The 25 Best Cocktails in NYC Right Now, in GIFs

Where: The Nomad Hotel
Neighborhood: Flatiron
Address: 1170 Broadway
Website: thenomadhotel.com
Bartender Says: "The NoMad stands in the heart of what, in 19th century New York, was referred to as 'Satan's Circus' or 'the Tenderloin.' It was an area populated by saloons and brothels, as well as the great Delmonico's and Jerry Thomas' New York Bar, the two cornerstones of the city's fine dining and craft cocktail culture. This cocktail is a homage to that history."—Leo Robitschek, Bar Manager at The NoMad & Eleven Madison Park

Recipe:

2 oz. Old Overholt Rye
3/4 oz. Thai-Bird Chili-Infused Aperol
3/4 oz. cherry heering
3/4 oz. lemon juice

Shake ingredients with ice and strain into a cocktail coupe.

Where: Employees Only
Neighborhood: West Village
Address: 510 Hudson St.
Website: employeesonlynyc.com
Bartender Says: "Pimm's is a proprietary cocktail in a bottle created by James Pimm in 1820 for his London oyster bar, and we're paying tribute to that forgotten trend with our Pimm's Cup cocktail. Fresh mint and thinly sliced cucumbers are lightly bruised during shaking to release the aroma, and topped off with ginger ale, which opens up the bright flavors of the cocktail." —Dusan Zaric and Jason Kosmas, Co-owners/Bartenders

Recipe:
2 oz. Pimm’s No 1
3/4 oz. Cointreau
3/4 oz. freshly squeezed lime juice
3 thin cucumber wheels
6-7 fresh mint leaves
1 oz. ginger ale

Pour Pimm’s, Cointreau, and lime juice into a Collins glass. Add cucumbers and mint. Fill with large cold ice and cover glass with a small shaker top. Shake briefly and top off with ginger ale.

Where: Brooklyn Star
Neighborhood: Williamsburg
Address: 593 Lorimer St.
Website: thebrooklynstar.com
Bartender Says: "The tea and egg white combine for a great frothy texture and a sweet and sour balance. The idea came about while trying sweet tea made for me by people from down south. To say I found it sweet is an understatement. This was a way to take a southern porch drink and combine it with a classic cocktail to make something a little different." — Simon Gibson, Bartender/Co-owner of Wilfie & Nell and The Brooklyn Star

Recipe:

2 oz. Four Roses Bourbon 
1 oz. sweet tea syrup
1 oz. lemon juice
1/2 oz. egg white

Create tea syrup by allowing two large Lipton iced tea bags sit in three pints of boiling water for 30 minutes. If left too long, it gets bitter. Remove tea and add 1 quart of sugar while the water is still hot. Stir to dissolve and allow to cool.

Where: Brushstroke
Neighborhood: TriBeCa
Address: 30 Hudson St.
Website: davidbouley.com/brushstroke-main/
Bartender Says: "This cocktail starts with fresh, natural ingredients and the rest of the recipe is meant to bring out the taste of those ingredients. In this case, we try to bring out the cucumber flavor as much as possible by thoroughly muddling it. Gin is a natural complement to cucumber, and the almonds and black pepper add contrast to create a beautiful frame for a rich, clean cucumber flavor." —Gen Yamamoto, Bar Manager/Mixologist

Recipe:

Thin Japanese cucumber
2 oz. Greenhook gin
3/4 oz. simple syrup
Almond salt
Sea salt
Ground black pepper

In a round rocks glass, thoroughly muddle half of the cucumber. Shake gin and simple syrup and pour into a round rocks glass. Rim 1/4 of the glass with almond salt (crushed almonds and sea salt). Garnish with fresh ground pepper and a cucumber slice.

Where: PDT
Neighborhood: East Village
Address: 113 Saint Marks Pl.
Website: pdtnyc.com
Bartender Says: "You've probably heard of the phrase, 'If it grows with it, it goes with it.' With this drink, I've combined popular indigenous ingredients to accent a spirit that embodies it's people, like Mezcal does Oaxaca. From a flavor standpoint, you have a drink that is strong from the mezcal, sweet from the agave syrup, and sour from the lime and passionfruit. You get Floral notes from the meat of the cucumber, Vegetal from the peel of the cucumber and the mezcal, and spicy from the ginger and chili. You can tune in to all that, or tune out and enjoy the drink." —Jim Meehan, Managing Partner/Bartender

