Anyone who fancies a martini after a nine-to-five slog may easily agree with former essayist Bernard DeVoto’s quip, “The proper union of gin and vermouth is a great and sudden glory; it is one of the happiest marriages on earth, and one of the shortest lived.” Of course, gin doesn’t always end up on everyone’s go-to drink order list, but a recent pop-up did its part to make the spirit a little more accessible.
Of All the Gin joints, in All Greenwich Village
Less of a Casablanca-era nightclub and more of a 1920s-style Japanese cocktail bar, Bar Moga offers a gorgeous space with a tin ceiling, wooden bar, and soft lighting. The restaurant serves Japanese whisky and guests can order cocktails or even whisky flights. There are also creative dishes like Wagyu Toast and Uni Arancini on the seasonal menu.
For the No.3 Gin collaboration, Head Chef and Partner Shintaro Eleazar Tozza created a trio of innovative dishes, weaving Japanese culinary inspiration into light, modern bites that paired well with the gin cocktails. The standout dish was a delicious, crispy Hokkaido-style tender chicken, and guests were also treated to ajillo poached shrimp and cured snapper with rice.
Easing in Gintly
Winning impressive accolades like Supreme Champion Spirit and World’s Best Gin, No.3 Gin is a London Dry gin that’s been gaining ground since 2008. Six botanicals (coriander, angelica root, cardamon, grapefruit peel, Spanish orange, and juniper) and French winter wheat create the spirit’s citrus and spice notes. No.3 is distilled in Holland, and the end result is a smooth gin with a 46 percent ABV.
At Bar Moga, we tried three martinis created by talented Beverage Director Hirotomo Akutsu using No.3 Gin. Any of the three could have taken the edge off of a long day, but the 50/50 with Nolly Prat and a lemon twist was especially enjoyable. For home bartenders (or future home bartenders!) who are ready to experiment with No.3, a list of cocktail recipes inlcuding a negroni and gimlet is available on the brand’s website. Better yet, the site ranks the recipes by difficulty level, meaning you can assess your own learning curve—before and after imbibing in a martini or two!
