ARTPOP
Sizzling Stylish Summer Cocktails, One Chill Spill for Hot August Nights
By Lori Simmons Zelenko
Photos by Kimberly Cecchini
Leonardo DiCaprio lives across the street; he’s rumored to be a regular, a night owl but nobody really knows for sure. Tyra Banks prefers power breakfasts. Nicki Minaj and her bodyguards pop in whenever they’re in town. Yet with all this available star power, the bartending crew at Conrad New York’s Loopy Doopy Rooftop Bar and its rainy day/cold weather alternate, Atrio Wine Bar (the men and women who have put these drinking destinations at the top of the list of downtown hot spots) choose to compare themselves to Danny Ocean’s crew. They liken themselves to the skilled group of pros that consider every night to be a caper; for them tending bar is as much fun as pulling off a casino heist (on the big screen).
Laughter, exceptional skill, witty exchanges, team leaders with the élan of Brad Pitt and George Clooney… this skilled group of mixologists is nearly criminal they’re so cool, stylish and impeccably efficient. So even if no one is robbing the Bellagio, this Oceans 11-worthy crew is having a good time! No blurred lines here, it’s flat out fun with flair as imaginative cocktails are covertly created. Watch while the Conrad’s mixologists mix it up. Listen as secrets spill from a Wall Street’s trader’s lips. Look at the gorgeous and the glamorous as they chill nearby.
For hot August nights and even crisp October ones as Loopy Doopy Rooftop Bar stays open well into Indian summer, enjoy a breezy relief from sweltering dog days. Lean back on linen cushions, watch the yachts below: bright whites against the water’s blue metallic sheen, gliding in and out of North Cove Harbor. Sip Prosecco on tap and imbibe the most sensual cocktail in Manhattan: the artfully hued, bursting with booze Ice Pops – bright popsicles filled with flavorful fruit, submerged in bubbly. As visual a treat as the brilliant pops of color in Sol LeWitt’s wall art, the bar is named after the playful and enormous wall painting that anchors the hotel’s lobby.
Dip and sip or watch the Ice Pop dissolve in Italy’s famed elixir. Either way it’s a trip too bountiful — not to mention mission impossible — to decide which one to try first: the sultry burgundy-shaded Morello Cherrywith 2 oz. of 10 Cane Rum or the nearly neon Orangeade, one candy-colored tangerine dream spiked with 1.5 oz of Cointreau.
The sublime selection though indulges even the most jaded with a veritable pleasure chest of choices: a frozen Appletini made with Absolut Hibiscus Vodka, Lime Margarita with Sauza Blue Agave Tequila and Piña Colada with Malibu Rum. All served up by sexy, sleek and sunglass-shaded Gavin or easy going, tousled Ronnie on the roof while Victor and Julia keep it hopping below decks at Atrio.
Says Julia who thrives on the “happy” energy of this ever-inventive crew’s teamwork, “here is where the old fashioned meets new age,” where Mad Men-era cocktails are given a new lease on life and pop stars imbibe alongside Wall Street’s Masters of the Universe. Tourists from Iowa find ecstasy imbibing Loopy Doopy’s signature Ice Pops.
As much fun as the namesake twisting, turning indigo and violet wall art by famed contemporary artist Sol LeWitt, Conrad New York’s Loopy Doopy Rooftop Bar is the ultimate place to chill in Manhattan – as long as the weather stays warm.
Loopy Doopy Rooftop Bar at Conrad New York is open from May to October.
Hours are:
Saturday: Noon to 1:00 a.m.
Sunday: Noon to Midnight
Monday to Friday: 4:00 pm to Midnight
Follow the Loopy Doopy on Twitter for daily updates.
CONRAD NEW YORK
102 North End Ave, New York, NY 10282
(212) 945-0100
POP SECRET: The Artful Pleasure of Alcohol-Infused Popsicles
No one really knows how ICE POPS are made. In fact, it’s a house secret kept in cold storage at Loopy Doopy. Of course, after imbibing and nibbling on one or two of these arty popsicles while watching the effortless élan of the mixology masters who’ve confessed to being inspired by OCEANS 11, one has to wonder if a heist isn’t the way to go to bring this bounty home.
Equally criminal is the pleasure of other cooling cocktails at Loopy Doopy like LIME IN COCONUT a frosty concoction made with Absolut Vanilla, Malibu Coconut Rum, Coconut Milk and a splash of pineapple juice. For those who count every single little calorie during Bikini season, there is a SLENDER MOJITO with TY KU Citrus Liqueur, fresh mint and freshly squeezed lemon juice topped with a splash of diet citrus soda. Whether you’re envisioning yourself as George Clooney or Julia Roberts or even thinking that maybe you’d rather be Brad Pitt, the caper that occurs nightly at Conrad New York only steals your stress away. After all, that’s entertainment!
