Spirit of Albany: Tri-City Martini

As part of our 2015 Spirit of Albany campaign, Reel Seafood Co. created this delicious cocktail!

The inspiration behind this colorful concoction?

The Tri-City Martini reflects the close association Albany has with the neighboring cities of Troy and Schenectady. The three layers in this cocktail represent the individuality of each city. Each layer adds something unique to the cocktail just like each distinct city makes up the Capital Region.

This fruity martini would be the perfect after dinner treat, or even an "after lunch on the beautiful patio" treat! Enjoy this drink at Reel Seafood Co. at 195 Wolf Road, Albany NY.

See the recipe and order your own 2015 Recipe Guide by visiting this page.

See how they create this layered drink in the "how-to" video:

Editor's note: We asked some of Albany’s best mixologists to create original cocktail recipes that embody the spirit of Albany, and we compiled those recipes into our 2015 Spirit of Albany Recipe Guide. (The ACCVB does not, in any way, condone drinking and driving so please designate a driver as we did for this series.)

Taste the Spirit of Albany

One city, 400 years of history, and 11 great cocktails...

What could I be talking about? The 2015 Spirit of Albany recipes, of course!

The 2015 Spirit of Albany recipe guides featuring eleven original cocktail recipes from restaurants and culinary attractions throughout Albany County is available now! For the third year in a row, we've encouraged local mixologists to create original cocktail recipes that they feel embody the true spirit of Albany.

This year’s recipes include ingredients from local producers like Nine Pin Cider Works, the Albany Distilling Company, the Underground Alchemy, and Harvest Spirits. Many also make good use out of apples, New York State’s official fruit! 

The 2015 cocktails are as follows: 

• The Tri-City Martini – Reel Seafood Co. 

• Apple Cider Sangria – The Ginger Man

• Ironweed Old Fashioned – Albany Distilling Company

• Centennial Tini - Jack’s Oyster House

• ‘Old Lansing House’ Cosmo – The Hollow

• Roff Old Fashion – The Century House 

• The Warehouse District – Nine Pin Cider Works

• Empire State Apple Manhattan – Wolf’s 1-11 Arena Sports Grill

• Albany Apple Knocker – New World Bistro

• Dark & Spicy – 677 Prime

• Passion Fruit Caipiroska – Texas de Brazil

This year, along with the Spirit of Albany recipe cards, we are producing a video series that features each cocktail with a step by step “how-to” by the mixologist! The eleven videos will be released each Friday beginning April 3 and will be available on the Discover Albany YouTube page and on the Culinary Capital blog! 

Read the inspiration behind each cocktail, view the recipes, or order your our free recipe guide online by clicking this link. 

Recipe guides may be picked up at the Albany Heritage Area Visitors Center for free, or at any of the participating restaurants/locations.  The Spirit of Albany is a special promotion of The Culinary Capital.

Pump Station Revamps Menus

Have you seen the new items on the Albany Pump Station's Menus? 

Maybe I'm a little more excited about this than the "Average Joe" because I work about a step away from this iconic Albany restaurant, but the new menus that Executive Chef Todd Cutler and his team have put together are simply mouthwatering!

Don't worry! If you have a favorite dish that you can only get at 19 Quackenbush Square, it's probably still available, like their one-of-a-kind Calamari, tossed with cherry peppers over marinara drizzled with balsamic reduction. 

But you should be excited to see they've added an artisan cheese sampler with local farm cheeses, a pear and goat cheese salad, and something I'm very excited about, fried pickles! 

See for yourself what they've added by clicking here or head over for lunch or dinner. Enjoy! 

Colonie wants you to think of their food!

The Colonie Chamber of Commerce is hosting their Taste of Colonie Restaurant Week next week to celebrate the delicious and unique eateries in their neighborhood. The week begins on Monday, March 23rd and runs in participating restaurants until Sunday, March 29th. Each participating restaurant prepares a special 3-course meal for only $20.15.

Participating restaurants include:

Bangkok Bistro 1619 Central Avenue, Colonie, NY 12205 (518) 713-4407 Visit our website View Dinner Menu

Bellini's Italian Eatery 624 New Loudon Road, Loudonville, NY 12211 (518) 608-1145 Visit our website

Blu Stone Bistro 661 Albany Shaker Road (518) 869-9976 Visit our website View Dinner Menu

Bull and Barrel Smokehouse Grill 155 Wade Road, Latham, NY 12110 (518) 785-7111 Visit our website View Dinner Menu

Century House Restaurant 997 New Loudon Road Latham, NY 12110 (518) 785 0834 Visit our website View Dinner Menu

El Charro Mexican Grill 952 Troy Schenectady Road, Latham, NY 12110 (518) 608-5842 Visit our website View Dinner Menu

Epicurean Bistro & Wine Bar 579 Troy Schenectady Road, Latham NY, 12110 (518) 786-8272 Visit our website View Dinner Menu

Garden Bistro 24 1839 Central Avenue, Colonie, NY 12205 (518) 456-4566 Visit our website View Dinner Menu

Grandma's Pies & Restaurant 1273 Central Avenue, Albany, NY 12205 (518) 459-4585 Visit our website View Dinner Menu

Market Restaurant at the Albany Marriott 189 Wolf Road, Albany, NY 12205 (518) 458-8444 Visit our website View Dinner Menu

Reel Seafood Co. 195 Wolf Road (518) 458-2068 Visit our website View Dinner Menu

The Grille Restaurant at Holiday Inn on Wolf Road 205 Wolf Road (518) 458-7264 ext. 432 Visit our website View Dinner Menu

Wolf's 1-11 111 Wolf Road (518) 275-0561 Visit our website View Dinner Menu

677 Special for Chicago Ticket-holders

Prix-fixe menu available with tickets to the show

Premier Capital Region steakhouse Angelo’s 677 Prime will offer a special pre-theatre menu in conjunction with two evening performances of the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Chicago at the historic Palace Theatre in downtown Albany on Friday, March 20 and Saturday, March 21. The show begins at 8 p.m.

Theatre attendees who present a ticket to that evening’s performance will have the opportunity to enjoy a three-course pre-theatre meal for the prix-fixe cost of $45 per person (tax and gratuity not included).

The three-performance run of Chicago at the Palace Theatre marks the first time the production’s national tour has been to the Capital Region since 2008. In addition to the two evening shows, the Palace will also host a matinee at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 21.

The special menu will not be available for the matinee performance on Saturday.

Tickets for Chicago at the Palace Theatre are available by phone at (518) 465-4663, Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000 at all Ticketmaster locations or in-person at the Palace Theatre Box Office at 19 Clinton Avenue in Albany.