Two bartenders from bitters cocktails destination Amor y Amargo have opened another little East Village bar — this time, with a focus on cocktails with tea. Blue Quarter opened to the public on Tuesday, housed inside longtime Middle Eastern restaurant Local 92 at 92 Second Ave. between East 5th and East 6th streets.
It’s run by Max Green, with some help from Sother Teague, both bartenders behind popular standing room-only East Village bar Amor y Amargo. The two also were involved with East Village empire builder Ravi DeRossi’s shuttered nonprofit bar Coup.
At Blue Quarter, Green pivots from bitters to tea cocktails. One called Unfinished Story incorporates matcha, coconut, lime oil, and tequila, while a Soon to Ripen includes earl grey tea, coconut water, paprika, and scotch. Black tea and mint tea also make appearances, and one drink arrives in a vintage tea pot. All of the nine cocktails are $15, and a few wines and beers round out the drinks.
Local 92 opened in 2013, and Israeli chef Shai Zvibak has been serving hummus, salads, shakshuka, and other Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dishes since then. Prior to Blue Quarter’s opening, the space was extra and sometimes used for storage. The new bar, which has an aesthetic inspired by the Mediterranean, is now marked by a blue, keyhole-shaped door and sits 18 people.
Blue Quarter is now open Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 5 p.m. to 12 a.m. and on Friday and Saturday from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. Take a look at the full menu below.
Blue Quarter Menu by Eater NY on Scribd