Skip to main content

MEMBER LOGIN

Departures Logo Created with Sketch.

JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER

Departures Logo Created with Sketch.
  • City Guides
  • Travel
  • Fashion
  • Art + Culture
  • Home + Design
Departures Logo Created with Sketch.
  • City Guides
  • Travel
  • Fashion
  • Art + Culture
  • Home + Design

FOLLOW US

LOGIN

NEWSLETTER

More In City Guides

New Silversea Cruise Visits 72 Destinations in 22 Countries

The luxury sailing company released its largest-ever itinerary which comprises 315 voya

$3.65 Million Beach House Features Chanel and Hermès Accents
New York City’s Union Square Getting $100 Million Pedestrian-friendly Makeover
The Lyrid Meteor Shower Will Bring Dazzling Shooting Stars This Month

More In Travel

  • Hotels
  • Travel Guides
  • Restaurants

Hublot Launches Four New Versions of Its Iconic Big Bang Timepiece

One of the watches dons 484 baguette-cut diamonds totaling 31 carats.

Gucci’s First High Watchmaking Collection Is an Ode to Innovation and Design
Jacob & Co. Launching First Digital Watch Through NFT Platform
An Extremely Rare and Previously Unknown Patek Philippe Watch Is Expected to Fetch $3.7 Million at Auction

More In Fashion

  • Style
  • Shopping

Behind the Scenes of Bruno Aveillan's New Waldorf Astoria New York Film

The dreamlike film makes the reopening of the famed hotel and residences even more allu

Stay at One of These Hotels for Some Oscar History
Luxury Condos Are Offering Exclusive Access to Art as a Standout Amenity
Art Historian Creates NFT Version of Leonardo da Vinci’s 'Salvator Mundi'—And It’s Coming Up for Auction

More In Art + Culture

  • Books
  • Philanthropy
  • Film

Sculptural Planters to Get Ready for Spring

Give your plants (and home decor) a chic update with these sophisticated and modern pla

Plant Butlers Are the Latest Luxury Amenity
How the Imperial Fabergé Egg Came to Be One of the Most Sought-After Pieces of Art
How Travel Inspires Top Interior Designer Joy Moyler

More In Home + Design

  • Art + Design
  • Architecture
LOGIN
NEWSLETTER
  • City Guides
  • Travel
    • Hotels
    • Restaurants
    • Travel Guides
  • Fashion
    • Style
    • Shopping
  • Art + Culture
    • Books
    • Film
    • Philanthropy
  • Home + Design
    • Art + Design
    • Architecture
  • MEMBER LOGIN
  • JOIN OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
  • Contact Advertise Sitemap
Home / Lifestyle / Wine & Spirits
Wine & Spirits

Where to Drink the Best Cocktails in New York City Now

By Jonah Flicker on January 10, 2020

A good drink is not hard to find in New York City.

© Emilie Baltz/Courtesy Employees Only

SHARE:

Departures is published by Meredith Corp. and owned by American Express. While American Express Card Member benefits are highlighted in this publication, including through the links indicated below, the content of this article was independently written by the editorial staff at Meredith. Other Departures content paid for by American Express is explicitly marked as such.

New York is a cocktail town, no doubt about it. The city is home to drinking establishments of every type—classic hotel lounges, bars that were at the forefront of the cocktail resurgence of the early 2000s, and new-school establishments that are pushing boundaries and making very fine versions of the classics. Sadly, many long-standing dive bars that once peppered the city from Harlem to Red Hook are being pushed out by rising rents, but there seems to be no shortage of bartenders and mixologists coming up with creative and delicious concoctions to be served in newly opened spots. Today, New York City’s best cocktails include both the new and the old, from the simple pleasure of a martini, to a drink that combines smoky scotch with cognac, to a tropical fruit-infused rye whiskey cocktail. Here are New York City’s best cocktails to drink now.

 
Jordis Unga/Courtesy Katana Kitten

Katana Kitten—The Umami Situation

The Hinoki Martini is always a good choice at Katana Kitten, a bar that focuses on Japanese flavors in both its drinks and food. But the off-menu Umami Situation is a showstopping option to check out. A grilled jumbo prawn head is pressed, along with lemon and a little bit of sake, into a shot glass, with a shot of iichiko Saiten shochu poured alongside. Shoot the shrimp juice, then the shochu, and then snack on the shrimp head which has been deep fried and sprinkled with a little salt and pepper.

Eric Medsker/Courtesy Amor Y Amargo

Amor Y Amargo—8 Amaro Sazerac

The new Brooklyn location of Amor Y Amargo opened just a few months ago in Williamsburg. This amaro and bitters emporium serves cocktails that will expand your drinking palate. Don’t come here looking for a shot and a beer; instead try the 8 Amaro Sazerac, a blend of eight different amari combined with green chartreuse, Peychaud’s bitters, and orange citrate. It’s simultaneously familiar and completely different than the classic on which it’s based.

