The Southside at the GMT Tavern

A few weeks ago one of my regulars Joe who runs the Nitrate Stock website recently told me about possibly the only adult bar/pub on west Bleecker Street. Before I go into said bar/pub, I just wanted to let you gals and guys know what Nitrate Stock it. Nitrate Stock is a labor of love which entails the following:

This site (Nitrate Stock) will represent the best of repertory cinema in the five boroughs and as far as half an hour outside them, and all reachable by mass transit.

So if you're ever in the mood to explore the world of Repertory cinema in NYC, this is the man to know. Follow him on Twitter @NitrateStock, on his Facebook page Nitrate Stock and at the Nitrate Stock website. Back to the bar/pub. Thanks for the heads up Joe.

I decide to check out the bar/pub known as the GMT Tavern which is located at 142 Bleecker Street (corner of Laguardia Place), New York, NY 10012 (646) 863-3776. I was definitely not disappointed. Amid the frat bars that can be found a plenty on Bleecker Street, this bar is definitely one geared to adults who know how to drink to the point that their Twitter Page @GMTTavern refers to itself as being a "Straight Up, Grown Up Pub". Here is how their website describes itself:

The Greenwich Meantime Tavern (GMT) is a British styled tavern.

It was established in 2011 in the heart of Greenwich Village,
on the corner of the hustle and bustle of Bleecker St & LaGuardia Place
in New York City.

It has truly become the local's favorite, with our impressive selection of 36 draught beers poured through our state of the art beer system.

The draught beer line-up consists of imported English and European beers. We also serve some of the best local crafted beers.

Our cocktail list has been created by mixologist Nick van Tiel, which offers our customers some classic cocktails with a modern twist and some new delicious signature cocktails with fresh fruit and herbs made with precision and taste by our experienced bartenders.

Our menu is casual American with some traditional British fare, from Scotch eggs, fish & chips & the ploughman's lunch to our special blend of Kobe beef for the Meantime burger.

We serve lunch and dinner every day; On Sundays we serve brunch which includes the traditional British Sunday Roast with all the trimmings & Yorkshire puddings.

Our customers are diverse, from the beer connoisseur tasting the latest seasonal beer from local breweries, the conversationalist sitting around our communal tables discussing which wine they should choose and from which part of the world, colleagues meeting after work for our cocktail hour sipping on our classic cocktails, to Sundays and families enjoying brunch sitting in our sidewalk cafe watching the world go by.

I could tell by the vibe that was definitely not the scene for the beer pong frat set that many of the bars on West Bleecker Street can attract.

In terms of cocktails, GMT Tavern has a diverse cocktail list with names like the Hot Limey, The Brown Betty, London Buck and Penicillin. For my first taste I decided to have myself a cocktail known as The Southside:

The Southside
Plymouth Gin
Elderflower Liqueur
Lime Juice
Fresh Mint

I found this cocktail to be light and enjoyable. I loved how the blend of the lime and mint was perfectly balanced as to not overpower the other ingredients in the cocktail, which I find that lime and/or mint can do. It wasn't too sweet or too tart. It was just right.

On an aside, its funny how all of a sudden I've become a drinker of gin. Consider that I went close to 15+ years without having any gin. Why? Read this post to find out why Hendrick's Gin...My Return to Gin 15+ Years Later. And I have a few more gin post coming up. Guess you can teach an old dog some new tricks. ;)

The next post will be the second cocktail I had at the GMT Tavern called the GMT Punch.

Until Then Happy Drinking,
Sisco Vanilla