Elite Event at Spirited

What a great idea… boozy desserts AND booze. This place was super cool. I loved the really swanky (think actual prohobition, non-​cookie-​cutter version) room. Great vibe and a great mosiac with their logo back there too. The drinks were made with Fernet… and delicious.
I’m sure everyone was feeling good as they were leaving… Thanks Peter D for introducing us to Spirited. I can’t wait to go back.

Once again I’m sorry. I’m writing a review a little late, but c’mon. I needed my 500^th review in the spotlight for awhile. Can you hate me? I mean for that, and not the actual good reasons to hate me.
Ahhhh, an event in my hood. Bout time. This time at Spirited, Vanderbilt Avenue’s latest gem.
Spirited is on the corner of Vanderbilt and Bergen (Yay Bergen!) It’s where the Beast used to be. I had some special moments at the Beast. That time Hank confronted Walt, the time a Zombie ate Dale, and of course the Red Wedding. Yes, lots of Sunday night television. I hope to replace those memories and more with this wonderful establishment.
The bartenders were hustling hard, which gives them ten stars in my book. Those drinks take time, but they were able to satisfy everyone in a reasonable amount of time. Plus I was there and I drink enough for four people. It was hot in there, so that hustle deserves all the credit it deserves.
The Spritz was fantastic. The cocktails here are a little bit sweeter than the ones they are based upon. This is done on purpose, so they pair well with the delicious treats.
Everyone I spoke to that night was saying the same thing, «I don’t always eat sweets…» Blah blah blah, some stuff I pretend to listen to, but it’s true. We’re Unilocalers. We eat and drink till our eyes explode. We don’t have room for dessert. I never but sweets, but when they’re in my face I devour them whole. I can’t have one brownie, get the hell out of here. One brownie? Thus, it was nice to indulge in some treats. (Unfortunately one of my student’s had to have his birthday party this past week and bring in tons of treats! Couldn’t he have changed his birthday to next month or something?)
These treats knocked you out. No joke, they knocked you out because they had some booze in them. As I mentioned, Unilocalers like drinking and food. This provided two for one.
I don’t know which was my favorite. Old Fashioned chocolate chip cookie, the brownie, dark and stormy ginger cookie, tiramisu with fernet. Too many great options.
This was one of the best events of the year and I’m not just saying that because it was in my neighborhood, which is the best neighborhood in the world. It truly was amazing.
A bunch of us capped the night off by going out and getting more drinks. Needless to say, I awoke fully clothed again.
Thank you Spirited, I shall return (I had already been there, shhhh) And thank you Peter D, please pick more things in my neck of the woods. Ooooo, Catfish next month. Me like.

It was a pleasure to attend the Unilocal event. It was kind of a spooky magical night, the moon was big the streets were windy, the cavernous space felt hallowed and halloweeny, like Morticia Adams might appear with a tray of bon bons. She didn’t, but the cubes of Tiramisu were dreamy. They paired well with the decadent Sazarac cocktail smoky strong and sweet, something to savor by a fireplace over a ruthless chess game. I sank into a comfy chair in the back room where books invited us to settle, conversations flowed easily, I was surprised when it was time to go!
To sum it up: Elegant but comfy. This is a nice combination they achieve in the space and the palate, pairing spirits and baked goods in a cavernous but cozy bar.

Spirited is definitely what you will feel after a couple of the sazarac drinks, washed down with a few more of the spritzers. Spirits were high and flowing, both from the guests as well as the bottles graciously sponsored by Diplomatico and Fernet.
Although I was unable to try the sweets, they looked amazing and received high praise from every. single. person. As a vegan, I was on a liquid diet for the night, and had no complaints whatsoever about this!
The staff was über friendly, the bar-​area was comfortable and social with just the right amount of ambient noise, the outside patio provided much needed time to cool off and relax toward the end of the night when I was sure I was sweating pure rum. Pure, delicious rum.
The lounge area deserves a review all of it’s own, but I am restricted to just this one. The lounge area is reminiscent of a 1960’s Gentleman’s Club, where you might see the social elite kicking back with some cocktails and cigars — rather than the Unilocal Elite (minus the cigars.)
Spirited is housed in the old location of The Beast, and have turned it into a sweet concoction of pastry dough, booze and good times! Thank you Peter, Unilocal and of course Spirited for your gracious hosting.

