This summer, OC got you Tipsy and Tan. Now, we're just getting you tipsy. Meet Fridays at Five, our cocktail series where mixologists at New York City’s white-hot new restaurants create OC-exclusive drinks for our readers. Drinking on the job? Don't mind if we do...
Fall might finally be in full swing, but inside Paul’s Baby Grand, it always feels like summer. The plush Tribeca cocktail lounge, opened by Paul Sevigny last year, is still serving frozen drinks out of churning slushy machines, for Pete’s sake. Tropical paintings by Josh Smith line the walls, and bartenders wear bright floral bow ties (designed by sister Chloë Sevigny) year-round.
Of course, the weather outside is hardly Havana-worthy, so we asked the Baby Grand gurus Brendan Ledesma and Roger Jazilek to whip up something just a tad less Caribbean. Both fruity and spicy, the Nailbiter combines cinnamon heat with the last of summer blackberries, creating the perfect transitional cocktail for the season. We can’t spend all our evenings pretending to be by the beach, after all.
Names: Brendan Ledesma and Roger Jazilek
If this drink had a soundtrack, what would it be? "Fly Me to the Moon" by Frank Sinatra
Drink of choice: “Champagne. I drink a lot of Champagne. Like the French, you drink Champagne if your wife leaves you or if you’re celebrating. Whatever reason, always drink Champagne.” – Roger
Hangover cure: “Lots of water the night before. They always say hair of the dog, but water is key. If you’ve got a hangover, it’s going to take a while, so I guess have another drink in the morning and you’ll ease out of it.” – Roger
Best date spot: “I think on a roof somewhere, maybe Rainbow Room or the Mondrian Hotel.” – Roger
Best date advice: “Don’t talk about yourself. There’s nothing worse than someone who talks about themselves the entire time, like ‘I went there; I did this.’” – Roger
What not to do to your bartender: “Don’t be obnoxious or snap your fingers. Don’t yell your bartender’s name if you heard someone else mention it.” – Brendan
Exclusive Recipe: The Nailbiter
OC Alcohol Scale*: 6
“The Aperol is light. It’s like a starter drink.”
1 oz Absolut Elyx vodka
¾ oz Aperol
½ oz fresh lemon juice
½ oz cinnamon bark syrup
¼ oz blackberry syrup
Combine all ingredient and shake with ice. Strain over crushed ice. Garnish with three brandied cherries on an umbrella stick and an orange slice.
*OC's Alcohol Scale ranges from 1 ("like sippin' from a juice box") to 10 ("take me home—right now").![]()
Photos by Jessica Chou![]()
You'll need Absolut vodka, Aperol, fresh lemon juice, cinnamon bark syrup, and blackberry syrup.
![]()
Pour one ounce Absolut into the mixture.
![]()
Fall might finally be in full swing, but inside Paul’s Baby Grand, it always feels like summer. The plush Tribeca cocktail lounge, opened by Paul Sevigny last year, is still serving frozen drinks out of churning slushy machines, for Pete’s sake. Tropical paintings by Josh Smith line the walls, and bartenders wear bright floral bow ties (designed by sister Chloë Sevigny) year-round.
Of course, the weather outside is hardly Havana-worthy, so we asked the Baby Grand gurus Brendan Ledesma and Roger Jazilek to whip up something just a tad less Caribbean. Both fruity and spicy, the Nailbiter combines cinnamon heat with the last of summer blackberries, creating the perfect transitional cocktail for the season. We can’t spend all our evenings pretending to be by the beach, after all.
Names: Brendan Ledesma and Roger Jazilek
If this drink had a soundtrack, what would it be? "Fly Me to the Moon" by Frank Sinatra
Drink of choice: “Champagne. I drink a lot of Champagne. Like the French, you drink Champagne if your wife leaves you or if you’re celebrating. Whatever reason, always drink Champagne.” – Roger
Hangover cure: “Lots of water the night before. They always say hair of the dog, but water is key. If you’ve got a hangover, it’s going to take a while, so I guess have another drink in the morning and you’ll ease out of it.” – Roger
Best date spot: “I think on a roof somewhere, maybe Rainbow Room or the Mondrian Hotel.” – Roger
Best date advice: “Don’t talk about yourself. There’s nothing worse than someone who talks about themselves the entire time, like ‘I went there; I did this.’” – Roger
What not to do to your bartender: “Don’t be obnoxious or snap your fingers. Don’t yell your bartender’s name if you heard someone else mention it.” – Brendan
Exclusive Recipe: The Nailbiter
OC Alcohol Scale*: 6
“The Aperol is light. It’s like a starter drink.”
1 oz Absolut Elyx vodka
¾ oz Aperol
½ oz fresh lemon juice
½ oz cinnamon bark syrup
¼ oz blackberry syrup
Combine all ingredient and shake with ice. Strain over crushed ice. Garnish with three brandied cherries on an umbrella stick and an orange slice.
*OC's Alcohol Scale ranges from 1 ("like sippin' from a juice box") to 10 ("take me home—right now").
Photos by Jessica Chou
You'll need Absolut vodka, Aperol, fresh lemon juice, cinnamon bark syrup, and blackberry syrup.
Pour one ounce Absolut into the mixture.