Recipe:

1.5 oz. Sombra Mezcal
1 oz. house ginger beer
.75 oz. lime juice
.75 oz. Boiron Passion Fruit Purée
.5 oz. agave syrup
3 muddled cucumber slices, plus 1 for garnish

Add the lime and cucumber slices to a mixing glass and muddle. Add the remaining ingredients. Shake with ice and strain into a rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish with a piece of candied ginger picked to a slice of cucumber and top with a pinch of ground chili. (Jim Meehan, Winter 2009)

Where: Chez Sardine
Neighborhood: West Village
Address: 183 West 10th St.
Website: chezsardine.com
Bartender Says: "Many people often ask 'Who's Cousin Scotty?' and 'What's his driving test all about?' The short answer: we love naming cocktails. Names of cocktails should have their own unique story behind them, as much as the ingredients themselves. We took the standard backbones of such classic cocktails as the Manhattan and the Old Fashioned, and updated our version with housemade sake-agave syrup, as an alternative to the standard granulated sugar or demerara sugar. It's the ideal cocktail for dealing with defeat or celebrating a long-awaited and much-deserved victory." —Brian Bartels, GM/Partner at Fedora and Director of Little Wisco Bar & Spirits

Recipe:

2 oz. Johnny Drum Bourbon
.5 oz. Carpano Antica
1/4 oz. homemade sake agave syrup (1:.5 agave)
2 dashes Angostura Aromatic Bitters

Combine ingredients in a rocks glass. Stir for 5 seconds. Add ice and stir for 10-15 seconds. Add 2 drops Angostura Bitters, and garnish with an orange peel.

Where: Empellon
Neighborhood: East Village
Address: 105 1st Ave.
Website: empellon.com/cocina/
Bartender Says: "This cocktail was inspired by a technique that Eben Freeman of Tailor (at the time) came up with. He would smoke the syrup from boxes of Coca-Cola and create a beautifully smoky cocktail. For our cocktail, the rich smoked aspect of Mexican Coca-Cola (made with real sugar as opposed to cane syrup) creates a savory, maple syrup-like quality when reduced and smoked. It is a play on an Old Fashioned." —Mathew Resler, Beverage Director

Recipe:

2 oz. El Mayor Blanco
1 oz. smoked Mexican Coca-Cola
2 dashes of Regan's Orange Bitters
1 dash Black Walnut Bitters
Orange peel for garnish

Combine ingredients in a mixing vessel. Stir for 15 seconds and strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice. Garnish with an orange peel expressed over the top of the cocktail. Run an orange peel around outside of the rim of the glass, give the orange peel a quick twist, and drop into the cocktail.

Where: Weather Up
Neighborhood: TriBeCa
Address: 159 Duane St.
Website: weatherupnyc.com
Bartender Says: "The amaro averna makes this cocktail unique. Averna is a brand of amaro, which is what you get from the infusion of bitter herbs, aromatic plants, fruit in alcohol and water. It's floral and easy to drink, but potent, like a dark & stormy. Taking a classic like the dark and stormy and reinvigorating it makes it stand out from other cocktails." —Danny Gil, Bar Manager

Recipe:

1 1/2 oz. Amaro Averna
3/4 oz. fresh ginger syrup (fresh ginger juice and sugar)
1/2 oz. fresh lime juice
Ginger for garnish

Build in a shaker with a small piece of ice and give just a few shakes. Pour over ice into a Collins glass and top with soda. Garnish with a ginger candy or fresh ginger. 

Where: Mayahuel
Neighborhood: East Village
Address: 304 East 6th St.
Website: mayahuelny.com
Bartender Says: "We serve mostly Tequila and Mezcal, but this is one we created for whiskey drinkers. Using Whiskey Barrel Aged Bitters and apple brandy, we created a whiskey drinkers Tequila/Mezcal cocktail. We rinse the old fashioned glass (a la Sazarac style) with Mezcal, creating a great aroma before the palate enjoys the rest of the drink." —Phillip Ward, Owner/Beverage Director

Recipe:

1.5 oz. Pueblo Viejo Reposado
.5 oz. Lairds 100 Proof Apple Brandy
.5 oz. Orchard Pear liqour
Dash Fees Whiskey Barrel-Aged Aromatic Bitters
Mezcal rinse
Pear slice for garnish

Rinse glass in mezcal and stir ingredients. Strain and serve with no ice. Garnish with a slice of pear.

