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| 67 Orange Street - Harlem NYC |
How many of you have to make dates with your best friend so that you can see one another? While such organization is normally not required in other cities, meeting requests are essential to the lives of young urban professionals of New York City. So that’s what Danielle and I did, send that good ‘ol Microsoft Calendar req.
I walked out of my Bronx tenement and was greeted Jack Frost himself. The weather was colder than Mark Sanchez at Foxboro Stadium (I’m still grieving over my Jets’ Monday loss). While my first thought was Chris Brown’s song “Dueces”, I decided to brave the cold for my best friend, cuz that's the kinda guy that I am.
Hoppin’ out my B train subterranean whip (cuz’ I’m phaaaat!), I soon arrived on the corner of 113th and 8th Ave in front of 67 Orange Street, ensconced by metal and wooden scaffolding, which endears many of Harlem’s prewar buildings. The image conjured by the different pieces seemed to shout out, “Aye, we’re struggling but we’re not dead. A renaissance is on the rise.” I feel you Harlem, I do..
But I digress. I walk into 67 Orange for the first time and it takes me a while to get oriented to the place. The dimly-lit establishment, not more than 20’ by 30’, resembles a 1930’s scene where African Americans come to sip on prohibited hooch in the cozy presence of friends. This was the perfect place to catch up with my best friend. If she can’t guard my secrets, then at least the walls would (I have full confidence in her, fyi).
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| This wasn't my bartender, but this is Karl Franz Williams, the owner. Ain't he Andre Benjamin-esque? I actually met Karl in the summer of 2009 at a small business event hosted at the home of the wonderful Beatrice Sibblies, a magnificent woman and real estate force in Harlem (If you don't know about her, then Google her). Read more about him here. |
Upon setting (the Southern version of “sitting”, meaning I slowly eased up onto this bar stool) myself down, I butt into this conversation that the bartender, dressed in a button-up with a tucked-in tie, is having with his instruments. He’s grinding what I believe to be mint into a cup but, upon letting the smell waft toward my nose, is actually cilantro. “My man, what’s that chou makin’” I asked. “This is an Emancipation,” he replied in between measuring the different components of the concoction, “the most popular drink we got.” And that’s what I get.
I must say, it is nice to see the art of mixology revived in this speakeasy. Unlike every other bar, where drinks are made in the fashion of fast food, measurements eye-balled and drinks served sloppily, I felt as if my drink was made specifically for me. The drink actually takes like 5-7 minutes to prepare because, like K.O.S. Productions, money is FOCUSED (are you??). I watched as he mixed Crop Organic Cucumber Vodka, Citronage, simple syrup, muddled cilantro & cucumber together splashed with fresh lime juice.
Danielle arrives "momentarily". She gets the melting pot - a tequila, apricot simple syrup, fresh lime juice and burnt sugar concoction that she said did not mesh well - and we start to catch up. My drink is EXCELLENT. I normally hate simple syrup in my drink because of the slippery (full stop) taste it adds to drinks (after all, I’m not eatin’ pancakes), but I was hard-pressed to find its presence anywhere in my drink. Furthermore, the drink was surprisingly fresh, so fresh that I actually felt like I was drinking healthy, if such a thing exists! It might have been the best drink I ever had.
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| Although it looks like the stuff that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles drank, it was quite delicious. |
Bottom line: If you’re looking for a place to speak easy and converse in private, then check out 67 Orange Street located on 113th and Eighth Ave. They have drinks that you won't find anywhere in the city.
Holla at me, for now. Next post will come from sunny Miami....
