First Glass: Winter Sportswear at Broken Shaker NYC

Summer tends to produce fun, tropical-themed bars in the middle of New York, and this year the city picked up an outpost of one of the best in the world: Broken Shaker. The Miami bar has been one of the crowning achievement’s of the burgeoning Freehand Hotel chain, and when it headed to New York this year it took one of its top bartenders with it. Yolanda ‘Yoly’ Baez joined Broken Shaker Miami in 2015 and within her first year became one of the lead bartenders —an impressive feat considering it was named one of the The World’s 50 Best Bars several years in a row. Since then, she’s competed in numerous bartending competitions where she established herself as one of the best in Miami. This year, the San Juan native traded her sunny climate in favor of a buzzing New York summer, and to our benefit, she’s brought those good Miami vibes with her.

[Yolanda ‘Yoly’ Baez]

The Winter Sportswear cocktail also brings a little of Miami to New York. With a quirky presentation and a refreshing taste made for nights at a rooftop bar, it’s already become a favorite at Broken Shaker. “This cocktail was the very first recipe created in Miami for the New York menu, which we tested during a pop-up at Art Basel last year,” Yoly recalls. “The decision to use a variety of garden herbs for the shrub came from the fact that we could hand pick them from our very own backyard garden at the Broken Shaker Miami. Now in NYC, we are so excited to offer this “taste” of Miami served over crushed ice.” No need to head down south when New Yorkers now have Yoly, some shrubbed-out tequila, and a skyline view to boot.

Winter Sportswear

1oz. Don Julio Blanco Tequila
.5oz Ilegal Mezcal
1oz Garden Shrub
3 dash Grapefruit bitters
Top with Soda water

Combine all ingredients and whip shake, pour into a Turkish collins glass, add crushed ice, garnish with a “glamour shot” and a shaker green leaf swizzle.

[Photos: Yumi Matsuo for A Hotel Life]