I still remember getting my official email from Peter D. Congratulating me and welcoming me to the Unilocal Elite family. I was more than excited to start a new adventure in my Unilocal experience.
And when this event came up I was more than smitten with the idea of cocktails and boozy treats! I myself have a passion for baking and especially love tossing in the liquor cabinet when I get my bake on.
I arrived a little after 7. I was greeted at the door by Peter D. himself! I got my name tag and quickly met the wonderful Unilocalers I connected with online. There were two options for cocktails, a Sazerac Del Patio or a Fernet Spritz. As soon as I heard the Fernet, I knew my choice. I got this gorgeous crafty cocktail and set my things down at one of the tables. I quickly met the very nice Michelle W. and sweet Steph C. .
The waitresses were dressed to the vintage nines and came by shortly after my arrival with a tray of the «Dark and Stormy» cookies! I am baking snob and this cookie was phenomenal! It had that perfect chewiness, one looks for in a cookie. Then came the ginger and spices kicking in. I loved it! And even today I was telling people I wish I could get my paws on the recipe! It’s the perfect fall cookie! And the Fernet cocktail was the ideal match to the spicy cookie, adding it’s own spices and licorice flavor.
The trays of treats continued to come by. I wanted to try one of everything. I tried the tiramisu, the old fashioned cookie, the cognac brownie and I fell for the «Carumbola Upside Down Cake». This was my very first star fruit dessert and the cake was incredibly moist. I was very pleased with all the desserts.
The space was a great landscape for the evening. There was warm lighting and vintage details along with a few modern touches. I personally enjoyed the back room and the foodie and cocktail books on the coffee tables. And the art in the back room was fun and whimsical.
I have already been spreading the word about this bakery/​cocktail spot. The perfect place as the leaves change and the wind blows!
Looking forward for the next adventure and meeting more Unilocalers! Thanks for the great time Spirited, Unilocal,Peter D. Fernet and Diplomatico Rum.
Kimberly Wetherell is the Baketender who will blow minds and tastebuds!

Let me start with quote overload here…
1. «spir·it·ed — full of energy, enthusiasm, and determination» — thanks, internet
2. «Have your drink, and eat it too™» — from SpiritedBrooklyn website
3. «Nothing can be achieved solo…» — from SpiritedBrooklyn website
There is a team work in this place. There is love — for spirits, for deserts, and for the craft.
There is character, too — from our beautifully dressed «baketenders» to the passionate bartenders, and the energy that can only come from the love of what they do.
The venue was beautiful — from entrance doors with elegant woodwork and wrought iron details, to the long bar, and to the charming backroom with all posh velvet curtains and old memorabilia of the times long gone. It just all came together as it meant to be.
I loved that they chose Sazerac as one of their cocktail choices — not only it is classic, but it fit theme extremely well. I opted for Fernet Spritz this time simply because I was driving and it is a lighter cocktail — and it was deliciously refreshing — cheers to Fernet Branca and Spirited creativity.
Small bite desserts were brought around non-​stop, and cookies (with booze in them, c’mon!) were plentiful. All sooo good — for someone with sweet tooth it was Willy Wonka moments of pure bliss.
Thank you to our generous hosts and Peter for this treasure discovered — Brooklyn rocks, as usual!