Where: Pulqueria
Neighborhood: Chinatown
Address: 11 Doyers St.
Website: pulquerianyc.com
Bartender Says: "This is the only cocktail in the city to include pulque (fermented agave), which is very common in Mexico but almost never found outside of it. Combining pulque with fresh watermelon juice mellows its fermented taste and the mezcal gives it a perfectly potent kick." —Nicolas O'Conner, Head Mixologist 

Recipe:

1 3/4 oz. of homemade fresh watermelon pulque
1 oz. mezcal
1 oz. agave lime
Watermelon for garnish
Cilantro for garnish

Shake ingredients and serve in a 2 oz. high ball glass over ice. Add watermelon stick (1.2 inch thick x 5 inches tall) and fresh cilantro as a garnish. 

Where: Macao Trading Co.
Neighborhood: TriBeCa
Address: 311 Church St.
Website: macaonyc.com
Bartender Says: "The unusual flavor combination of earthy, savory, and sweet (with a touch of sour Asian cuisine) make this cocktail unique. Home made Pandan leaf syrup compliments the young coconut puree, creating a silky, soothing texture, while the green tea vodka provides a great finish with lingering tanins." —Dusan Zaric & Jason Kosmas, Co-owners/Bartenders

Recipe:

2 oz. Charbay Green Tea Vodka
1 oz. young coconut puree
1/2 oz. lime juice 
1/2 oz. pandan syrup
Pinch of Thai basil leaves

Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously. Pour out, unstrained, into a Collins glass.

Where: The Counting Room
Neighborhood: Williamsburg
Address: 44 Berry St.
Website: countingroom.com
Bartender Says: "This cocktail hits a bunch of different notes and has a really interesting narrative in terms of how and when they come in. It's built on a backbone of mezcal, but draws out different elements of the spirit by using several layers of similar flavors (like smoky mezcal and smoky tea-infused vermouth) without being overbearing." —Maks Pazuniak, Bartender 

Recipe:

3/4 oz. Del Maguey Chichicapa Mezcal
3/4 oz. grapefruit-infused El Jimador Blanco*
1/2 oz. Lapsang Souchong tea-infused Cinzano Sweet Vermouth**
1/2 oz. lemon 
1/4 oz. agave (2:1 agave nectar to water) 
1/4 oz. maraschino liqueur
Dash Angostura Bitters
Dash Regan's Orange Bitters 

Stir and strain over a large piece of ice. Twist grapefruit into drink and discard.

*Infuse tequila with grapefruit peels and tequila for about 24-36 hours (2-3 large grapefruits per 750mL).

**Infuse 375mL of Cinzano Sweet Vermouth with 6 oz. (by volume) of loose lapsang souchong tea for 4-6 hours.

Where: Donna
Neighborhood: Williamsburg
Address: 27 Broadway
Website: donnabklyn.com
Bartender Says: "Branca Ment is a very unusual ingredient—people aren't used to seeing obscure amaros in their classic Tiki cocktails. This drink is meant to be a treat, like having ice cream or dessert. It's delicious, fun, and lighthearted." —Jeremy Oertel, Head Bartender

Recipe:

1 oz. Branca Menta
1 oz. Appleton Estate V/X
.75 oz. coconut cream (3 parts Coco Lopez to 1 part coconut cream)
1.5 oz.pineapple juice
.25 oz. orange juice

Lightly shake with 2 or 3 ice cubes and strain over crushed ice in a hurricane glass. Top with more crushed ice and garnish with an orange wedge and a mint sprig. 

Where: The Wayland
Neighborhood: East Village
Address: 700 East 9th St.
Website: thewaylandnyc.com
Bartender Says: "Between the mixture of the smoke and the unique apple characteristic of this old fashioned, the drink itself tastes like a really boozy, burnt apple pie. It’s an interactive process. We let the drink sit for 35-40 seconds in front of the guest, and tell them to take the capsule off and breathe it in. Once you inhale the smoke, it sets your palette like if you were at a campfire; it stays with you a bit. Everytime you go to drink, you’ll still smell the resin of the burnt cinnamon bark and applewood."—Jason Mendenhall, Co-Owner/Bartender

Recipe:

1 1/4 oz. Old Overholt Rye
1 1/4 oz. applepie moonshine (cut with apple juice infused with cinnamon)
2 Dashes Angostura Bitters
2 Dashes of homemade spiced apple bitters

Stir with a few cubes of ice. Smoke applewood and cinnamon bark through a  vaporizer. Pull smoke through the hose into snifter, and capsule smoke over top of drink. Take snifter off the top and breathe it in.

