Bartender Matthew Piacentini, The Beagle, New York, NY, East Village, Cocktails, Sherry, Bar, Recommendations, Where to drink, where to eat, Where to shop, Markets, Shops, Bars, Cocktails, Cocktail Bars, Best Places To Drink in NYC, Hotel Bars, Bartender’s Recs

Bar Owner’s 6 Things | New York City

Find | Shops & Markets

East Village | Dual Specialty Store

It’s like a crazy Indian spice labyrinth. It’s a really great place. 

East Village | Tinto Fino

It’s a Spanish wine shop that is out of this world. Kerin, the owner, is an encyclopedia of Spanish wines and one of the most passionate people you'll ever meet. And since they have an unparalleled sherry selection, we go there for all of our sherry research.

Upper West Side | Maya Schaper at the Columbus Flea Market

Maya used to have a store that sold cheese and antiques. She always has the most beautiful cordial glasses. They’re kind of expensive, so I usually get one or two. I got a pair of amazing fluted cordials that are huge. They’re like a foot tall and are perfect for Ramos Gin Fizzes.

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Q & A with Bar Owner Matthew Piacentini

Back in May 2011, Matthew Piacentini and Dan Greenbaum opened a small, East Village cocktail spot called The Beagle. Both had worked together at 'inoteca liquori in Murray Hill and wanted to own their own spot. “I had been trying to open a place for three years. And then a teeny little space over on Avenue A became available. It had a liquor license, which was a huge deal in the East Village. It was small enough that I could afford to build it out, which I was basically going to do myself and it had the proper dimensions. My wife actually did all the design.”

Less than one year in, they shut down, made a few cosmetic changes, reconfigured the menu to be more bar-oriented and reopened a few weeks ago. The vibe is low key with an emphasis on well-made cocktails and interesting spirits, and a sizable sherry list. “We make our own syrups, but we’re not into infusing stuff with herbs. It’s kind of about finding the very best spirit we can. It’s not a hard rule, but we really don’t like to see more than four ingredients in any one drink.”

We asked Matt to share his 6 Things... Cocktails.

Drink | Cocktails

Chelsea | Raines Law Room

It’s a great little hideaway. Meaghan Dorman is a fantastic bartender.

East Village | Gin Palace

Chaim Dauermann is a great bartender at Gin Palace. I always like to stop by after work and have one of his drinks. He plays with flavors like few others.

Midtown West | Lantern’s Keep

When I'm in Midtown, I always have to stop by Lantern's Keep at the Iroquois Hotel and have Theo Lieberman make me something strong. He is quite the wiz with the stirred stuff.

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Cocktail Recipes

- The Aircraft Carrier

Recommendations

Details of Matthew Piacentini’s  recommendations on where to drink and shop in New York City.

City Guides

- NYC | Manhattan City Guide: Download