DLS at Allen and Delancey

Time Out New York was sponsoring a new DLS event last Monday at Allen and Delancey, featuring mixologist Alex Day (bartender at Death & Co). The menu consisted of six gin drinks, with food pairings, at one of the Lower East Side's finest restaurants. Now, I'm not a huge fan of gin. But Alex, true to form, made six gin drinks that tasted nothing like any gin drink I've ever had. Plus, the food was great, and it was actually possible to pair food with gin. The menu was:

Drink 1:
John Collins (Bols Genever, lemon, seltzer)
Spanish mackerel crudo, spiced yogurt, pickled cucumber

Drink 2:
William and Mary#1 (Plymouth gin, lime, yellow Chartreuse, maraschino, rose and lavender bitters)
Seared diver scallop, lemon confit, cauliflower puree

Drink 3:
William and Mary #2 (Martin Miller's gin, vermouth bianco, green Chartreuse, cinnamon bark tincture)
Testa, house-made mustard, fried pig's ear, frisee

Drink 4:
Hanky Panky (Beefeater gin, carpano antica, Fernet Branca, twist of orange)
Honey-glazed duck, wild rice, preserved cherries, hazelnuts

Drink 5:
Billy Penn Club (Old Tom gin, Dolin Dry Vermouth de Chambery, lemon, preserves, egg white)
Epoisses, apple butter, honey-roasted walnuts

Drink 6 and dessert:
Rhubarb-Gin Fizz Float
Anchor junipero, rhubarb sorbet, yogurt panna cotta, seltzer

We got a tutorial in the different kinds of gin (junipero tastes nothing like Beefeater, btw) and in Chartreuse. The Billy Penn Club was my favorite; it tasted like an alcoholic meringue, and paired surprisingly beautifully with the epoisses, my favorite stinky cheese. The rhubarb-gin fizz float was pretty exciting, as well. I'll definitely be going to more DLS events--when I return.