Tiki bar–cum–cocktail club End of the Century Bar hits Forest Hills

Partners Ian Present, Sofia Present and Valentin Gonzalez make quite the murderers’ row of bartenders—between them, they’ve tended some of the most notable bars in Manhattan (Pegu Club, PKNY) and Brooklyn (Maison Premiere). But when searching for a home for their own drinking den—a tiki bar–cum–cocktail club, designed to feel like a living room—the trio decided to push beyond those well-trodden boroughs for, of all places, Queens. “Queens hasn’t seen the same cocktail movement yet,” Ian Present says. “But we’d like to help change that.” The team is going heavy on the classics at their Forest Hills haunt, but with a personalized touch: tequila bucks stirred with house-made ginger ale, a Tom Collins hit with grapefruit and bitters, and Moscow mules served with metal straws. Scorpion bowls also make the docket, like an aged rum-absinthe-lime concoction called the Rum-Vroom Punch. Inspired by the trio’s own homes, the walls are dotted with Indonesian masks, maracas from Cuba, vintage Russian cameras and linens from Japan. “Forest Hills feels both local and international—it’s one of the most diverse areas of the city,” Present says. “We want to be a microcosm of that.” 104-08 Metropolitan Ave between 71st Dr and 72nd Ave, Forest Hills, Queens (718-544-1624)