Foodstuffs: Spirited Fun, Paella Party and a New Opening

Master Distillers Spill Their Spirits Secrets

The Express Magazine’s three-part Sips of Summer series concludes with “Craft Spirits From Master Distillers,” an event at Sagaponack Farm Distillery on Thursday, July 27, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Join the team from The Express Magazine along with representatives of Matchbook Distilling Company, Sagaponack Distillery and Twisted Cow Distillery for a festive afternoon of spirits tasting and live music with Nancy Atlas and Inda Eaton.

With the opening of the Sagaponack Distillery in 2019, and the continued emergence of locally produced spirits such as gin, vodka and even single-malt whiskey, the East End has emerged with a burgeoning agritourism industry around beverages. This event will feature some of those spirits created on Long Island with a tasting featuring three different distilleries.

Tickets are $40 at eventbrite.com, which includes a flight from each distillery, light bites and a live music performance. Additional beverages will be available for purchase at the bar.

Two of the East End’s most popular musicians, Nancy Atlas and Inda Eaton, will make an appearance with a rare duo performance to close out the event. Spirits tastings will begin at 4:30 p.m. and continue until the end of the event. Atlas and Eaton will perform toward the end of the evening. The Sips of Summer event ends at 6:30 p.m. Sagaponack Farm Distillery is at 369 Sagg Road, Sagaponack.

A Paella Party at The Hampton Maid

On Sunday, August 6, from 6 to 8 p.m., The Hampton Maid, Hampton Bays’ leading boutique hotel, and its onsite restaurant, R.Aire are hosting another signature summer Paella Party, this time al fresco on the great lawn served buffet style with live music by Ricky Castillo.

The dinner menu includes crisp salad, jamon and pan tumaca, grilled Spanish sausages and meat, and seafood paella. A gelato station will also be included. A full cash bar will be available. The event is outdoors, weather permitting, and will be held in the restaurant in case of rain. Tickets are priced at $85 per person, including gratuity. Children 12 and under are $25 per person.

The pool bar is officially open for the summer season, daily from 2 to 6 p.m. through Labor Day Weekend. The new menu offers a variety of delicious bites, such as crudo of the day, lobster roll, R.Aire burger, oysters and clams from the raw bar, among other bites and cocktails from the hotel bar.

Additionally, The Hampton Maid recently began offering free family-friendly movie nights every Friday on the great lawn. Screenings are available only to hotel guests and are complimentary.

The Hampton Maid, a casual luxury resort set on 13 acres that’s been run by the same family since 1959, boasts 29 rooms and 8 hilltop suites. The Hampton Maid serves breakfast and brunch daily, 8 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. R.Aire dinner service begins at 5 p.m. The Hampton Maid is at 259 East Montauk Highway, Hampton Bays. For more information, visit hamptonmaid.com.

Maison Close Montauk Is Open

In the early morning hours of Friday, May 26, a large fire destroyed the barn-like waterfront restaurant building on East Lake Drive in Montauk that for years was home to Rick’s Crabby Cowboy Café. The fire broke out the night before the new restaurant, Maison Close Montauk, was slated to open in the space.

But now, the restaurant has reopened and Maison Close Montauk is up and running, transporting the iconic vibe dining experience that originated in its SoHo location to the East End with an al fresco flair. The distinctive outdoor dining concept features dock and dine slips for boaters and a luxurious lounge area for guests to soak up the sun and enjoy sunset vibes on the water.

Helmed by executive chef Geoffrey Lechantoux, the waterfront bistro offers a menu of sophisticated yet accessible dishes with a festival-style dining experience. Dining is all outdoors, complete with seated tables, beds and lounges as well as a full bar.

“We are looking forward to opening and finally sharing the Maison Close experience with our customers soon,” says Cole Bernard, partner at Maison Close. “It’s been a team effort to get closer to the finish line with a lot of long hours and hard work to rebuild.

“We want to make sure that we thank the Montauk community, our neighbors, and all the local, county and state authorities for helping us bring this incredible experience out East.”

Maison Close Montauk is open for outdoor service from Thursday to Sunday from 12:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at 435 East Lake Drive, Montauk. For reservations, contact montauk@maisoncloserestaurant.com.

Farmers Market in Bridgehampton

East End Farmers Market at The Bridgehampton Museum takes place every Thursday from 3 to 6 p.m. at The William Corwith house, across from the Candy Kitchen through September. The market offers a range of vendors selling produce and merchandise, including Marilee’s Farmstand, Mattituck Mushrooms, Newlight Breadworks and Sylvester Manor, among others. For more information, visit bhmuseum.org or eastendfarmersmarket.com.

