Rittenhouse Row Cocktail Crawl: A New Take on Bar-Hopping
Ringing in Philadelphia Fashion Week has never been better than with a drink in hand. We’re suckers for a well-crafted cocktail, so we sprung at the chance to sample drinks from some of Rittenhouse Row’s top mixologists at the annual Fall Fashion and Cocktail Crawl on Thursday, September 19, 2013.
Snaking down the streets that flank Rittenhouse Square, we visited each balloon-adorned storefront alongside stylish fashionistas and cocktail enthusiasts to sample the signature cocktails and peruse merchandise.
We picked up our wristbands at Sephora, Cocktail Crawl headquarters.
At Hope Chest, a lingerie boutique (1937 Chestnut Street), Twenty Manning Grill offered an original cocktail called the Mighty Toucan: spicy and tequila-based, it was served with a sprinkle of chile salt for an enlivening kick (it was so good, in fact, that Arielle and her date asked for seconds while browsing the frilled undergarments and delicate negligees).
Ranstead Room’s Peligroso cocktail–imbued with Hornitos Plata Tequila, passionfruit, and a dash of bitters–took center stage at Lagos (1735 Walnut Street). Refreshingly fruity, the drink sparkled on our tongues just as much as Lagos’ jewelry shimmered in the light.
Amid velour sweatsuits and dazzling bling in Juicy Couture (1701 Walnut Street), mixologists from Butcher & Singer created an Apple Pie Old Fashioned — a sweet spin on the classic drink.
With a graham-cracker crumb coated rim and blueberries, cherries, and raisins for garnish, the sweetness was a perfect complement to the base of Jim Beam’s Jacob’s Ghost White Whiskey.
Duke & Winston set up a pop-up shop in the Conestoga Bank branch at 1632 Walnut Street. Zama shared the premises, featuring a Yuzi Mint Saketini cocktail with a jolt of Pinnacle Pure vodka. Citrusy and invigorating, this was the perfect palette cleanser.
An added bonus: brand mascot Duke cheerfully greeted guests at the door.
Recent Philadelphia newcomer Ocean Prime mixed up Blackberry Mule cocktails at Knit Wit (1729 Chestnut Street). The sublime sips (emphasis on “lime”) got a healthy spritz of Pinnacle Pure vodka amongst other fruity ingredients.
Whisper mixed up a seasonal specialty at South Moon Under (1731 Chestnut Street) with its Fall Tea Tini cocktail, also featuring Pinnacle Pure vodka.
But the evening’s best cocktail came from Vernick, stationed inside of the off-beat boutique Kembrel (1822 Chestnut Street). Vernick’s beverage manager Vincent Stipo recreated his popular Milk Punch. He first infused the glasses with the smoky essence of a fire-lit cinnamon stick.
Using a recipe featuring Hornitos Tequila, tangy goat’s milk, vanilla bean, and red tea, he promptly filled the just-flavored glass.
The result was an unbelievably layered, complex cocktail — the winner of the evening in our eyes.
— Arielle Pardes and Nicole Woon