Booze Hound: Ting Wray at Pearl Diver

The tiki-themed Pearl Diver is a brand-new joint venture from some of the folks behind East Side establishments No. 308 and Treehouse, and it’s been an immediate hit with bar-hopping locals. Its casual outdoor patio area is a prime summertime hang space, complete with three rentable cabanas, and the sleek decor inside is subtle — tiki without the tacky, as one co-worker put it. 

There’s no dearth of creative, colorful, photogenic tiki drinks at Pearl, from daiquiris to the bar’s signature titular drink and a concoction known as the Banana! Banana! Personally, I’m partial to the Ting Wray, which comes in the bar’s own bottles, outfitted with green-and-yellow labels designed to resemble Red Stripe’s branding. Mixed with Wray & Nephew overproof rum, Ting Jamaican soda and lime, the Ting Wray is a light and swillable bottle cocktail with a refreshing citrus snap. They go down easy — like, dangerously easy. Pearl also has a strong food menu courtesy of Treehouse executive chef Jason Zygmont, and it features standout items like vegetarian egg rolls, raw oysters on the half-shell, coconut shrimp, yuca fries and much more. So there’s plenty of stuff to munch on while you throw back a Ting Wray or four. Just save a couple for me.