Prior to the Unilocal invite, I already knew about Spirited from my friends, who wanted to go here for our next girl’s date. So I was super excited for this event! I was charged with the task of scoping out the place. With great power comes great responsibility.
On the one hand, I’m bummed I couldn’t bring them, because they would have loved this event.
On the other hand, it’s just as well. Had they been in attendance with me, there would have been a lot of squealing. And grabbing (of treats). And probably some moaning (of gastronomic delight, that is). You elites don’t need to see that ish.
In this delightfully cozy bar with super chill lounge in the back (I like what they’ve done with the place!), I partook in the delights of the Spritz and Sazerac, paired with as many dainty, boozy desserts that I could handle. Mini pineapple cakes, blondies and brownies, chocolate chip and spice cookies, tiramisu, oh my! All wonderfully reinvented with different types of alcohol, which added, enhanced, or even transformed their flavors. I am loving those chocolate chip cookies. Totally craveable.
Also, shout out to the great company! I enjoyed meeting some new faces (as well as seeing some old ones). So much fun chatting with everybody. And the staff at Spirited were super friendly and gracious. Thanks Peter D. for organizing such an awesome event!

Let me start by saying that I love a good speakeasy, there’s nothing quite like drinking in a place you feel like you shouldn’t be.
It seems like all speakeasies in our city have a niche; there are speakeasies hidden above ramen shops, Hawaiian themed speakeasies in the lower east side, speakeasies in hotdog places, the list goes on and on. While this place is certainly not hidden per say (you don’t have to go through a phone booth to get in), the vibe is exactly the same as some of the most secretive and hard to find places I’ve been to. But that’s really the beauty of this place — they aren’t trying to hide anything, and they have their niche down to a tastefully baked art. My first impressions of Spirited were the classic vibes everything was giving off (I was tempted to say old timey but that sounded cheap and poorly put together, two things this speakeasy certainly are not). The venue itself was composed of two distinct parts; a front bar outfitted as a 20s era bar/​bakery (weird right?), and the «secret» back room that was more like a 20s era speakeasy — it was a perfect spot to have a drink and hide from the coppers. The bar was classic looking, the staff dressed in 20’s era clothing, the lighting fixtures were dimly lit and looked like they would fit right in at a ragtime party; this place had it all down. My overall favorite feature of the venue was the «music cabinet» in the back room; it was really old looking, and really cool (bonus points for playing the big band music).
Our hosts for this event were absolutely amazing; they greeted us kindly, and were on point all evening handing out wonderfully made drinks and ridiculously tasty baked goods. I had zero clue what to expect from a bakery/​bar, it sounded like a strange (albeit cool) mix. How pleasantly surprised I was to find baked treats that not only paired perfectly with the house drinks we were graciously supplied with, but were boozy themselves — I didn’t know it was possible to bake alcoholic cookies! The bartenders were really nice, really knowledgeable about their drinks, and REALLY good at making them. The spritzer was unique and light (the star fruit was a great touch), and the Sazerac was tasty (if a bit strong), two of these over the course of the event was enough for me to really feel them. After a while of mingling with my fellow elite (huge turnout, loads of great people), I realized I was sweating and stepped out to get away for a few. I was happily surprised by a small seating area hidden beside the doorway where I spent the rest of the evening with a few spritzers, chatting with a small group. Great ending to a great event; thanks again to the folks at Spirited I can’t wait to bring more people to this great new spot.
Huge shout out to Peter D and the Brooklyn crew, another great spot we may never have found without his expert guidance.

Diabetes never tasted so sweet.
So, this is what this place is, eh? I passed in front of Spirited a couple of times recently, and was curious about what it was. A bar? A restaurant? Turns out, it’s a cocktail place where you can «have your drink, and eat it too!»
The drinks featured Fernet Branca and Diplomatico rum in the form of a Spritz and a Sazerac, respectively. As the very knowledgeable bartender explained to me, Diplomatico is a bit sweeter than your average rum, and aniseed in Fernet Branca nicely balances the herbaceous notes with a sweet aftertaste.
The desserts came in various forms: from the Old Fashioned and dark & Stormy cookies, to the Carambola upsidedown cake, to the Brenne brûlée, to Rum & Sorrel chocolate brownie.
Also, extra points for the staff for not only being extremely nice, but also for looking absolutely fabulous in their retro look, channeling a bit of prohibition era charm in the speakeasy theme of the place. Very cool.

