With his seemingly ever-expanding dynasty of restaurants (which currently includes Pok Pok Ny, Whiskey Soda Lounge and Pok Pok Phat Thai), Andy Ricker has provided as compelling an excuse as any for outsiders to make the complicated commute to the Columbia Waterfront District. But when it comes to WSL—which pairs Thai drunk food favorites with Ricker’s patented drinking vinegar-based cocktails—his primary intention was to create a regular watering hole for locals.
That’s why Ricker recently instituted a significantly reduced-priced menu, dropping the cost of house cocktails all the way from $12 down to $9. Economical offerings include the Tang Kwaa, salted cucumber vodka combined with lime juice, and served with a powdered Tang rim; Going Coconuts, brandy and cherry liqueur shaken with coconut milk and dusted with cinnamon and nutmeg; and the Light n’ Sunny, Lao saparot and pineapple Som drinking vinegar, finished with a fizzy dash of tonic. The low-cost lineup is further complemented with a slew of brand new dishes, such as Spaghetti Phat Khii Mao—a “drunkard’s stir fry” of noodles, chilies, green peppercorns, hot basil and boar collar. On top of that, Whiskey Soda Lounge is featuring a new happy hour from 5:30-7pm Wednesdays through Fridays, offering deep discounts on Tamarind Whiskey Sours, Singha beer and yes, even those ridiculously good Vietnamese fish sauce-slathered chicken wings.
It may be a ruse to lure locals, but for the rest of us, it’s yet another reason to hightail it to the Columbia Waterfront District.
115 Columbia Street, The Columbia Street Waterfront District
