The Broken Shaker Opens

House-made bitters.

Living up to their Bar Lab moniker, Orta and Zvi were working on some house-made bitters when we arrived. Don't be surprised if your cocktail has the earthiness of a mushroom or the smokiness of well...smoked fish. We asked what on earth Orta planned to do with his fish/juniper bitters. "Well, the juniper would compliment a gin and the smokiness of the fish would work well with certain tequilas." In all honesty, we tried the bitters and they were quite wonderful, if a bit unusual.

In addition to cocktails, the lounge offers a small hand-picked selection of beers including Miller High Life ($3); Cigar City IPA ($6), Session Lager ($5); Negro Especial ($5); Angry Orchard cider ($6); Michael's Genuine Home Brew ($12); and Ommegang Brewery Abbey Ale ($12). Wines by the glass ($11) are also available.

The Broken Shaker will bring back their punches, and a bowl, which serves 4-8 people, is $150. Choose your spirit, fruit, and botanical and your bartender will create a custom punch to share with friends.

Plans in the works include barrel-aged cocktails, custom blended with a choice of spirits and flavor profiles. Barrels can be consumed at one time, for a party or gathering, or patrons will have the option of having their custom barrel stored at the lounge. A weekly barbecue is planned. The restaurant, which will be in an adjacent 1930s house, is targeted for a spring 2013 opening.

In the meantime, the lounge is open daily with small bites for munching, games, and hand crafted cocktails. We're looking forward to playing Rock 'em Sock 'em Robots with a negroni in our hands. It's sort of a childhood dream, come to life.

The backyard has plenty of different seating choices and environments. Grab a cocktail and sit by the pool, find a corner, or enjoy the fresh scent of the herb garden. Though the Broken Shaker has been given some polish and permanent status, what hasn't been lost is its unpretentious vibe where people can enjoy a solid drink at a good price.

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