+++
— Shortbread and starfruit
— Brownie with the currants
— Bartenders were dedicated to making their drinks despite the early crowds (Sometimes bartenders may slack off the artistry in order to push out more product, but not these guys, and I appreciate that)
++
— Small intimate affair and not the type where everyone is jostling for a position around the food
— A Unilocal dessert party… What will they think of next
— People at Unilocal parties are always fun
+
— Tiramisu
— First Unilocal after party I’ve ever attended
— Im not familiar with old man drinks like Sazerac and spritzers, but they were good
-
— Started off slow, but picked up once desserts were served

Waking up a little late today due to the fact that I was in a diabetic coma… or maybe we can blame it on the a a a a a alchohol.
As much as I would love to be «that girl» who is cool and knocks back bourbon, I sadly am not. The rum version of the sazarac was great for me — so good (sooooo strong!). I did have to switch to the spritz after one though — I know there were lots of cooking utensils around but I don’t think there was a spatula big enough to scrape me off the floor if I had another.
Loved the vibe of the bar — the dark wood and lighting was dreamy. The little kitchen area was cute and the desserts coming out of there were amazing. I loved the pineapple upside down cake the most.
Now excuse me while I get my foot amputated (ok maybe the last diabetes joke was a little too much?)

I’m not one to mix sweets and alcohol, so I was a bit nervous about what was in store. I walked past the venue, thinking, «This is Beast!» But I was way out of the loop and a few months behind.
The atmosphere is a lounge vibe with with a roaring 20’s flare. The servers dress in flapper style attire. The tufted red leather seats, Tiffany style lamps, cocktail books like «Tequila Mockingbird» provide a relaxing atmosphere. And the music was perfectly jazzy.
The pineapple upside down cake was my favorite. Not too sweet to overwhelm the cocktails. My favorite cocktail was the fernet spritzer. It’s definitely something that I will add to my list.
The intimate environment provided for great conversation with old and new faces. Thanks to the Unilocal Brooklyn crew and Spirited for hosting a wonderful night. Good times.

I was super excited for this event since I don’t really eat many dessert items… totally my fault since my taste buds generally prefer savory food items… but I’ve also heard fantastic things about Spirited and the commute from my office wasn’t too painful.
Spirited is the perfect name for this place as it’s classy, kind of quaint and yet jovial in how it’s a bar that is conducive to conversation and also lends itself to feelings of warm nostalgia (at least their backroom does, it’s beautiful).
Last night was awesome as we got to sample a fantastic selection of their baked goods. The winners of the night for me were easily the Old Fashioned chocolate chip (which is one of my all-​time faaaaavorite cocktails! ACK!!) cookies, the cognac brownies and the tiramisu blocks, even if they were more solid than I would normally go for.
All of the desserts were loaded with spirits (Bwhahaha. Pun intended) and I felt like if I ate a bowl of the «Dark & Stormy» cookies I would probably fail a sobriety test, lol. It was my least favorite cookie because I felt like the ginger was too much for me, but my friend enjoyed it and places that cater to different tastes are always a plus.
The two cocktails were both delightfully mixed but my preference was the Fernet Spritz which had a light flavor with a nice contrast thanks to the Fernet and the bitters. The second cocktail, the Sazerac del Patio, was a little stronger and more heavy tasting than I wanted to engage in for a Monday night.
Thank you to Unilocal,the friendly folks at Spirited and Peter D. for executing another awesome Unilocal Elite event! 2 thumbs (or pinkies!) up!

