Happy Hour

Cocktail creations by Umami Mart: shaken, stirred, and remixed.

December 2, 2009

Happy Hour: Brown Derby

by Payman Bahmani

Every now and then I come across old cocktail recipes that have little to no history or lineage to trace back to; bona fide boozy bastards, where all background checks turn out goose eggs. They’re listed in a few old cocktail recipe books, and if you do an internet search you’ll have no problem coming […]

November 25, 2009

Happy Hour: The Manhattan

by Payman Bahmani

There’s no two ways about it, I likes me a good Manhattan. I likes me one any time of year really, but I especially likes me one during fall. There’s something about the bracing combination of whiskey and sweet vermouth that warms my soul and embraces my palate like a hug from a fond, familiar […]

November 18, 2009

Happy Hour: Sherry Baby!

by Payman Bahmani

“A good Sherris-Sack…ascends me into the brain; dries me there all the foolish, and dull, and crudy vapours which environ it, makes it apprehensive, quick, inventive, full of nimble, fiery and delectable shape, which delivered o’er to the voice which is the birth, becomes excellent wit.”–Shakespeare’s Falstaff It would come as a great surprise to […]

November 11, 2009

Happy Hour: Simply Soda & Spirits

by Payman Bahmani

Perhaps you were thinking that the cocktails presented here in Happy Hour are too fussy. And perchance you wondered if there are drinks you could make that could astonish your tastebuds without inducing exhaustion from the process. You do, after all, have lots to do until the end of the year–plan the Thanks-stealing menu, prepare […]

November 4, 2009

Happy Hour: The Rustic Pear

by Payman Bahmani

Wow that swine flu is a momofuku! Actually I’m not sure what I was afflicted with last week, but it was unrelenting. I actually didn’t feel completely well until late this morning. So needless to say, I offer apologies again for the absence of Happy Hour last week, and hope to make up for it […]

October 28, 2009

Happy Hour: Out Sick

by Payman Bahmani

I’m very sorry to do this folks, but I’ve met my match today and have been forced to call in a sick day for Happy Hour. I try to keep Happy Hour all-natural and preservative-free, and I do this by keeping the posts as fresh and relevant as possible by writing the columns within the […]

October 21, 2009

Happy Hour: Flying Scotchman Cocktail

by Payman Bahmani

Today’s Happy Hour is the last stop on the Scotch Express. If this is your first time checking in or haven’t been around in a while, we’ve been in full-Scotch mode the last several weeks, sharing numerous classic-yet-unsung Scotch cocktails (by classic I mean recipes that are at least 80 years old). This week’s cocktail […]

October 14, 2009

Happy Hour: “Hoots Mon” Cocktail

by Payman Bahmani

It’s Happy Hour once again, and classic Scotch cocktails are in effect as they have been over the past few weeks. Why have I been focusing so much on Scotch lately you ask? Well, firstly, because I enjoy the spirit a whole lot. Besides that, I realized reason alone could not dissuade the purists who […]

October 7, 2009

Happy Hour: Scotch Cocktails With Rachel Maddow (NYC)

by Payman Bahmani

Last week I had the distinct honor of being one of five NYC mixologists chosen by Gothamist for a special event involving three of my favorite entities: Scotch, cocktails, and Rachel Maddow. The event was held in the private Gonzo Room (named after the late great Hunter S. Thompson) of Aspen in the Flatiron, and […]

September 30, 2009

Happy Hour: Cameron’s Kick Cocktail

by Payman Bahmani

“I love scotch. Scotchy, scotch, scotch. Here it goes down, down into my belly…”-Ron Burgundy I couldn’t agree more, which is why last week I declared that for the coming month or so I’m dedicating the column to classic Scotch cocktails. Not only is Scotch underused by mixologists, it’s also underrated as a cocktail component–when […]