Pouring Ribbons Debuts Silk Road Menu

By Chilled Magazine

The Second in its Series of Themed Menus Inspired by Roads and Travel.

Following on the heels of its successful Route 66 themed cocktail menu, Pouring Ribbons debuts its Silk Road menu on April 13, 2016. The award-winning cocktail bar in New York City’s East Village is proud to unveil the second iteration of its innovative thematic approach to menu creation.

Essentially the world’s first communication superhighway, the Silk Road constituted a vast network of information exchange along a patchwork collection of trade routes linking East Asia with the Mediterranean through the whole of the Eurasian continent. Representing thousands of years of trade between dozens of cultures, communities and countries, the Silk Road transformed the world with its flow of fruits, spices, textiles, technologies, arts, and ideas.

An idea nurtured by Head Bartender Demario Wallace, the Silk Road menu was brought to life through a collaborative effort involving the entire staff. Every member of the Pouring Ribbons team, including partners Joaquín Simó and Shannon Tebay, contributed thought-provoking original recipes to the menu.

The staff dug deeply into the radically different pantries and cultures represented across the Silk Road, co-mingling flavors and traditions from wildly disparate locales. The result is a new menu of 20 classically inspired cocktails with novel and exotic flavor profiles that span the Pouring Ribbons Flavor matrix, from light & refreshing to boozy & brooding. More than the alchemy of ingredients, each cocktail is imbued with a story and narrative arc plucked from the Silk Road’s two thousand years of history. In addition, unique serving pieces, vessels, coasters and garnishes give nod to the diversity of the cocktails’ conceptual origins.

A few examples from the menu include:

Snake in the Grass, Pouring Ribbons, Silk Road Menu, industry news

Snake in the Grass

Snake in the Grass

Tanqueray Gin, Lime, JM Rhum Agricole 100 Proof, Coconut Water Syrup, Greek Yogurt, Makrut Lime Leaf. Served in a snifter with crushed ice. Two European beneficiaries of the spice trade are referenced in a split base of gin and rhum agricole; Greek yogurt, coconut water and Makrut lime leaf add creamy echoes of an Indian lassi.


Safari Julep, Pouring Ribbons, Silk Road Menu, industry news

Sarari Julep

Photo Courtesy of Paul Wagtouicz

Safarí Julep

Black Bottle Scotch, Hamilton 151 Rum, Hamilton Gold Rum Chai Syrup, Grenadine. Served in a Julep with crushed ice. Honoring the ancient horticulturist Safr, who brought the pomegranate from the Middle East to Spain (which became known as safari pomegranates), sweetened with grenadine, whose tart fruitiness plays off of the flavors of the British spice trade in smoky Scotch whisky, aromatic Jamaican rum and Indian chai.


10ft. Headband, Pouring Ribbons, Silk Road Menu, industry news

10ft. Headband

Photo Courtesy of Paul Wagtouicz

10ft Headband

Turmeric-Infused Tapatio 110 Tequila, Lemon, Tapatio Anejo Tequila, Cinnamon Bark Syrup, Cocchi Americano Vermouth,. Inspired by a story about a meeting of the minds along the Silk Road and a Buddhist monk’s travels in the Middle East. Individuals in the story are described as wearing 10-foot headbands. Earthy root spices mirror those found in turmeric-laced golden milk.


Spell of Shiraz, Pouring Ribbons, Silk Road Menu, industry news

Spell of Shiraz

Photo Courtesy of Paul Wagtouicz

Spell of Shiraz

Aylesbury Duck Vodka, Lemon, Strega, Lustau Los Arcos Amontillado Sherry, Orange Marmalade, Cardamom Pod.. Named after Shiraz, the fifth largest city in Iran; served in a decorative rice bowl billowing with crushed ice to evoke a classic Persian rice dish redolent of cardamom and saffron.


The Prophet's Cup, Pouring Ribbons, Silk Road Menu, industry news

The Prophet’s Cup

The Prophet’s Cup

Wild Turkey 101 Rye Whiskey, Amaro Abano, Smith & Cross Rum, Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao, Coffee Bitters. Served tableside from a metal ibrik, a nod to the classic Turkish coffee brewed in the hot desert sand. The term “Prophet’s Cup” is used in Turkish fortune telling to describe a cup and a saucer sealing together, a symbol of good luck.


Pouring Ribbons Creative Director Amanda Elder conceived and designed the physical menu; its visual representation in paper and ink. Because the glory of the Silk Road lay in the vast and intricate tapestry of multicultural influence, rather than being an actual “road” linking A to B, Elder looked to tapestries, artwork, fabrics and paper goods for her inspiration for laying out the diverse drink selection. Influences of which are also found in the bar space, providing a gorgeous background in a display of decorative fans and patterns.

A spirited journey, the Silk Road menu remains true to Pouring Ribbons’ core mission and ethos: A great cocktail should have a narrative arc that delights and satisfies its imbiber while remaining intriguing enough to warrant ordering another round.

Pouring Ribbons is located at 225 Avenue B, 2nd Floor, NYC (Between 13th & 14th Streets) and is open daily from 6pm – 2am.

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