NYC has a new heavyweight entrant to the cocktail bar scene - The Tippler (425 W. 15th Street), a subterranean hideaway opened by the Tippling Bros aka Tad Carducci and Paul Tanguay. Up till now, they have consulted around town but this is the first standalone venture opened by the duo. And what a spot it is - a sprawling former storage basement underneath the foodie paradise & media hub known as the Chelsea Market.
Nothing can prepare you for the two story descent off the street or the large, heretofore disused space in such a prime location. The room is momentarily disorienting so head for the bar, which is carefully woven into the structural beams along one side of the space, or grab a table under the archways across from the bar.
The menu is large - more than two dozen cocktails plus numerous wines and craft beers - but the care put into everything is clearly evident. Of the many cocktails we sampled, most were very good and the couple that didn't quite reach that standard were nevertheless interesting. Drinks follow the current trend of being layered with sometimes competing flavors, using artisanal bitters and unusual ingredients (hops, chiles, malt).
The Dizzy Oaxacan (Sombra mezcal, Averna amaro, grapefruit, lemon, ginger beer and chile) had a light touch, slightly sweet but the mezcal's smokiness came through nicely. The Improved Improved Wisecracker (Ron Zacapa, Meletti amaro, demerara, lemon, harissa) had a nice savory quality, while he Crippler (WhistlePig rye, J.M overproof rhum, Stroh Jagertee, Fidencio mezcal, Yellow Chartreuse, bbq bitters) landed on right side of vanilla and caramel thanks to its surprising mix of ingredients, and the Spazerac (Redemption rye, sugar, Peychaud's bitters, absinthe, sacrilege) was okay but a little heavy on the absinthe. On the other hand, the delicious Stool pigeon (Pierre Ferrand cognac, amontillado sherry, orange curacao, blackberries, Peychaud's bitters) had a nice salty quality from the sherry. Curly and the Turk (G'Vine gin, curacao, lemon, hibiscus, chile, Moroccan bitters) was a bit odd and was best served by stirring until it achieved a bloody mary-like effect. Lastly, the Wise Cold Sage (J.M white rhum agricole, Creole Shrubb, grapefruit, sage, sirop de cann) was a nice balance of rum and fruit, while the Marauder of 15th Street (El Jimador tequila, sloe gin chile) was an excellent top-off to the night.
This may not necessarily come as a surprise, but The Tippler simply annihilates all its "competition" in the Meatpacking wasteland. It's reassuring that ambition still has a place in that part of town and even better, that a place this good has plenty of room for both scenesters and more serious cocktail aficionados.
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