MIDTOWN — Celebrators marking the centennial of Grand Central Terminal are toasting the birthday with a 100-year-old drink.
The Campbell Apartment, which is inside the historic station, will serve up the sort of fruity drink popular in 1913 when people wanted to cover up the taste of harsh liquors.
The Centennial Punch is made with a surprisingly strong mix of papaya, pomegranate and lemon juices, along with Hendrick's Gin, Sandeman Founder's Reserve port — and a dash of champagne for that celebratory flavor.
The luxurious, wood-lined cocktail bar could be the perfect place to enjoy that centennial drink — when the building was just 10 years old, the room became an office for financier John W. Campbell. The bar still retains much of the grandeur of old New York.
The terminal as we know it today first opened in 1913.
The drink is served in a pilsner glass and costs $15.
"It's quite a large drink, so you're getting a lot of bang for your buck," McClure said.
The Centennial Punch
2 oz. Hendrick's Gin
1 1/2 oz. Sandeman Founder's Reserve port
2 oz. papaya juice
1 oz. pomegranate juice
splash of fresh lemon juice and simple syrup
Directions: Shake ingredients very well with ice and strain over new ice into ice-filed pilsner glass.
Top off with sparkling wine and stir briefly.
Garnish: cinnamon stick and freshly grated nutmeg.