Talk about a bittersweet experience — not in quality, mind, but the bitters and sweets abounded tonight.
When it comes to ambiance, the speakeasy vibe is easily my favorite, and Spirited nails it, TWICE. The front bar is warm and inviting, featuring brick walls, some very unique (in a good way!) lighting choices, and friendly staff. Once I was clued into the existence of the back room was where things got –cool-​. Darker, more intimate, and suggesting secrets and whispers; I was all about it.
Complimentary drinks: Honestly, when I drink cocktails, I totally go for the fruity, sweet drinks that would get me laughed at by my «bros.» These are definitely not those drinks, and as such, they put me a bit out of my comfort zone. The Sazerac Del Patio and Fernet Spritz were the drinks of the night, and boy did they pack a punch! Despite being not to my usual taste, they were both quite good, and paired well with the desserts, so no complaints here!
Speaking of desserts, BOY OH BOY. Minor tragedy that the whiskey peach pie wasn’t on the menu for the night, but I guess I’ll have to come back. Still, what they were putting out was on POINT. My favorite was the old fashioned chocolate chip cookie — «old fashioned» meaning that the recipe was based on the cocktail of the same name. There were a lot of flavors going on, but I thought it really worked! I could eat those way more often than I should. The other winner was this sort of starfruit upside-​down cake, the proper name of which I didn’t catch. Something involving rum, but the point is, they were darn tasty. I didn’t quite enjoy the dark and stormy cookies as much, the flavor balance seemed a bit, well, too stormy.
All told, I’m bookmarking this place and bringing the sweetheart around for a proper review. It’s too good not to return to!

This place is sweeeeeeet!!!
Booze and baked goodies, what more can I ask for???
The spot was cozy. The area wasn’t too big, so this was a nice event to talk to fellow Unilocalers.
The drinks were interesting. The desserts were delicious. My favorite is the carambola upside down cake. It was the right amount of sweetness and the cake was moist. I will definitely return to check out what other goodies they have.
Thank you so much to Spirited, Kimberly for the spectacular desserts, the bartenders for the wonderful drinks, the servers, Peter D and Unilocal staff for setting this up!!!

I’m pretty sure I’m still coming out of a sugar coma or diabetic shock but it was so worth it! Beautiful space. I’ve actually always wanted to go inside of here from what Spirited used to be before but never had the opportunity. Loved the backroom with the old fashioned music box, couches, lampshades out of the Victorian era. I’m having an Avonlea or Dr. Quinn Medicine woman (take your pick of horrible period tv shows) moment but with booze. I preferred the Fernet Spritz to the Sazerac del Patio only because it was less strong. I’ve actually never had anything with fernet. But its interesting. Slightly bitter but it grows on you. Being described as an aromatic spirit or bitter that tastes of myrrh, rubarb, chamomile, cardamom, aloe, and saffron. You can also mix it into coffee. So I will be keeping my eye on this one for the future.
Deserts infused with alcohol are always a genius idea. Especially rum or bourbon. I feel you can mix those two into EVERYTHING. We were presented with tiramisu, blondies with cranberries, dark chocolate brownies with soaked raisins, rum infused bittersweet chocolate cake with a sorel filling, old fashioned chocolate chip cookies (that were my personal favorite) and tasted of a lemon-​orange hint with bourbon brown sugar, super spicy dark n’ stormy cookies, starfruit cake. SO MUCH SUGAR! I’d definitely pop in some time in the future though to try one of their many unique sounding cocktails and a desert. Maybe just not like 50 of them this time. Thanks so much Peter D. for another awesome event!

