Evelyn Drinkery

The Yardbird

I’ve stopped wondering how many artisanal cocktail bars the East Village can sustain, because the answer, judging by the thirsty crowds, always seems to be “more, of course!” Evelyn Drinkery, which opened two months ago on ever-fancier Avenue C (right up the street from Summit Bar and a craft beer store) is a refreshingly laid-back spot in an often riotous neighborhood. There’s no doorman wielding a wait list, no blaring music, the bartenders are friendly, and thankfully the decor skips the all-too-popular prohibition era theme. If anything, the space resembles a simple 19th century saloon, with exposed brick walls, wood benches, a black walnut bar, and a few tintypes tacked to the walls. An adjacent room with leather booths offers plenty of additional seating and looks like it might be an ideal place for parties (or for privacy, since everyone was congregated in the front).

The back room

The menu mines the 19th century as well, with spiked egg creams and spirited phosphates (house-made sodas), jumping out right away. Phosphate sodas were popular back in the days of soda fountains, and the drop of acid phosphate that I tasted was bracing and purely tart, designed to cut sweetness without adding flavor like lemon juice would. The Bone Dry soda ($10), with Vinho Verde, blanco tequila, lime, agave, cucumber, pineapple, radish, and jicama, was pleasantly fizzy and refreshing, but like any drink that comes with a straw, I swallowed it with alarming swiftness and required something stronger.

Bone Dry

The Yardbird ($12) fit the bill nicely, and of the beverages I tried it was my favorite: a shaken drink with whiskey, yuzu, honey, Galliano, orange bitters, and a float of red wine, it was not only attractive, but well-blended and dangerously drinkable. Going a step further in the spiritous category, the Islay de Mole ($12) mixed mezcal, Dolin Rouge, Gran Classico bitters, mole bitters, and Ardberg rinse. It was a little sweet for my liking, but had interesting depth due to the chocolate and smoke flavors. I also had a the Derby Smoke julep ($12), with mezcal and chipotle-infused agave delivering subtle smoke, and though it was served in a glass, I was told julep cups are on order. If you or your companion are not into cocktails, there’s wine, a small selection of beer, and punch on tap.

To Evelyn Drinkery’s credit, of my two visits—one right before Hurricane Sandy and this weekend—the crowd was definitely more vibrant the second time around. Like many homes and businesses along Avenue C, the Drinkery was damaged from several feet of flooding and a lengthy power outage after the storm, so now is a good time for an Ave C food-and-drink crawl while places recover from the losses. At least outwardly, it seemed pretty much like business as usual at Evelyn Drinkery—although I did not see juleps on the menu this time, and bringing cash is advised since their phone and credit card machine are still down.

Evelyn Drinkery
171 Avenue C between 10th St. and 11th St.
Mon-Thu 5pm-2am, Fri-Sat 5pm-4am, Sun 5pm-1am