Cienfuegos' Rum Punch Bar "Cocteleria" Has Soft Opening Tonight, Opens Thursday

The rum punch bar faction of Cienfuego—the new East Village, Cuban food-and-drink place fostered by downtown cocktail mogul Ravi DeRossi (Mayahuel, Death & Co.)—will have its soft opening Monday night, April 26, working toward an official opening on April 30, manager Miguel Calvo told Off the Presses. It's name: Cocteleria! The Cuban sandwich shop section of the two-floor complex, called Carteles, opened earlier this year at 5 Avenue A, near E. 6th Street.

As previously reported, mixologist Charlotte Voisey (Gramercy Park Hotel, The Hideout) devised the menu for the haunt which, when it is finished, will contain Careles (above), Cocteleria, and a still-to-be-unveiled rum cocktail bar. (Who wants to bet its name will begin with a "C"?) Taken together, the three parts of the enterprise go by the name Cienfuegos. (Pictures courtesy of Urban Daddy. Um..colorful!)

Cocteleria has 60 seats and is open from 5 PM to 2 AM. Table service is emphasized. 

All the punches can be ordered in a variety of sizes—single serving, two servings, and for large groups. You don't have to order a bowl. All the drinks start at $13, with prices go up in increments depending on the number of people who order. $100 buys punch for "the whole family," as Calvo puts it.

The food menu is "primarily small-cut Cuban bites. Little Cuban sandwiches, little Sloppy Joes, croquetas, empanadas." 

Here's the drink menu. Every drink listed is a punch:

Punch and Judy(Winner of Tales of the Cocktail Punch competition 2008)
Solerno, Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum, Laubade Armagnac VSOP, agave syrup, Hendrick’s gin, pineapple, fresh lime juice, Angostura bitters, strawberries

A Moveable Feast
Mount Gay Eclipse Silver, Dolin Blanc Vermouth, fresh lime juice, dry french cider, Regan’s bitters, nutmeg.

Vinales
Coconut ice, tamarindo, pineapple juice, Angostura bitters, Barbancourt 8 yr, fresh lime juice, Fernet Branca, Jarritos Tamarindo, nutmeg sprinkles/

Cuban Angel “ El Cobre”
Aged Rum, Armagnac, Solerno, orgeat, apricot, orange bitters, fresh lemon juice, egg white.

Rhubarb Rhum Phunch
Clement VSOP, Creole Shrubb, rhubarb simple syrup, fresh orange & fresh lime juice, simple syrup to taste, rosemary sprigs & mace blades

Rosa Verde
Flor de Cana Nicaraguan rum, watermelon juice, pink peppercorn, celery bitters

Ernesto
Rum, Fernet Branca, Maraschino Liquor, pink grapefruit juice, fresh lime juice, sugar cane syrup, Malbec float

Molucca Punch
Barbancourt 8 year, fresh lime juice, allspice, Cynar, fresh orange, Bitter Truth Chocolate Bitters, chocolate shavings.

Punch ( Tuesday ) 13
Smith & Cross, Leblon, Yellow Chartreuse, strawberry (per serving), pineapple juice, dash bitters.

Alabazam Punch (adapted from a lost and forgotten classic)
8 parts Appleton twelve year old, Maraschino, Lillet Rouge, fresh lemon juice, bitters, Champagne.

Vesperone
Rye Whiskey, aged rum and cassis with fresh lime, decorated with aromatic sage and blackberries

La Estrella
Mirto, Rhum Neisson Blan, coconut ice cream, lime juice, peychaud bitters