Where: The Raines Law Room
Neighborhood: Flatiron
Address: 48 West 17th St.
Website: raineslawroom.com
Bartender Says: "The Southside Rickey is a carbonated version of the Southside cocktail, which has been around since the 1920s. It's a cocktail that changes people's minds on gin cocktails because it's so crisp and refreshing." —Meaghan Dorman, Head Bartender

Recipe:

1 oz. fresh lime juice
.75 oz. simple syrup
2 oz. London dry gin
4-5 mint leaves

Slap 4-5 mint leaves to make them more fragrant. Combine all ingredients in a shaker, and shake with ice. Strain into Collins glass over fresh ice and top with club soda. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Where: Perla
Neighborhood: West Village
Address: 24 Minetta Lane
Website: perlanyc.com
Bartender Says: "The cocktail is inspired by the classic New Orleans Sazerac. But, to amplify its uniqueness, we've added unlikely elements, like homemade Twizzler bitters and spiced syrup (syrup made with Clove, Cinnamon and Star Anise) instead of simple syrup." —Brian Bartels, GM/Partner Fedora and Director of Little Wisco Bar & Spirits

Recipe:

2 oz. Rittenhouse Rye Whiskey
1/4 oz. Spiced Syrup
2 dashes Peychaud's Bitters
3 dashes Twizzler Bitters
Lemon peel
Twizzler for garnish

Stir ingredients in a mixing glass. Strain into an absinthe sprayed rocks glass. (Ice is optional, but at Fedora and Perla, we use one 2 inch King Cube extending to top or just over rim of glass). Apply lemon peel, and insert Twizzler so it extends to the top or just over rim of glass.

Where: Dutch Kills
Neighborhood: Long Island City
Address: 27-24 Jackson Ave.
Website: dutchkillsbar.com
Bartender Says: "We like to keep things simple. Three ingredients that all come out of bottles, a beautiful piece of ice, a lemon peel. Smoke, spice, and a touch of sweetness make for a well balanced sipper." —Richard Boccato, Owner/Bartender

Recipe:

1/4 oz. Velvet Falernum
1/2 oz. Smith & Cross Jamaican Rum
1 1/2 oz. Fidencio Clasico Mezcal

Combine ingredients in a rocks glass, add ice, and stir briefly. Garnish with a lemon twist. (Jan Warren, 2012) 

Where: The Dutch
Neighborhood: SoHo
Address: 131 Sullivan St.
Website: thedutchnyc.com
Bartender Says: "The Bert Lahr is a riff on a classic Lion's Tail, which is a beer, rye, and Allspice Dram cocktail. It's named after the actor who played the Cowardly Lion in the Wizard of Oz. With the Lairds Applejack and the St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram, the cider reduction is able to really add depth and make the drink both wintry (from the dram) and refreshing." —Chad Walsh, Beverage Manager

Recipe:

1 3/4 oz. Laird's Applejack
3/4 oz. St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram
1/2 oz. lime juice
1/2 oz. Boiled Doc's Draft Cider

Shake all except cider with ice. Strain into Collins glass over fresh Kold-Draft ice, and top with cider. Garnish with an apple slice and a mint sprig.

Where: Dram
Neighborhood: Williamsburg
Address: 177 South 4th St.
Website: drambar.com
Bartender Says: "The Mai Tai is a tiki-style drink, so the use of an apperif bitter like Campari is a bit unexpected and unorthodox. We also use house-made oregat, which is basically an almond syrup. We toast ours and soak it overnight, creating a rich almond milk as a base." —Jeremy Oertel, Bartender

Recipe: 

1.5 oz. Campari
.75 oz. Smith & Cross Jamaican Rum 
.75 oz. orgeat
1 oz. fresh lime
.5 oz.Curaçao

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with a small amount of crushed ice. Shake and pour into double rocks glass over crushed ice. Garnish with a mint sprig.