Courtesy The Carlyle

Bemelmans Bar—Martini

There is often nothing more satisfying than an expertly made martini served at a classic NYC hotel bar. Bemelmans, located at The Carlyle hotel—an American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts property, is a longstanding example of the pleasures of this simple drinking experience. Sit down at a table surrounded by illustrator and author Ludwig Bemelmans’ murals and slowly savor an ice-cold martini (gin or vodka). It comes with a little extra on the side that didn’t fit into your glass, so you can pour this yourself when you are ready for more.

Brent Herrig/Courtesy The Dead Rabbit

The Dead Rabbit—Listen to Reason

Dead Rabbit’s accolades are well deserved. The bar builds on the hospitality and tradition of a traditional Irish pub with a frequently changing cocktail menu that is extensive and eclectic. There are so many drinks to choose from here, but Listen to Reason is one that highlights the creativity of the team behind the bar, even if there is no Irish whiskey involved. Peaty Islay scotch is combined with cognac, sherry, curacao, and celery bitters, served in a tumbler with a large ice cube.

Courtesy Make It Nice

The NoMad Bar—Golden Oak

Bar director Leo Robitschek and his team have come up with a cocktail menu at The NoMad that is one of the city’s best. There are seasonal selections, as well as “light” and “dark-spirited” menu sections that cater to every taste. A fascinating drink in the latter part of the menu is called Golden Oak, which combines corn husk-infused bourbon, sherry, aged aquavit, shiitake, and mole betters.

Courtesy Slowy Shirley

Slowly Shirley—Tropical Julep

You’ll find Slowly Shirley below its sister restaurant and bar, The Happiest Hour. Cocktails here change based on the season, but there is also a house section of the menu that is more constant. Here you’ll find about a dozen drinks with very different flavor profiles, such as the Tropical Julep. This is a riff on a classic Mint Julep, using pineapple-infused Wild Turkey Rye, rum, and brown sugar to balance and punch up the traditional mint flavor.

Emilie Baltz/Courtesy Employees Only

Employees Only—Provencal

Employees Only is one of the OGs of the modern cocktail movement in NYC. Since 2004, this speakeasy-style establishment has been slinging elegant and innovative drinks to discerning customers. In the “EO Classics” section of the menu, try the refreshing and floral Provencal. This drink stirs lavender-infused gin with herbs de Provence-infused vermouth and Cointreau, complementing the botanicals of the gin with fragrant herb flavors and smells.

Eric Medsker/Courtesy Lost Hours

Lost Hours—Cutting Room Floor, Colonel Mustard

Just behind the lobby of Hotel 3232 is Lost Hours, a sleek bar from some of the people behind Death & Co. The cocktail menu is divided up into sections based on the different elements—air, water, earth, and fire. Try a cocktail from each to see how it corresponds with the theme, like the Cutting Room Floor. This brandy cocktail also includes Pineau des Charentes, Lillet blanc, white chocolate liqueur, and Bolivar bitters, and is served in a tumbler over a large ice cube.

Courtesy The St. Regis New York

King Cole Bar—Red Snapper

King Cole Bar is another classic NYC hotel bar located at The St. Regis in midtown. The prices might be steep, but the drinks are perfectly executed. This is also supposedly the first place the Bloody Mary was served in America back in 1934, known here as the Red Snapper. Vodka, tomato juice, celery salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and just a dash of cayenne are all combined in careful proportions to create this tasty version of the classic.

Explore More in Wine & Spirits

tout-img

Private Austin Neighborhood Comes With a Vineyard Where You Can Bottle Your Own Wine

tout-img

The Best Rosé Wines to Drink This Year

tout-img

This Luxury Tequila Brand Is Honoring a Lesser-known Region of Mexico With a New Mezcal


Marketing Events & Promotions

Become a DEPARTURES VIP

Join our Weekly Newsletter

Privacy Statement
Join our Weekly Newsletter
Departures Logo Created with Sketch.
  • City Guides
  • Travel
  • Fashion
  • Art + Culture
  • Home + Design
FOLLOW US
Other Meredith Corporation Travel & Leisure Group websites: 
  • Travel + Leisure
  • Food & Wine
  • Wallpaper
Related Websites for DEPARTURES International Editions:
  • DEPARTURES-International.com
Learn more about the American Express Platinum Card® benefits

View Terms of Service  and  Privacy Statement.   Ad Choices EU Data Subject Requests All users of our online services subject to Privacy Statement and agree to be bound by Terms of Service. Please review.

© 2021 American Express Company. All rights reserved. Departures® is published by Meredith Corporation Travel & Leisure Group, a subsidiary of Meredith Corporation. Departures is a trademark of
American Express Marketing & Development Corp. and is used under limited license. Meredith Corporation Travel & Leisure Group is not affiliated with American Express Company or its subsidiaries.

  • RSS
  • Advertise
  • Advertise
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Promotions
  • Site Map

Member Login

The current issue of DEPARTURES is available exclusively to American Express Platinum Card® Members.

Cancel