I recently met a friend at Bar Pleiades on the Upper East Side for a long overdue catch-up. We both love a well-crafted cocktail, and I’d heard nothing but praise for the venue’s resident bartender Cameron Bogue, who’s known for his globally informed flavors and homemade spirits. As a girl with serious wanderlust, I’m all for getting whisked away to a foreign land—even if it’s just courtesy of an exotic flavor profile.
With its location on the ground floor of The Surrey Hotel, the lounge attracts a refined mix of neighborhood dwellers and globetrotting travelers. Most of the patrons were seated on velvet banquettes around low candlelit tables or in one of the two more intimate alcove nooks. My gal pal and I opted for a spot at the bar and took a moment to survey the room. Awash in shades of black, white and tan, the space draws its inspiration from the Art Deco aesthetic of 1930s bar carts, as well as style maven Coco Chanel. It’s elegant without being stuffy, and chic without being pretentious. It was exactly what we were in the mood for that evening.
Bogue introduced himself and gave us a few minutes to inspect the cocktail menu. Taking his cues from Chef Gavin Kaysen’s menu at the hotel’s restaurant, Café Boulud, the master bartender divides his libations into four categories: La Tradition (traditional, forgotten recipes), La Saison (seasonal), Le Potager (”the garden”) and Le Voyage (regional). The last group rotates on a regular basis, with the current inspiration coming from Peru. (Next up: Mexico.)
“One of my favorite things to do is take a new riff on a classic formula and incorporate my own handcrafted ingredients,” shares Bogue.
Photo by E. Kheraj
To update the Peruvian piscola, for example, he combines pisco (a South American spirit distilled from grapes) with homemade kola and tea. After sampling the creation myself, I can definitely vouch that the artisanal approach makes a world of difference. The flavors of the ingredients are cleaner and brighter, but still meld together in one harmonious sip.
If I hadn’t known any better, I’d have sworn I was in Lima.
Allez!