New Jersey bars and restaurants—you know, the ones that have worked hard to stay open during a pandemic—are coming through with cocktails to go. And by “cocktails to go,” of course, we mean cocktail kits, as pre-mixed ones are currently illegal in the state of New Jersey—though a bill (S2413) from Senator Vin Gopal set for a vote on May 14 looks to change that, allowing bars and restaurants to sell pre-made drinks in containers no larger than 16 ounces. (The owner of The Grand Tavern in Neptune City is rallying the community and pushing for the bill’s passage.)
Don’t worry, the kits and recipes are all relatively simple, revolving around a bottle of the featured liquor, with additional ingredients like fresh juice, bitters or a liqueur, and/or a garnish. Here’s six places in New Jersey where you can get cocktail kits to go.
—It should come as no shock that Summit House in Summit—home of the hand-carved (machete-carved) cocktail ice cube—is doing a solid to-go cocktail program. The menu includes four cocktails, with complete kit cocktail options like the Mexican Daisy, the Summit House version of a margarita with Avion Tequila and a lime hibiscus cordial and something called “daisy salt” for the rim. Prices range from $45 (for 6) to $80 (for 12).
—Talula’s in Asbury Park is doing $40 at-home kits of its Infante cocktail, featuring tequila, orgeat, nutmeg and lime. They’re also doing their Gin & Jam cocktail, which is fruity and sharp and summer-perfect as it sounds, though that one seems to sell out fast.
—Low Fidelity in Jersey City has been serving their Detroit-style pizza for takeout from the beginning of the pandemic. They also have cocktail kits available, so you can make a Manhattan, old-fashioned, daiquiri, margarita or negroni yourself. Prices range from $45 for daiquiris to $100 for a week’s worth of negronis.
—Beachwood at the Dunes in Sea Isle City has one of the biggest selections of nice, springy cocktails we’ve seen. Their margarita gets a hibiscus treatment with the addition of a tart, fresh, lemon-lime hibiscus simple syrup and they’ve got a strawberry mojito made with strawberry-mint simple syrup, fresh strawberries and mint. The Pineapple Martini kit comes with a bottle of Kettle One and a container of fresh pineapple juice, plus caramelized pineapple for garnish. Kits costs between $30–$35, and make four to five drinks.
—The Irving Inn Social in Rahway is open Wednesday through Sunday for pick-up and delivery, and while they’re doing really decent beer and wine lists, the cocktail kits look like genuine fun. On Facebook they mention drinks like Knob Creek old-fashioneds, jalapeño-pineapple margaritas, mai tais, and Aviations, a classic cocktail made with gin, maraschino liqueur, and crème de violette.
—You can’t spell “Barcade” without “bar,” so no shock that after getting back to business, the much-beloved Barcade in Jersey City added a short-but-sweet cocktail kit list to its to-go menu. There’s the Blue Jersey Mule (Claremont Blueberry Vodka, ginger beer and lime juice), the Rutgers Sour (Silk City Bourbon, fresh lemo, and simple syrup), and the Jungle Bird (rum, Campari, lime and pineapple). The kits are $15, but it’s enough for two drinks. The Newark location will be adding cocktails to its to-go menu this week.