One of the birthplaces of the latest cocktail development in New York. Named after the Pegu Club which existed just outside Rangoon in Burma and was visited by Britons who were either senior government or military officials or other businessmen. The classic Pegu Club cocktail originated in this club and consists of Gin, Orange Curacao, Lime juice and Bitters. It appeared first in 1930 in a written form.
Dark Interior
As the cocktail, Julie Reiner’s Pegu Club is a classic nowadays too, located on W Houston, there is not much which points to this bar. Rather big and dimly lit you enter to classic Jazz or Swing music. I took a spot at the long wooden bar as I arrived soon after opening. I was the only person when I arrived but when I left the place was lively. It is still a solid bet when it comes to classic cocktails as some might think it has lost some of its shine, but it has not. Some of the best bartenders that I have interviewed began their career in this place or travelled through and certainly all of them have come across Julie Reiner at some point in their career. The spirit selection is vast and the menu is diverse. As usual, besides the boozy creations you find a range of bar snacks, which I have not tried though. The mandatory water is served right away and and I decided fast what I needed as an aperitif. It was time for a Dirty Martini at 18.30 to get the evening started. The bartender was rather reserved and didn’t engage in a conversation even though the time and amount of people would have allowed for it. I felt he was not really interested – a bit of shame really! The Martini came with Plymouth gin and the extra small bottle on the side to keep the excess drink cool. Always a nice gesture as there is nothing nastier than a warm Dirty Martini. As a downside the olives were mediocre and not very tasty.
Classic Dirty Martini
A bar can do a lot of damage by having the wrong olives even though it would be so easy to get the right ones. Also Pegu Club serves paper napkins which was a shame since it is such a classy place. At least they are branded but it doesn’t really make it any better. Kenta Goto recommended me to try the Shisho Pear Daiquiri. It was very pleasant even though a bit heavy on the pear but otherwise round and enjoyable. I would definitely return a bit later at night to see how the room feels with a bigger crowd. The exit signs were a bit too dominant for my taste but I guess this will fade with the amount of guests and booze.
Update: Pegu Club is now permanently closed.
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