This Borough's Not Big Enough for Two Gins!

Anyone who lives in Brooklyn has, some time in the last couple months, encountered Brad Estabrooke's new Breuckelen Gin, the first new gin to be distilled in Kings County since Prohibition. Far fewer are aware of the existence of Brooklyn Gin, another new gin which, its name notwithstanding, is made in upstate New York by a guy who lives in Florida. 

Now one distiller is suing the other, citing the liquors are "phonetically identical" and that mix-ups have caused the firm "irreparable harm." But the suit is not brought by who you might think. The Florida guy is telling the Brooklyn guy to cease and desist naming his gin after the borough. 

According to Brooklyn Paper, which broke the story,

It all started in April, 2010, when Brooklyn Gin owner Angel “Joe” Santos — who really does own a posh waterfront condo in Miami Beach — filed papers to legally trademark the name Brooklyn Gin, eight months before Estabrooke. He finally started selling bottles in June 2010 — two months before Estabrooke did, according to the lawsuit, though Estabrooke’s website and lawyers claim that he was making and distributing his Breuckelen Gin months before Santos.

The real trouble began brewing in August, when Santos visited New York bars to hawk his liquor. But at Fatty ’Cue and Peter Luger in South Williamsburg, workers told him that a rep from his company had already come in with the stuff.

But they hadn’t; those reps, it turned out, were hawking Breuckelen, not Brooklyn.

That’s when Santos called Estabrooke for a classic mano-a-mano sitdown at Brooklyn Bread Cafe in Park Slope. Santos wanted a settlement, but the sides were far apart, so Santos hired a lawyer.

“If this is happening at a bar level,” he said. “It’s going to happen at a consumer level.”

This move, I predict, will backfire on Santos. Brooklyn—both its foodies and its food entrepreneurs—prize authenticity and locality. Not only are they not going to take well to a product being called "Brooklyn" that's not made in Brooklyn, but they react with high dudgeon to any legal move from an outer-borough force that tries to take down a local boy. Even if Santos wins the suit, he won't win any hearts, or accounts, in Brooklyn. 

Lani Kai to Begin Serving Brunch This Weekend

Lani Kai, Julie Reiner's new Hawaii-flavored cocktail bar in SoHo, will follow the example of Reiner's Cobble Hill joint Clover Club and begin serving brunch this weekend.

Lani Kai will serve brunch on Saturday and Sundays from 11am to 4pm. Among the dishes include Baked Eggs with Truffle and Leeks; Hawaiian-style smoked and roasted Kalua Pork with Cheddar Grits and a sunnyside up egg; Pressed Spam & Cheese sandwich; a Bacon Tasting of thick-cut maple, black pepper and duck bacon slices; and a surf-and-turf, mix & match riff on eggs Benedict: buttery poached Lobster Benedict alongside The Pacific Islander, poached egg on English muffin with Kalbi short rib, Kimchi butter and Hollandaise sauce.

The drink choices include just about anything you can order at Lani Kai at night, as well as a variety of Fizzes, Cobblers and Bloody Marys familiar to anyone who patronizes Clover Club. 

Merlot Is the Perfect Holiday Wine—Wait, No, Grenache!

I've been getting lots of press releases lately trying to convince me that such and such is the ultimate and appropriate liquor or wine to drink during the holidays. It's made it hard to know what to drink.

This missive came through the other day, touting Merlot's claim to the Christmas throne:

"Merlot has the ideal flavor profile and structure to pair well with the widest spectrum of foods. For the holiday season, Merlot – once relegated to the category of has-been wine, is making a strong comeback and pairs beautifully with turkey, roast beef, Christmas ham … to name a few."

I was intrigued. But then, five minutes later, this e-mail came through and I was confused again:  

"Grenache, the ultimate Christmas wine. This year, sommeliers and chefs around the world are encouraging wine lovers to embrace Grenache as the archetypal Christmas wine. There are in fact many Grenache-based Christmas classics, such as Chateauneuf-du-Pape and Priorat – which go perfectly with turkey and trimmings, but usually slip into the glass ‘anonymously’ because Grenache does not get credit on the label."

Can the vintners in Bordeaux and the Rhone please get together and work this out before the 25th? I've got shopping to do.