Where: Hotel Delmano
Neighborhood: Williamsburg
Address: 82 Berry St.
Website: hoteldelmano.com
Bartender Says: "This drink is an exotic blend of herbal notes including mint, artichoke, and clove. Coupled with chipotle spice and agave nectar, it makes for a sultry, sweet and smooth sipping. But the most unique aspect? A 24 hour infusion of chipotle peppers soaked in mezcal." —Jonathan Kobritz, Head Bartender

Recipe:

3/4 oz. fresh lime juice
3/4 oz. agave nectar
1/2 oz. Cynar
1 oz. chipotle-infused mezcal
1 oz. tequila blanco
Dash Angostura Bitters
3-4 mint leaves

Shake and double strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a mint leaf.

Where: Aska
Neighborhood: Williamsburg
Address: 90 Wythe Ave.
Website: askanyc.com
Bartender Says: "This is a drink I came up with to satisfy diners who join us for a tasting menu, but aren't keen on drinking too much alcohol. One day, I asked a member of our team to juice every root vegetable in sight. The parsnips that we had were aged, which concentrated their flavor and made them very sweet. When I tasted the juice, it was so sweet and creamy that I immediately thought, "Eggnog!" —Eamon Rockey, General Manager/Partner

Recipe:

4 oz. Aged Pot-Stilled Jamacian Rum
2 grams grated nutmeg
1 gram mace
4 liters of parsnip juice

Use 2 grams of grated nutmeg and 1 gram of mace for every 4 liters of parsnip juice, and cook for 2 hours in water bath (it can be brought to a low simmer and immediately removed from the hear). Stir constantly to prevent juice from burning. Finish with freshly grated nutmeg and let cool. Add the 4 oz. of rum to 12 oz. parsnip base and aerate using a whipped cream canister charged with  nitrous oxide. Serve in an 8 oz. rocks glass, chilled. Garnish with fresh nutmeg.

Where: Goat Town
Neighborhood: East Village
Address: 511 East 5th St.
Website: goattownnyc.com
Bartender Says: "This variation on the classic Dark 'n Stormy takes a house-made ginger beer and floats dark stout beer on top. The cocktail is both flavorful and refreshing, without being too strong and makes for a great alternative to a traditional liquor cocktail or a draft beer. The Southern Tier 2X stout we use has a deep flavor of cocoa, espresso and burnt raisin. It absorbs the spiciness of the ginger, and gives the drink a rich malty weight that lends a hint of bitterness on the finish to keep it refreshing." —Gabe Richter, Beverage Director

Recipe:

Southern Tier 2X Milk Stout
1oz ginger syrup
3/4 oz fresh lime juice

Shake the ingredients with ice to chill/dilute and create the ginger beer base. Strain into a pint glass full of ice. Float stout on top of ginger, and garnish with a lime wedge. Stir the layers together with a straw to combine before drinking. Squeeze extra lime juice in, if desired.

Where: Pouring Ribbons
Neighborhood: East Village
Address: 225 Avenue B
Website: pouringribbons.com
Bartender Says: "This unusual use of fresh beet juice and house-made falernum is essentially a tiki drink with winter flavors. The name comes from the phrase 'imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.' The original point of inspiration was the flavor of Coca-Cola— balanced, complex flavor with earthy and floral components." —Troy Sidle, Partner 

Recipe:

2 oz. El Dorado 12 Year Rum
.5 oz. lime juice
.5 oz. pineapple juice
.25 oz. beet juice
.75 oz. nutmeg Falernum

Swizzle all ingredients in a glass. Pour into a pilsner glass with crushed ice. Top with more crushed ice. Garnish with a grapefruit peel and mint sprig. 

Where: Booker & Dax
Neighborhood: East Village
Address: 207 2nd Ave.
Website: momofuku.com/new-york/booker-and-dax/
Bartender Says: "The Son of a Peach has a couple of cool things going on. First, we use Umeboshi Vinegar as the acid and salt for the drink, which is the 'vinegar' or byproduct of salting and preserving Ume Plums in Japan. Second, we clarify canned peaches and fresh limes in the centrifuge so we can create a stirred cocktail that has a heavy fruit component. Altogether, you end up with a silky cocktail with sweet peach, salt, smoke, and a little vinegar tang." —Tristan Willey, Bar Manager and Head Bartender

Recipe:

2 drops saline (1:5, grams of salt to ml. of water)
5 drops Umeboshi Vinegar
.5 oz. clarified lime
1.75 oz. clarified canned peaches
1.25 oz. El Tesoro Reposado Tequila
.75 oz. Del Maguey Vida Mezcal Grapefruit for garnish

Build into a 2x old fashioned glass, add ice, stir, and garnish with a grapefruit twist.