Aureole - Wine & Spirits Magazine

Restaurant Review

Aureole

by jlindenmuth • May 18, 2011

Aureole was never known for its cocktails, but with the cocktail Renaissance in full swing, even Upper East Side stalwarts like Charlie Palmer’s flagship restaurant are now offering mixed drinks that tempt a detour from the wine list. Mixologist Ektoras Binikos peppers the summer cocktail list with fresh flavors and seasonal ingredients that mimic the dining menu; in fact, Aureole offers a five-course tasting menu paired with his cocktail creations ($150). For summer, Binikos reaches for the white goods-not just vodka, but rum, pisco and gin-then punctuates the spirits with fresh mint and bright citrus like yuzu and verjus. “I also use a lot of figs because growing up in Greece, that was the summer fruit. And fresh herbs like verbena also find their place in the cocktails,” says Binikos. His Valparaiso cocktail is reminiscent of a mojito, but it’s more aromatic with Aba pisco from Chile. Served in a thirst-quenching portion, this drink gives pinot grigio some serious competition when the heat is on

Restaurant Info

34 East 61st St., Manhattan, New York

New American

212-319-1660

charliepalmer.com/aureole-new-york

Valparaiso

Ektoras Binikos, Aureole NYC

Ingredients

1-5 mint leaves
2-3 drop of orange bitters
1½ oz Aba Pisco
½ oz fig purée
½ oz fresh lime juice
1 oz verjus

Instructions

In a mixing glass, muddle the mint leaves with the bitters. Add ice and remaining ingredients and shake thoroughly. Strain into a highball glass over fresh ice.

This story appears in the print issue of June 2010.
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TAGS New American New York New York City Restaurant

David Paradela
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David joined Wine & Spirits in 2021 after immersing himself in the world of wine at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally from Boston, he graduated from Boston University with a degree in English and completed a master’s degree in Publishing and Writing from Emerson College in 2021. Prior to working at the magazine, he served as an editor and staff writer for the music blog Sound of Boston and worked in scientific publishing. Aside from wine, he loves basketball, arguing about Taylor Swift’s best album, and everything Greta Gerwig touches.

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Corey Warren moved to New York in 2015—fifteen years too late to join The Strokes—after earning a degree at Cornell in Comparative Literature. He started polishing glasses at Betony and threw himself into the restaurant world. Later, while a captain at Aquavit, he began working part time in the Wine & Spirits tasting department. Now, in addition to running tastings, he serves as critic for the wines of the Loire, Southern France, Argentina and South Africa. Corey likes almost anything bubbly, from Miller High Life, the Champagne of beers, to Champagne, the Champagne of Champagne, but he’ll drink anything once, and loves finding unique wines.

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