Northshore Magazine

Northshore December 2018

Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.

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104 BRINE 25 State St, Newburyport 978-358-8479 brineoyster.com THE N. 35 I N G R E D I E N T S 1 oz. Bourbon 1 oz. Calvados 1/2 oz. Local honey 1/2 oz. Unsweetened pomegranate juice 1/4 oz. Fresh lemon juice D I R E C T I O N S Shake all ingredients together, serve up with an orange twist. Brine NEWBURYPORT Like her counterpart at Short & Main, Shelley Goff started her bartending career at a much more dive-y place than where she is now. She worked at Daisy Buchanan's on Newbury Street at the age of 17. ey didn't ask her age; this was old-school. In between there and here, she worked at different bars in Brooklyn. Also like Manalo, Goff went to school for journal- ism, and believes it must be that these writers turned mixologists are like-minded: ey're independent and good at talking to people, and they don't like to be told what to do. At Brine in Newburyport, where Goff has been manager for 18 months, she makes everything in-house, including infusions like the shrub. At Brine, bartenders don't mess with cocktail names, partly because they got too racy. "I personally love not having to name cocktails," says Goff. "e references can be too obscure, or, worse, no one is going to get the joke." At the white marble bar under cool indus- trial light fixtures, I sample the No. 35, a boozy drink made with Daron Calvados, which is a French apple brandy, bourbon, pomegranate, raw local honey, and apple-sage bitters. e No. 47 is the perfect December drink, and goes down too easy; it's made with a spiced orange shrub that includes apple cider vinegar, Dea- con Giles spiced rum from Salem, maple syrup, and ginger beer. For Goff, the key to a good cocktail is bal- ance. e restaurant's focus on oysters, crudo, and chops keeps the place honest and inti- mate when you belly up to the small bar for a drink. "If it's going with oysters, nothing can be too heavy or sweet, or too strong or cloy- ing," says Goff. "It cannot overpower delicate fish or caviar." e bar world is increasingly reflecting the restaurant world, says Goff, by thinking more about sustainability and being more locally focused. "People have realized that you can make your own infusions. Most markets have their own local liquor now. It went from a gin and tonic and now you see things on Insta- gram that make you think: 'What, how long did it take you to make that one drink?'" Her advice to someone who wants to bartend? "Don't go to bartending school. Get a job in a restaurant, whatever job they'll give to you. ey'll never hire bartenders who have no experience. Start barbacking. Some bartenders get their jobs because they are the only front- of-house person who showed up."

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