La Barbona unites authentic Mexican with old New York

Tacos, Ceviches and Mezcal Fuel NYC’s New Exclusive Speakeasy.

Bringing a fresh taste of authentic Mexican and a vibe of the old New York back to Greenwich Village, La Barbona is set to open its doors on October X as a reliable go-to for the well informed to kick off or continue a night out. Hidden beneath its iconic sister restaurant De Santos, the discrete location and limited seating set the stage for a refined experience of signature mezcal cocktails and a good time over mind-blowing tacos and ceviches.

Coming to La Barbona via the famed Acme and Montauk’s Surf Lodge, head chef Michael Hamilton began his career under seafood guru Rick Stein; the UK’s top-rated seafood chef. Continuing under the highly acclaimed Daniel Boloud at New York City’s Gordon Ramsey at The London, he then moved downtown to open Kingswood and tenure at Acme with Mads Refslund. His British heritage and contemporary influence bring a unique and inspiring edge to the select menu of family heirloom recipes passed down to Luis Migel Amutio, raised in Mexico and now returning to his roots at La Barbona.

Built from consciously sourced ingredients, such as grass-fed beef to wild-caught fish, the menu is kept clean and simple. In traditional Mexican outfits reflecting their culinary heritage, two ladies hand-press tortillas to create taco sensations and ceviche specialties as guests continue raising a glass well into the early hours. The intimate allure of the kitchen is complimented by the venue’s deceivingly simplistic design, meticulously outfitted by award-winning interior designer Kenyan Paris Lewis. In all, La Barbona presents basic at its best with the finest essentials of any great night out – great drinks, great food and great people in a great space.

“La Barbona is a place to escape the city, and somehow find it,” says Luis Migel Armutio, co-owner of this new late-night hotspot. “ No other venue in Manhattan has the power to transport you to Mexico the way that La Barbona can.”

As one of seven accomplished entrepreneurs behind La Barbona, the ownership team creates a restaurant-bar that’s as memorable as its founders, with the select clientele directly influenced by their vast collective network: British-born doorman-turned-clothing designer Richard Wheeler; Australian restaurateur Dylan Hales who has lead the marketing and operations for a host of successful restaurants and winner of the Zagat 30 Under 30 award for the best young, innovative chefs; actor and movie producer John S. Gordon; nightlife habitué, marketing virtuoso and the driving force behind Common Thread Projects and Up&Down nightclub, Andrew “Ronnie” Flynn; British boxer and restaurateur James Huddleston; and Alejandro Gonzalez, drummer and songwriter for the most successful Latin band in history, Mana.

With a program of phased openings to accommodate the immense reception already received, La Barbona is on its way to becoming not just a city favorite for Mexican food lovers, but the speakeasy icon New York has been missing.

La Barbona, 139 West 10th Street, New York, NY 10014

Hidden beneath its sister restaurant, the beloved De Santos in Greenwich Village, stepping into La Barbona is like being transported to Mexico for the night. Interior designer Kenyan Paris Lewis put a playful twist on the traditional Mexican cantina for the space with dark wood, lots of candlelight and the charming kind of knick knacks you would find at a roadside mom and pop restaurant. The combination of a discreet location and limited seating gives an air of exclusivity without the pretension, perfect for impressing a date or the family when they’re in town.

legal Mezcal x SoFar Sounds

legal Mezcal, the finest in Guatemalan handcrafted liquor, has been producing artisanal spirits for nearly a decade. With its origins in music and mischief, Ilegal has always been embraced by musicians and former tequila drinkers the world over.

In the summer of 2014, VOCAL introduced Ilegal Mezcal to the New York City music scene with two things it knows best — eclectic performances and plenty of Mezcal.  This buzz-worthy introduction included a music-fueled LGBQT pride brunch, and an intimate musical showcase in collaboration with SoFar Sounds. To further their passion, Ilegal Mezcal now occasionally transforms their stateside HQ into the exclusive, members-only #ILEGALSocialClub. 

ILegalMezcal.com

New York’s Own Authentic Taste of Germany

Internationally Acclaimed German-Style Charcuterie Makers Continue Their Tradition of Gastronomic Perfection.

Almost a century after opening its doors, Schaller & Weber continue as New York’s very own masters of German charcuterie. As a family-run business, they are still dedicated to producing the same premium meats according to the same exacting standards and time-honored recipes that originated in long-forgotten butcher shops. To enjoy Schaller & Weber meat goods today is to experience something increasingly rare in this world—the tradition of taste.

Established in 1937 by master charcutier Ferdinand Schaller, Schaller & Weber traditional German meats have become a New York culinary institution. To celebrate this long history, Schaller & Weber have recently rebranded to bring a contemporary twist to their old-world heritage, drawing from a rich personal story to thoroughly revamp their entire line. The new branding takes notes from multiple eras in the company's long, storied past to create a look and feel that embraces the past while tempting and enticing the modern consumer.

