Profile

How is Sasha Petraske’s White Star different from his trendsetting Milk & Honey, the singularly genteel bar that ignited New York’s current cocktail craze? For one thing, the rehabbed KingSize space is what co-owner Petraske calls a sipping spirits bar, with a selection of scotches, tequilas, beer, and wine, and a particular emphasis on amari and the newly popular (and legal) absinthe. For another, it marks Petraske’s personal return to bartending, after prolonged sojourns in the wilds of cocktail consulting. Fans will recognize signature touches, like the cozy leather booths, but White Star, named for a type of Moroccan light fixture, is something of a departure for Petraske: no table service, no shakers, no juice (you’ll still be able to procure a gin-and-tonic or scotch-and-soda, not to mention the Hemingway-inspired Champagne-and-absinthe cocktail called Death in the Afternoon). Instead, he hopes to revive two Continental rituals: the aperitif and traditional absinthe service, occasionally using a set of the single-serve see-saw absinthe fountains called auto verseurs. — Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld

Related Stories

Featured In

• Eat Cheap 2009: The Best Cocktails for $8 or Less (7/20/09)
• Adam Platt's Where to Eat 2009 (1/5/09)
• Restaurant Openings: Pomegranate and White Star (8/25/08)