We have a special, off-menu cocktail that we'll be serving for a limited time: the Barrel-Aged Greenpoint ($12). The Greenpoint has long been a favorite of mine. It's a Brooklyn variation—which is itself a Manhattan variation—made with rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, Yellow Chartreuse, and bitters. I still remember my first 'properly made' Greenpoint, which I had at Weather Up, a bar around the corner from my old apartment in Brooklyn. I was surprised to learn from my bartender, James, that it's made with Yellow Chartreuse, not Green Chartreuse, as I had been using at home. Well, that first Greenpoint was a revelation: its a complex balance of spicy, herbal, and bitter-sweet flavors that I return to often.
Here at the Whistler we "barrel-aged" two liters of this cocktail for a little over two months using oak spirals in a large, glass canning jar. As a result, the Greenpoint becomes softer and its flavors become integrated in a way you can't achieve by other means; and the vermouth (we use Punt e Mes) oxidizes slightly, which balances out the sweetness of the original recipe. The finish leaves quite a lasting impression too, as it provides a light touch of American oak that perfectly compliments the herbal, honey notes of the Yellow Chartreuse. As mentioned, we made two liters of the Barrel-Aged Greenpoint, so get it while it lasts because when it's gone, it's gone.
—Billy