after all.
From Behind the Bar:
Name: Paul O'Halloran
Tell us about this recipe. It's citrusy, nutty, boozy, with a burst of bourbon. I call it The Calico because it’s layered; it made me think of a colored cat.
If this drink had a soundtrack, what would it be? Stéphane Grappelli, "Like Someone in Love." If you don’t smile while listening to Stéphane Grappelli, you’re dead.
Hangover cure: A big glass of water and vitamin B12. And Yoo-hoo totally works, because it has vitamin B12 in it.
Best place to day drink: The Sparrow. (Full disclosure: it shares an owner.) And it lets you get fall-down drunk. Go in there any afternoon, and you'll see what day drunk looks like, or should look like, or why I quit.
Your summer getaway: Provincetown. I don’t love the sun but I love the ocean. So I’m under the umbrella, then in the water, under the umbrella, in the water. Last summer I was next to these two old queens who were in a half tent, with umbrellas in front of it, reading their Kindles in the dark. And I wanted to be in there with them. And then they came out and went into the water. I’m exactly like that.
What are some red-light signs that someone's been overserved? Loud. Super loud. Become one of those drunks who whisper—it's way more fun.
Exclusive Recipe: The Calico
OC Alcohol Scale*: 6
"I would say have two of these, eat, have wine with dinner, and then have a nightcap."
2 oz. Bulleit Bourbon
1 oz. St-Germain liqueur
1/2 oz. Cointreau Noir
1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice
1. Pour bourbon, St-Germain, Cointreau Noir, and lemon juice and shake well with ice.
2. Coat the rim of a martini glass with lemon peel oils.
3. Toss a le
If you only think we only hang out in Manhattan and Brooklyn, let us introduce you to Mar's. Hidden in beer-centric Astoria, the old-timey restaurant is fast becoming a go-to dinner-and-drinks spot in Queens, thanks to oyster happy hours, live jazz Thursday evenings, and a solid cocktail list. Bonus: The bartenders might be the best wingmen ever—especially Paul O'Halloran, an industry veteran with 30 years of experience.
"Once a guy was telling me he was bringing a girl here on a date," O'Halloran says. "And I said, let me tell you something as a bartender. Stop talking. Let the girl speak and ask the girl about herself. Women do it too, but guys always go on about themselves. And you see the girl sort of losing interest."
First-date tips aside, we had O'Halloran whip up a perfect summer cocktail: bourbon, elderflower liqueur, lemon juice, and a little booze called Cointreau Noir, a spin on the classic orange liqueur with some vanilla and almond notes. "Everybody wants boozy," O'Halloran says. "I’ve always joked that if I was going to open up a bar, I would just call it Boozies and have, like, five frozen margarita machines." Or, just grab a margarita at Mar's—Paul does have eight years with Bobby Flay under his belt, after all.
From Behind the Bar:
Name: Paul O'Halloran
Tell us about this recipe. It's citrusy, nutty, boozy, with a burst of bourbon. I call it The Calico because it’s layered; it made me think of a colored cat.
If this drink had a soundtrack, what would it be? Stéphane Grappelli, "Like Someone in Love." If you don’t smile while listening to Stéphane Grappelli, you’re dead.
Hangover cure: A big glass of water and vitamin B12. And Yoo-hoo totally works, because it has vitamin B12 in it.
Best place to day drink: The Sparrow. (Full disclosure: it shares an owner.) And it lets you get fall-down drunk. Go in there any afternoon, and you'll see what day drunk looks like, or should look like, or why I quit.
Your summer getaway: Provincetown. I don’t love the sun but I love the ocean. So I’m under the umbrella, then in the water, under the umbrella, in the water. Last summer I was next to these two old queens who were in a half tent, with umbrellas in front of it, reading their Kindles in the dark. And I wanted to be in there with them. And then they came out and went into the water. I’m exactly like that.
What are some red-light signs that someone's been overserved? Loud. Super loud. Become one of those drunks who whisper—it's way more fun.
Exclusive Recipe: The Calico
OC Alcohol Scale*: 6
"I would say have two of these, eat, have wine with dinner, and then have a nightcap."
2 oz. Bulleit Bourbon
1 oz. St-Germain liqueur
1/2 oz. Cointreau Noir
1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice
1. Pour bourbon, St-Germain, Cointreau Noir, and lemon juice and shake well with ice.
2. Coat the rim of a martini glass with lemon peel oils.
3. Toss a le