The packaging has been completely reimagined as well. With a strong focus on telling the story of both product and company, each package has been carefully tailored to maximize impact at retail.  New products set to launch include all natural Pâtés, Cervelats, Landjäger "The Outdoorsman's Survival Snack," and, after years of perfecting, the Bacon Cheddar Brat. With the re-launch, comes a multifaceted marketing initiative that utilizes traditional in-store promotion, branded collateral, and event sponsorships, as well as modern outlets such as social media, digital content creation, and cross brand collaborations.

Schaller & Weber is the first and only American sausage and meat producer to repeatedly win gold medals of honor at international exhibitions in Holland and Germany. In 2000, Schaller & Weber entered twenty different products at Austria’s Wesler Volksfest and won fourteen gold and six silver medals—and the fair’s most prestigious international award, another first for an American chacuterier. While the new Schaller & Weber reinvents the brand visually, it maintains a melding of their timeless gourmet quality with modern aesthetics that is as rich and distinguished as the company history.

For more information please visit schallerweber.com. For all media inquiries contact VOCAL.  

Ilegal Mezcal Confessions Campaign Takes Off This Summer

Ilegal Mezcal Gets the World’s Secrets, One Confession at a Time

Mexican artisanal liquor makers Ilegal Mezcal have been producing handcrafted spirits for nearly a decade. Already esteemed among mezcal and tequila drinkers, Ilegal Mezcal has launched an innovative engagement campaign to let everyone else know what they’re all about, and just why their products are worth filling glasses raised by the masses -- by letting the masses speak for them.

The Ilegal Confessions project utilizes social media to enable anyone in the world to contribute at any time by posting deep inner thoughts and secrets or defining moments with a picture on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, and tagging @IlegalMezcal and #IlegalConfessions. Ilegal Mezcal will select the most interesting submissions and personally contact contributors to get the entire story to be included in their final project. The end result is a completely spontaneous and original set of stories that spans creeds, classes, and continents.   

The Ilegal Confessions project comes as an extension of the company’s origins. Born from founder John Rexer’s illegal smuggling of thousands of bottles of mezcal from Mexico to his bar Café No Se in Antigua Guatemala, the company’s history and namesake are a sort of personal confession from Rexer to the world. According to Rexer, the process in which Ilegal Mezcal is made is as distinguished as its origins, and those who drink it: "It's like old hand-tooled leather versus cheap pleather. It's seductive. People from all walks of life understand the difference. It's a way of thinking and wanting to live as much as it is fine liquor."

To confess your personal story, visit www.ilegalconfessions.com.            

For more information please visit www.Ilegalmezcal.com. 

For all media inquiries contact VOCAL.  

NYWC: Raise a glass with us

The New York Whiskey Club brings together a group of discerning aficionados to discuss cultural happenings in fashion, film, politics, sex, music, art.

NYWC: Whiskey Wise

Whiskey Wise

Like taking candy from a baby, Prohibition in the US caused a popular tantrum that resulted in an era of decadence and disregard that still captures the public imagination. The New York Whiskey Club presents Cutty Sark “Prohibition Edition”.

The excise tax on alcohol was such a significant contributor to the US economy that it seemed the pietistic efforts of the teetotaling Anti-Saloon League would remain in vain. However, the introduction of a nationwide income tax dissolved this dependence and paved the way for over a decade of merriment and mayhem.

The National Prohibition Act, also known as the Volstead Act, was passed into law in 1920 outlawing the manufacture, transportation and sale of alcoholic beverages. As actual consumption was never illegal, the subsequent untaxed and inflated alcohol prices motivated immense investment in the party scene, giving rise to an era of celebration that appears in hindsight as a decadent public bender.

Indulging their love booze with such unanimous disregard for the law, the people reinforced the inevitable failure of Prohibition. Reinstated with their right to intoxicate, Prohibition ended in 1933, remaining to this day the only Amendment to the United States Constitution to have ever been repealed.

Cutty Sark celebrates this public victory by honoring one of Prohibition’s most notorious smugglers, Captain William S. McCoy. Cutty Sark “Prohibition Edition” is a handcrafted, small batch Scotch blended from top quality grain and single malt whiskies. Matured in American oak casks and non‐chill filtered, this 100 proof whiskey gives a super smooth finish with lingering warmth and subtle hints of spice.

The next New York Whiskey Club event is to be held at the MAN show during Men's Market Week NYC from January 21-23, 2014, spotlighting this rare and refined Cutty Sark “Prohibition Edition” whiskey.

Product Fact:

When most Prohibition alcohols were diluted to maximize profit, Captain William S. McCoy earned his honorable reputation as a rumrunner through consistently selling his merchandise unadulterated. This gave popular contemporary reference to the historical idiom “The real McCoy”, signifying something as being the genuine article.