Ladies Bathroom at Beauty & Essex Way Better Than Men's

I shall soon be filing a discrimination suit against the new Lower East Side restaurant and bar Beauty & Essex. For the amenities in the Ladies Bathroom far and unfairly exceed those in the Men's Bathroom.

I'm speaking specifically about libations. I don't normally expect to be served liquor when I visit the restroom. But when I find out that the fairer sex are getting flutes of rose sparkling wine, that fresh towel and perfumed hand soap just don't seem so special anymore.

But, seriously, there is an actual bar and an actual bartender in women's bathroom at this new joint. (See above. No, I didn't go in myself. I sent a field correspondent.) The specific wine in question: Lucien Albrecht Cremant d'Alsace Brut Rose, which will run you about $20 a bottle in the store.

So is it too much to ask for two fingers of Scotch in the men's bathroom? Just asking.

Weather Up Tribeca Opens for Business

It's been a long wait for Weather Up Tribeca, the cocktail lounge on Duane Street that first promised to open on Halloween. These things take time, and sometimes liquor licenses don't arrive as promptly as you would like.

But on Saturday, Dec. 4—Repeal Day Eve, as it would happen—the offshoot of Prospect Heights' Weather Up quietly swung open its doors for business. The capacious space (plenty of room behind the long bar for the mixologists to work their magic) was about half-filled by 10 PM, and doubtless invited in more revelers before midnight. The fishy menu of oysters and haddock ceviche was already on offer, as was a compact cocktail list, seen below.

The Via Vero was brought over from Dutch Kills, another property co-owned by Weather Up Tribeca co-owner Richard Boccato. The Revolver, a west coast drink invented by Jon Santer, makes a surprise appearance. There's also a Weather Up Jr., a spin on the strong signature drink of the Brooklyn boite. Still based on Cognac and Amaretto, Jr. substitutes dry vermouth and Champagne for Sr.'s lemon juice. I didn't try it, but Jr. sounds like the better drink. The average drink price is $14.

Another Reason Too Many Cocktail Will Make You Sorry in the Morning

Prior to researching this article for the New York Times, I had for some time nursed the notion that I'd like to try my hand behind the bar. I know how to make a good drink, am versed in many recipes, have observed bartenders at work for years, like the idea of service and barside conversation very much, and own a vest and several hats. After hearing countless tales of physical woe from the best barkeeps in the nation, I'm not so in love with the idea. After all, these guys are having a hard time avoiding aches and pains in their 20s and early 30s. What would be the situation for someone like me who's, uh, not in his 20s?

The Bartender Appears to Be Shaken Up

By Robert Simonson

“WHEN we first started Varnish, we began sustaining a bunch of injuries,” Marcos Tello said. “I had a huge, constant knot in my forearm. Chris Ojeda developed tennis elbow. Matty Eggleston popped a tendon in his hand. We were all sidelined with all these injuries.”

Varnish is not a football team. It is a stylish, speakeasy-style cocktail bar that opened early last year in downtown Los Angeles. And the men Mr. Tello mentions are fellow bartenders, ranging in age from mid-20s to mid-30s. But in these heady days of behind-the-bar showmanship, when theatrical agitations of shakers filled with heavy-duty ice are becoming the norm, the mixologist’s physical lot is not so terribly far removed from an athlete’s.

Del Posto's New Cocktail List Spares No Luxury

As a compliment to their new four-star status, Del Posto has unveiled a new cocktail list which doesn't skimp on excess. Drinks begin at $13—the going rate for a craft cocktail in NYC these days—but soar all the way to $34.

Why so pricey? Well, the most dear of the drinks employ luxury mixers such as Rhum Agricole Clement and Hennessy Extra Old Fine Champagne Cognac XO. And one, a modest old Vesper, is garnished with gold leaf. If you choose to eschew unneeded extravagance, the list has many true-to-the-standard classics that hover in the $15-$18 range, including a Jack Rose, Vieux Carre (a drink that's making a real comeback lately), Aviation, Ward 8 and Martinez. Also nice to see the modern classic The Breakfast Martini on the menu. And the Quina Martini, using Bonal Gentiane Quina, looks very intriguing.

Here's the list: