Molly T.
Yelp
Blyth & Burrows is absolutely worth the hype. It's got incredible drinks, sick music, and vibes for days. This is a place that knows what it is and exudes that essence with confidence. It's hard to describe the vibes any further than that, but just make a trip here and you'll see what I mean. You'll want to post up here and stay a while, admiring the mixology masterpieces coming out from the behind the bar, bopping to some great tunes, getting into some solid people watching, and whatever else suits your fancy. Ultimately, we came for the drinks and got exactly what we hoped for and more. The cocktails here are as good as you'll find anywhere, and the scene is clearly excellent too.
We came here at around 10pm on a Friday night. There was a bit of a crowd shifting around near the front of the bar which initially had us a bit worried as far as finding seats, but it turned out that most of those folks were part of a large party that got seated together. Still, we ended up getting seated in a semi-hidden back room, which felt very different than the larger, front area. Not to say that it's bad, just different. The front space felt a bit more sophisticated and grand, while the back space was quite small. That said, still high energy (thanks to -- how many times am I going to mention this -- an excellent playlist that one of the bartenders in the back created and Our Flag Means Death plays on a projector) and very quick service.
So drink-wise, it was very very hard for me not to get their house martini. It looked amazing and I'm sure it is. But, I wanted to try the most unique, weirdest-looking stuff on the menu because I get martinis everywhere I got and I'm not ready to become a creature of habit just yet. So to start, I got the
Tom Yum Punch (Paprika, Citrus. Gin, Lime, Tom Yum Soup - Milk clarified) which was wild and so good. The only drink I've had that's at all similar is the milk-clarified "caprese" from Martiny's in Manhattan, which is also exceptional. My husband started with the Road to Norumbega (Rhum, Mango, Saffron, Coconut, Lemon) which was fruity, tropical and aromatic.
For our second round, I got the Ship Captain Crew (Dandelion Bourbon, Rhum, Montenegro, Amontillado, Lemongrass, Spruce Tip, Pecan Wood Smoke) and my husband got the Foreign Exchange (Pisco, Carrot, Miso, Grains of Paradise, Lemon). The Ship Captain Crew was just outstanding. They serve half of it over a block of ice and the rest sits next to you, immersed in a smoky decanter-type thing so you can try the drink before and after to taste the difference. Pre- and post-smoke were fantastic, and the drink itself is an ideal nightcap-type cocktail for whiskey drinkers. Just rich and herbal and smoky and aromatic and earthy and all things great. The Foreign Exchange was also amazing but in a totally different way. Subtly sweet, mostly savory and umami.
And to finish, we split the Dragging Anchor (Mushroom Rum, Banana, Fino Sherry, Lime Leaf, Gentian), which was another earthy and savory drink with enough sweetness to make it well-balanced, sherry for length, banana to make it a bit tropical, and gentian for a little bitterness. Really just expert technique and creativity here and I was endlessly impressed.