Jeremy Goldberg, owner of Essex Junction Craft Kitchen & Bar in Bloomfield, names cocktails for “Local Legends” such as Stephen Colbert, Chelsea Handler and Queen Latifah. Every time an Essex Junction patron orders one of these drinks and posts and tags it on social media, Goldberg donates 50 percent of the proceeds, which amounts to about $2.25 per post, to the Bloomfield Educational Foundation (BEF).
The BEF funds programs throughout the Bloomfield school system. If the Local Legend him or herself shares the post–something that hasn’t happened yet, but could at any moment–Goldberg donates an additional $50 to the fund.
Earlier this April, a few months after the restaurant opened, Goldberg presented the BEF with the first Local Legend check, for $175. The presentation is part of an end-of-month public event at Essex Junction that kicks off the next month’s drive with 10 percent of the proceeds from the evening’s Local Legends cocktail sales.
“I’m excited to think about how much will be raised over the course of a year,” says Goldberg, who grew up in nearby North Caldwell.
The cocktail that honors Colbert–who hosts The Late Show on CBS and lives in Montclair, one town west of Bloomfield–was originally called the Colbert Bump. It was created in 2009 on the wicked wit’s former show, The Colbert Report, by author and mixologist David Wondrich to toast the much-noted bump in popularity or name recognition that guests enjoy following an appearance on the show.
The cocktail is a mixture of Heering cherry liqueur, gin, lemon juice and club soda.
“It’s awesome,” says Goldberg. “It would be amazing if one day Stephen Colbert came in and drank a Stephen Colbert and posted about it.”
The Chelsea Handler–named for the comedian, actress, writer, producer and Livingston native–is made from cucumber slices and raspberries muddled with vodka and lime juice. It is one of Goldberg’s personal favorites and a popular choice among his customers.
“People have really taken to shouting out to her and telling her they are drinking her drink,” he says.
Other Local Legend drinks are named for actors Ian Ziering, of West Orange, and Kevin Smith, who was born in Red Bank, and celebrity chef Tom Colicchio.
The great New Jersey Devils defenseman, Ken Daneyko, who won three Stanley Cups with team before having his number retired and becoming one of its broadcasters, has a drink named for him as well. The irony is that Daneyko, who has publicly discussed his struggle to overcome alcoholism during his playing years, would never order a Ken Daneyko, unless it was a virgin Daneyko.
For Goldberg, who says he “has always been big into volunteering with kids,” the Local Legends program is “a way to bring lots of people together to be part of giving back to something good.”
The Chelsea Handler Cocktail at Essex Junction.
The Chelsea Handler
From Essex Junction Craft Kitchen and Bar
2 ounces cucumber
2 ounces raspberries
2 ounces Finlandia Vodka
1 tablespoon lime juice
4 1/2 teaspoons simple syrup
Two dashes lavender bitters
Muddle together the cucumber and raspberries. Add the vodka, lime juice, syrup and bitters. Shake and double strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a cucumber wheel.
Essex Junction Craft Kitchen & Bar
90 Washington Street, Bloomfield
973-680-8110
thejunctionusa.com
Bloomfield Educational Foundation
bloomfieldeducationalfoundation.org