LES’ newest cocktail bar and premiere gin-focused destination, Chin Up, officially opening on Tuesday, December 16th.
A design-forward, community-driven cocktail bar located at 171 Chrystie Street, Chin Up is built around a shared belief that gin deserves its own stage. Founders and industry veterans Brian Grummert and Blake Walker (whose experience spans some of New York’s most celebrated bars including Nitecap, Subject, Amor y Amargo) are thrilled to be introducing one of New York’s only gin focused bars, which is dedicated to highlighting both standout New York distillers and exceptional gins from around the world.
Via the cocktail menu guests will be introduced to regional nuances and unique flavor profiles of gins from around the world, with every cocktail thoughtfully crafted to let the gin shine through via balanced, bold, and often playful ingredients. Savory elements, bright citrus, subtle spices, and unexpected accents come together to create drinks that are layered, nuanced, and thoughtfully composed. From lighter twists on time-honored cocktails to bold, inventive combinations, Chin Up’s beverage program invites guests to savor gin in ways both familiar and entirely new. Standout cocktails include:
- Rendezvous in Chennai: Dorothy Parker New York gin, Madras Curry, coconut, apricot, ginger, lime
- Aquavit Old Fashioned: Aquavit, Laird’s Bonded apple brandy. Granny smith apples, wasabi, red shisho
- Saturn: Four Pillars yuzu Australian gin, guava, sunflower seed orgeat, lemon, baking spices
The food offerings are centered around elevated small plates that complement the gin-focused menu, crafted to enhance and highlight the gin-forward cocktail experience. Small plates feature bold, bright, and acidic flavors that play off the botanicals in the spirits, offering a dynamic and flavorful accompaniment to the drinks.Guests can mix and match offerings to build a full meal or simply enjoy a selection of bites.
The space’s design, which departs from the Art Deco aesthetics seen in many of New York’s latest openings, embraces a philosophy of “outside in, inside out” and draws inspiration from some of New York’s most iconic public spaces and the founders’ personal experiences. Influences include the artist Isamu Noguchi, the cave-like Gilder Center in the Museum of Natural History, and grand ceilings reminiscent of Grand Central Station, which can be seen through details such as a sky-like mural, by Ori Carino, throughout the ceiling and the natural stone like curvature walls that welcome guests at the entrance.
