Brad Thomas Parsons

1 week ago | bradthomasparsons.substack.com | Brad Thomas Parsons

The origin stories of many cocktails are apocryphal while others are informed by facts and hard evidence. The Lunchbox is one of those drinks that was born from the tradition of tales of a bartender mix-up or the accidental addition of a new ingredient resulting in an entirely new creation.

1 week ago | bradthomasparsons.substack.com | Brad Thomas Parsons

Welcome to Out On the Town, a regular Paid Subscriber exclusive where I break down a recent visit to a particular bar or restaurant—whether an old favorite, a new spot, or a first-time visit to a “new to me” joint. Today’s double-feature includes two of my regular Red Hook stops just a block away from each other, starting with dinner at the bar at Red Hook Tavern followed by an early nightcap at Pitt’s to try out some of the new cocktails that just dropped on the menu.

2 weeks ago | bradthomasparsons.substack.com | Brad Thomas Parsons

Every January, any aspirations toward healthy eating and embracing “New Year, New BTP” is usually undermined by March with the arrival of Girl Scout Cookies season quickly followed with the release of new Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavors. One of my first regular freelance writing gigs was as an Ice Cream Correspondent for Serious Eats, where I sought out and reviewed new flavors, limited release pints, and store-exclusives.

2 weeks ago | bradthomasparsons.substack.com | Brad Thomas Parsons

As part of the year-long celebration of the 110th anniversary of Caffé Dante, I was invited to host an amaro class at Accademia Dante, the new event space next door. When I announced the even here on LAST CALL it quickly sold out and a second date was added for the following day, which also sold out. My two-night home stand on MacDougal Street wrapped up last night and I wanted to share some snapshots and behind-the-scenes story of all the bittersweet action.

3 weeks ago | bradthomasparsons.substack.com | Brad Thomas Parsons

Beyond the usual suspects among the classic (Negroni, Hanky Panky) and modern classic (Paper Plane, Black Manhattan) cocktail camps, one of the first new-look amaro-based drinks from contemporary bartenders I added to the recipe lineup in my book Amaro: The Spirited World of Bittersweet, Herbal Liqueurs, with Cocktails, Recipes, and Formulaswasn’t created by a bartender, but a chef.