Molecular Spirits

Linden Leaf, the Cambridge, U.K.-based distiller that handcrafts ultra-premium organic spirits at the molecular level, has launched on the East End. The distiller’s 88 Organic Molecular Gin and Singularity Organic Molecular Vodka are now available in Montauk at The Surf Lodge, and in Sag Harbor at Sag Harbor Kitchen on Bay Street and The Green Room at Sag Harbor Cinema.

The pursuit of flavorful spirits has now reached the molecular level. Linden Leaf’s founders, two of whom have science Ph.D.s from Cambridge University, have a near-obsessive passion for food, regularly traveling the world to seek out new culinary and flavor experiences.

Immersed in many of the world’s most unique flavors, their curiosity got them wondering — what made their favorite foods and drinks taste the way they did? For example, could they determine what makes a fresh, ripe orange taste really “orangey” (hint: it’s the thinnest 2 mm of the outer layer of the peel, not the juicy pulp) and, conversely, are there components in that orange that actually make it taste less orangey? Not to mention which of the over 400 varieties of orange deliver the best taste experience? (It’s one produced by a single farm in Spain). And, how do other properties, like mouthfeel, affect flavor?

After experimenting with countless botanicals — all organic and GMO-free — and scientific techniques to extract specific molecules (and rallying hundreds of friends and family as flavor and aroma testers), Linden Leaf’s founders developed a way to identify the exact molecules in each ingredient. In the process, they also discovered which of these different botanical molecules worked in perfect harmony with each other and which clearly did not, including which worked best with juniper. They call this “Molecular Craftsmanship,” which is the key to Linden Leaf’s unique, perfectly balanced flavor experience.

“Admittedly, we opened up a scientific Pandora’s box when we started chasing exactly which molecules made our favorite food and drink taste the way it did,” explained Matthew Webster, one of Linden Leaf’s founding members, along with Mukund Unavane and Paul Bennett. “But countless experiments and testing led us to the holy grail: a Molecular Flavor Atlas, which we use to create what I believe are the most harmonious, flavorful spirits possible.”

The first practical application of Linden Leaf’s molecular craftmanship theory was the founders’ shared favorite spirit: gin, a product historically rich in taste but often lacking in subtle flavor and aroma qualities. Using what they learned through literally thousands of sample tastings, Linden Leaf created 88 Organic Molecular Gin, which features 88 separate flavor molecule notes from 28 botanicals, where the complex flavors and aromas complement each other, unfolding sip after sip. Gin 88 botanicals include: yuzu, calamansi and grains of paradise, all built around a core of subtle, organic juniper

One of the greatest challenges for Linden Leaf was how to use the molecular principals to create a supremely sippable vodka. The result is Singularity Organic Molecular Vodka with a base alcohol made from a blend of organic/non-GMO modern grains like wheat, barley and rye and ancient grains like spelt. The final blend delivers a velvety mouthfeel devoid of harsh alcohol burn — precisely what you want when drinking vodka straight or on the rocks.

Linden Leaf is distributed in New York and Florida by Park Street, Colorado by Culture Beverage and is exploring expansion nationwide. In the meantime check out their new releases at The Surf Lodge, Sag Harbor Kitchen and The Green Room.

A Drink That Tastes Like Summer

Feeling like a dose of true summer energy? Hop on the ferry to Shelter Island and take a seat on The Terrace, The Pridwin’s water-view restaurant and bar, where indoor seating spills out to the deck, and each seat commands spectacular views over Crescent Beach with refreshing breezes. Welcoming guests to Shelter Island since 1927, The Pridwin (81 Shore Road, Shelter Island, caperesorts.com/pridwin) recently underwent a two year top-to-bottom renovation by Cape Resorts and the Petry family. True to The Pridwin tradition, this reimagined restaurant serves classic Long Island food and drink — with a focus on high-quality ingredients sourced from local farms and makers.

And speaking of drinks, The Pridwin is currently serving up “Not Your Everyday Caprese,” a savory tomato cocktail that’s perfect for the season. Want to try making it at home? Here’s the recipe:

Not Your Everyday Caprese

Created by The Terrace Bar Manager, Gillian Georges

Ingredients:

Muddled ripe summer tomatoes, roughly chopped

Muddled fresh garden basil

2 oz London Dry Gin

.5 oz lemon

.5 oz Demerara syrup

.25 oz Sherry vinegar

Preparation:

Add to cocktail shaker; shake vigorously with large ice cube

Add 2 dashes of angostura bitters

Serve in a Collins glass, topped with a splash of soda

Garnish: Muddled basil and fresh cherry tomato, Sherry vinegar