Whiskey Tip:

Given the limited availability of ice during Prohibition years, whiskey was often drunk neat (without ice). Neat whiskey is best appreciated from a tulip-shaped glass, allowing the spirit to be appropriately agitated and capturing the aromas for nosing.

Drop Prohibition knowledge instead of ice into your Cutty Sark “Prohibition Edition”:

The earliest records of prohibition of alcohol date back to the Xia Dynasty (ca. 2070 BC–ca. 1600 BC) in China.

To conserve grains for the war effort, the Wartime Prohibition Act was introduced as a precursor to the Volstead Act on June 30, 1919, with July 1, 1919, becoming known as the "Thirsty-First".

A “speakeasy” is an establishment that illegally sells alcoholic beverages, originating from the need to speak of them quietly, and to be quiet within should the police be alerted. Also known as a “blind pig” or “blind tiger”.

Although homebrewing wine and cider from fruits remained unaffected by Prohibition, beer was prohibited. Al Capone’s empire was built largely on the sale and distribution of beer, earning his organization up to $60 million per year (somewhere in the ballpark of $600 million today).

The phrase "The real McCoy" is a corruption of the Scots "The real MacKay", first recorded in 1856 as: "A drappie o' the real MacKay," (A drop of the real MacKay). This appeared in a poem Deil's Hallowe'en published in Glasgow and is widely accepted as the phrase's origin.

Hasbeens & Willbees Brings the Finer Things to Upstate New York

A Unique Restaurant and Antique Dealer Based in the Andes

Hasbeens & Willbees, the much talked about Catskills pop-up restaurant on the serious come-up, is set for another creative burst with the launch of a series of auction events, showcasing the owners’ most treasured findings from overlooked corners of the world. 

Kai Kuhne, former independent fashion designer and leading member of the design group AsFour, and John Mollett, former fine arts representative at the Jan Krugier Gallery, recently partnered to open the Hasbeens & Willbees restaurant in Andes, NY. “Wanting to keep connected to our careers and the worlds we love, we’ve incorporated our experiences and knowledge into a fresh new concept,” said Kuhne, “representing the new luxury and a fair market for the finer things in life.”

The new Hasbeens and Willbees concept embraces a lifestyle of luxury that cherishes the art, design, furniture and fashion of the past, while showcasing the genius and beautiful products of today.

As a preview for their auction house to open in New York City in the Spring of 2014, the Hasbeens & Willbees soft launch will take place at their Catskills restaurant. This new avenue is about giving some of the old freaks a place to shine, and provide a venue of exposure for a younger generation. It references old furniture and art, as well as showcasing wonderful new products. The Hasbeens & Willbees private label soap and olive oil will also be available in the store.

Kuhne and Mollet have been around the world selecting and amassing items for the auction house that is opening in the Spring of next year. “The shopping has been a blast! But now it’s time to get selling and develop a track record so that we can get some great consignments as well,” says Mollet. “We’ve decided to first do a little preview maquette of the auction concept up at our restaurant in the Catskills to get the ball rolling. For the auction we plan to have a few days of preview dinners where guests are surrounded by the auction items, while using the culinary objects on the table during their meal.”

While the auction items will be the focus of the events, the cuisine at Hasbeens & Willbees is something quite special in itself; simple yet refined. Each dish is inspired by inherited recipes from Mollet’s grandmother from New England, thus bringing something fresh and unique to the region. Their crab cake, for example, rivals that to be found anywhere in the state, filled with Jumbo Lump crab freshly picked from the Maryland fish markets and overnighted to the kitchen. Hasbeens & Willbees is an inspiring example of how farm-to-table doesn't have to be rustic.

The main auction event is sure to be active and filled with lively characters. The events will highlight guest chefs, projection screens, topless game show-style girls, a tuxedo-clad auctioneer, live performances, and an early Westwood style fashion show. It’s set to be a Friday night not to be missed.

New York Whiskey Club

The New York Whiskey Club brings together a select group of discerning aficionados to discuss cultural happenings in fashion, film, politics, sex, music, art and all kinds of stuff.

"When I was a little girl, I remember watching my father – a trumpet player who had a funk, disco and jazz band – sitting around the kitchen table with his friends, sometimes his band mates or his brothers drinking Crown Royal on the rocks," says NYWC founder Sarah Bronilla. “It seems the stage was always set for my love of whiskey…”

“I became fascinated with all types of whiskey through my travels as I couldn't find Canadian Crown Royal. In my time, I discovered the sweet taste of Yamazaki while on business in Tokyo, the honey juice of Monkey Shoulder in Paris, Laphroiag in Berlin, Mekhong in Thailand, Bullet Rye in NYC, Michters in LA and so on. I wanted to share these experiences, these tastes, and the refinement of the people who craft a perfect bottle of liquid. More importantly, talk shit over a few glasses. Hence, The New York Whiskey Club.”

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