This summer, OC got you Tipsy and Tan. Now, we're just getting 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...
If big hair and old-school rock is your thing, Pinks is right up your alley. Known for live music, comfort food bar snacks, and its rockabilly vibe (a ’58 Thunderbird grille hangs above the bar), this East Village joint might just be our favorite new dive bar. It is, after all, named after the tradition of racing for pinks.
Naturally, the drinks are hardly standard fare. A solid beer list is rounded off with some pretty stellar cocktails, and the folks certainly know how to keep their customers well-tippled. Take the Whose Cider You On?, created just for OC. Spiced cider, bourbon, and a touch of bitters? Two of these might just be enough to fortify you for the blustery winter cold.
Names: Avi Burn and Brent Van Dyke
If this drink had a soundtrack, what would it be? “Kashmir” by Led Zeppelin
Drink of choice?
Avi: Straight whiskey.
Brent: Rye on the rocks.
Hangover cure?
Avi: I’m gonna go old school here. A Bloody Mary mixed with a raw egg.
Brent: Sleep and a cheeseburger.
Best date advice?
Brent: Don’t drink red wine. And keep your cell phone in your pocket.
Avi: Go somewhere where you know the bartender. And make her friends laugh.
Worst pick-up?
Brent: The worst thing is to pop up and say, “Hey can I buy you a drink?”
Avi: It’s a crutch, and as much as we like people to come up and buy drinks, I think you’re trading in a first drink for a whole tab of drinks in the future.
Brent: Right, for a conversation and maybe a good night kiss. First come up with a conversation starter or find some common ground.
What should you not do to your bartender?
Avi: Don’t start a fight.
Brent: Learn to order your drinks all at once.
Avi: Bartenders have some pretty bad scenarios. Someone throwing a drink in your face, stealing tips off the bar. I’ve seen that happen.
Exclusive Recipe: Whose Cider You On?
OC Alcohol Scale*: 7
“It leaves you more warm and fuzzy than drunk.”
1.5 oz Devil’s Cut bourbon
3 oz fresh apple cider, mulled with cinnamon and cloves
2 dashes black walnut bitters
Heat up cider, top with bourbon and bitters, garnish with a cinnamon stick and an orange peel.
*OC's Alcohol Scale ranges from 1 ("like sippin' from a juice box") to 10 ("take me home—right now")![]()
Whose Cider You On? Photos by Jessica Chou![]()
You'll need Devil's Cut bourbon, fresh apple cider, and black walnut bitters.![]()
Heat up the cider and top with bourbon and bitters.![]()
Garnish the drink with a cinnamon stick and
If big hair and old-school rock is your thing, Pinks is right up your alley. Known for live music, comfort food bar snacks, and its rockabilly vibe (a ’58 Thunderbird grille hangs above the bar), this East Village joint might just be our favorite new dive bar. It is, after all, named after the tradition of racing for pinks.
Naturally, the drinks are hardly standard fare. A solid beer list is rounded off with some pretty stellar cocktails, and the folks certainly know how to keep their customers well-tippled. Take the Whose Cider You On?, created just for OC. Spiced cider, bourbon, and a touch of bitters? Two of these might just be enough to fortify you for the blustery winter cold.
Names: Avi Burn and Brent Van Dyke
If this drink had a soundtrack, what would it be? “Kashmir” by Led Zeppelin
Drink of choice?
Avi: Straight whiskey.
Brent: Rye on the rocks.
Hangover cure?
Avi: I’m gonna go old school here. A Bloody Mary mixed with a raw egg.
Brent: Sleep and a cheeseburger.
Best date advice?
Brent: Don’t drink red wine. And keep your cell phone in your pocket.
Avi: Go somewhere where you know the bartender. And make her friends laugh.
Worst pick-up?
Brent: The worst thing is to pop up and say, “Hey can I buy you a drink?”
Avi: It’s a crutch, and as much as we like people to come up and buy drinks, I think you’re trading in a first drink for a whole tab of drinks in the future.
Brent: Right, for a conversation and maybe a good night kiss. First come up with a conversation starter or find some common ground.
What should you not do to your bartender?
Avi: Don’t start a fight.
Brent: Learn to order your drinks all at once.
Avi: Bartenders have some pretty bad scenarios. Someone throwing a drink in your face, stealing tips off the bar. I’ve seen that happen.
Exclusive Recipe: Whose Cider You On?
OC Alcohol Scale*: 7
“It leaves you more warm and fuzzy than drunk.”
1.5 oz Devil’s Cut bourbon
3 oz fresh apple cider, mulled with cinnamon and cloves
2 dashes black walnut bitters
Heat up cider, top with bourbon and bitters, garnish with a cinnamon stick and an orange peel.
*OC's Alcohol Scale ranges from 1 ("like sippin' from a juice box") to 10 ("take me home—right now")
Whose Cider You On? Photos by Jessica Chou
You'll need Devil's Cut bourbon, fresh apple cider, and black walnut bitters.
Heat up the cider and top with bourbon and bitters.
Garnish the drink with a cinnamon stick and