My first Elite Only event and I had an awesome time! Greeted by the wonderful Peter D., got my sticker and went on my way to mingle.
Unfortunately, I had to drive so no drinks for me but I heard they were great. Kimberly (baker of delicious taste) was super nice along with Christine and the other girls bringing around the goods. I even bought one of the items, the cranberry Blondie yummy deliciousness as a treat for the bf.
I met some fellow Unilocalers and had a great time chatting! Looking forward to a future event! :)
I heart Unilocal :)

I am not a sweets girl. If i have a craving, it is often for a burger, or mac and cheese or chinese. That being said, if someone puts a cookie in front of me, I will most certainly enjoy it. Last night, they not only waved baked goods under my nose but they combined those sweets with booze!
The sign outside said «You can have your drink and eat it too.» A little boy walked by with his mom and said, that doesn’t seem right. Just wait until you’re allowed inside Spirited, kid. Even the doorway is reminiscent of a era when people cared about building design in a small brooklyn neighborhood. A bar lines one wall and the sweets station is located toward the back. The lighting is dark and comforting. There is a fantastic room behind the bakery filled with leather benches, cozy corners and a singular red leather chair. It is the perfect spot to enjoy a quiet night with a significant other or meet a few friends.
Obviously we are really here to talk about two things. First, the drinks. The choices were beyond unique. I began with the sezarac which smells amazing and tastes very strong. I quickly realized if I got another one, my walk home would be hindered. I transitioned to the spritzer. It is handed to you as a layered drink topped with a star fruit. Grab a straw and mix that bad boy up. The flavors mix perfectly into an amazing cocktail. A+ work on those drinks!
The evening spotlight was dominated by the desserts. Wave after wave of sugary bites were introduced to my system and all were baked with alcohol. I was in love with the Rum «upsidedown» cakes and the cookies, both the old fashioned and the dark and stormy. Every single thing I sampled had a great mix of ingredients and subtle hints of whatever alcohol accompanied it. We were even told that she is able to cook everything at a low enough temperature that the alcohol doesn’t cook out in the process.
Unilocal did it again. Another fantastic venue was introduced to us last night. It is a very specific business (bar and bakery) but brilliant! Thanks Peter for the great event!

Alright, I’m just going to get this pun out of the way — the Elite event at Spirited was sweet!
Between the cocktails and the many delicious desserts, there was a ton to love for those with a sweet tooth (or I guess an alcohol tooth).
The desserts were inventive and boozy (both good things!). I loved the Dark & Stormy cookies (so delightfully spicy!). The Buzzed Brown Butter Blondies were decadently rich and delicious. There was also something reminiscent of a tiramisu that was also pretty good, but I didn’t get the name of that one.
The back room of the place was also cool. Both literally and figuratively.
And to add to the scavenger hunt of «tchotchkes I never thought I’d get from Unilocal», I went home with a nail file.
Thanks to Pete for organizing, Fernet and Diplomatico for the booze, and the wonderful staff and chefs at Spirited for hosting us!

My second Brooklyn YEE and the timing couldn’t be any better! I am totally experiencing Disney World withdrawal that includes a diet consisting of 97% sugar and fat. Lucky for me, this event featured incredible sweets that allowed me to indulge for just a bit longer. Also, having spent the first day back staring at my sky high desk piled with cases, the cocktails were very much welcome and needed.
The boozy treats offered were plentiful and included old fashioned cookies, super rich brownie, blondie and tiramisu bites and my favorite — the most delectable starfruit sponge cake infused with diplomatico and drizzled with honey. Sinful!
The two featured drinks were the Sazerac Del Patio and Fernet Sprintz. I took whatever the bartender put in front of me, which happened to be the Fernet Sprintz. Bitter spirits are not normally my speed but this cocktail was most excellent. If I wasn’t such a lightweight, I’d have got another. To my credit, these cocktails were super strong!
Spirited is an absolutely beautiful and classy space (with a super intimate back room, too) and somewhere I would venture back to for a low key evening with girlfriends, probably after Chuko, which I have yet to try! I would also come back for any and all of those sweets — they were all amazing.
Thanks Peter, Fernet Branca, Diplomatico and Spirited for having me! It was a wonderful time. I got to meet some of the power elites too. Hey heey!