#16 – BEHIND GOD’S BACK COCKTAIL at DRAM

Once again Time Out New York released their Top 100 Dishes of the year and once again, I’m going to eat my way through every one. And no price point or subway delay will stop me. In no particular order, here’s my take on their Top 100.

SADLY, DRAM IS NOW CLOSED.

It’s difficult for me to surrender to another person’s restaurant or bar recommendations. I like to show off my foodie knowledge and receive accolades for finding a cool and delicious hot spot. So it was with some difficulty a few months back when I let somebody else decide where to get a drink in Williamsburg. We had just finished eating at Traif (on my suggestion, thank you!) and we wanted to end the night with a cocktail. I was with a group of people, including a few I didn’t know very well. One of them suggested a bar close by and although I contemplated making a scene, I went along with the group. I didn’t know this part of Williamsburg so well, wanted to make a non-neurotic impression on the group, and didn’t have any better suggestions. So instead of putting up a fight, I bit my tongue and entered the unmarked lounge.

When I got the menu, I realized he had taken us to Dram. I had read about this bar but never knew exactly where it was. And as much as I wish I had come up with it, I was happy to have located another of the Williamsburg hot spots.

That was a few months before Time Out’s list was published. And little did I know that their highest rated cocktail would be from Dram. I have to admit I was a bit underwhelmed by their cocktails the first time around, not finding them as complex or interesting as other cocktail dens in Manhattan. But I do remember being pleased that the prices were considerably less than the East Village.

And while I tried a few cocktails (not all my own) that fateful night, none of us ordered the Behind God’s Back. Time Out rated it in their Top Ten of the year, we found ourselves in the area again, and this time I was able to recommend a cool cocktail bar. Partly thanks to my friend’s friend, partly thanks to Time Out, and partly thanks to my brilliant New York food knowledge.

Dram was just as cozy and dark as I had remembered. What I hadn’t noticed last time was the laid-back Brooklyn vibe juxtaposed with an old-time speakeasy feel. It was definitely the most relaxed and hip bar I’ve been to in a long time (the bartender was wearing a tank top!).

When the Behind God’s Back arrived in a tall glass, sprouting mint leaves and crushed ice, I couldn’t help but think of the tiki craze that is currently attacking New York City. And the ingredients certainly played in to that Hawaiian Polynesian theme: aged rum, pineapple juice, cinnamon bark, orgeat (almond syrup), lime, and bitters. It probably wouldn’t have been the cocktail I was most attracted to on the menu since it sounded rather sweet. We also did have the bartender mix us something (there’s the Bartender’s Choice option as is required at all cocktail bars today) with a bourbon base that was nice and smooth, spicy, and warming.

And maybe I would have liked Behind God’s Back better in the summertime as a refreshing elixir, but it didn’t do a lot for me in this setting. I thought it was pretty well-balanced and I appreciated the bitter float on top. It had some spicy cinnamon notes to balance the sweetness of the rum and the pineapple. But there was something a little to acidic or harsh for me. There was an unpleasant tartness that lingered in the back of my throat.

It’s a decent cocktail and visually majestic standing tall above all the other drinks on the table. And the flavors were balanced and it’s certainly well-composed. Probably a nice quencher on a hot summer day. But until then, I’ll stick to my bourbon, thank you. But I’ll be sure to bring all my friends to Dram and take full credit for the discovery.

Would Dram’s Behind God’s Back Cocktail make my Top 100 of the year? It’s a good cocktail, but nothing special or complex in my mind – except for the stunning presentation earning it a 7 out of 10.