Photo courtesy Booker and Dax
The website for the newly unleashed Booker and Dax cocktail bar and snackery says that their “approach to rethinking cocktails is considered, deliberate, and precision-oriented.” That’s really good. Especially the “precision-oriented” part. Especially since some of the drinks require the bartenders to insert a rod that can reach temps of up to 1500 degrees into their potions.
But that’s just another night at work for the drink slingers at Booker and Dax.
The chilled-out space in which they make like mad scientists is located in the back of David Chang’s Momofuko Ssam Bar (where the Milk Bar used to be). The name of the bar is taken from Mr. Chang’s partner in this venture: the famed cuisine conjurer and director of culinary technology for the French Culinary Institute, Dave Arnold. About his wild concoctions, Arnold told the New York Times: ““I want you to feel happy to be here. I don’t want you to feel like a lab rat we’re testing on.”
Happiness is pretty much guaranteed as you watch the bartenders-cum-chemists chilling glasses with shots of liquid nitrogen, clarifying (removing the solids from) juice in a centrifuge, or carbonating beverages on the spot. And while that’s all entertaining enough, the real joy comes from tasting the fine cocktails all this wizardry produces. Even though there’s a lot of modern-day showmanship going on, it’s never at the cost of the drinks; they remain strong and well-balanced and, oddly enough, taste just the way classic cocktails used to.
Oh yeah, there’s Momofuku-styled snacks too …
Booker and Dax; 207 Second Ave at 13th St (entrance on 13th St); 212.254.3500