New York City is a treasure trove of incredible cocktails. Not only were many mixtures invented here but a handful of bars in New York were responsible for kicking off the country’s cocktail renaissance in the early aughts, when people ditched the electric-hued, fruity drinks of the 1980s and ’90s to make Manhattans and martinis fashionable again.
No matter where you’re sipping these libations, they will forever be tied to the city that never sleeps.
Bronx Cocktail. Photo: Ivan Mateev/iStock
Bronx
NYC background: While not currently as popular as other classics concocted around the same time, the Bronx remains a cherished New York invention. It is said to have been poured first in the early 1900s by Johnny Solon at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City, who named it after a visit to the Bronx Zoo. But not everyone was a fan. According to cocktail historian David Wondrich, the drink was chided in a 1913 play, in which a character was called “as weak as a Bronx cocktail.”
Signature properties: Sure, the Bronx isn’t as strong as its cousins the Manhattan and martini, but that’s what makes it delightfully refreshing. It’s made by shaking gin, equal parts sweet and dry vermouth, orange juice and an optional dash of orange bitters.
Where to get it: Little Branch, Fresh Kills Bar, Death & Co
Brooklyn Cocktail. Photo: Brent Hofacker/iStock
Brooklyn
NYC background: The Brooklyn first appeared in J. A. Grohusko’s book Jack’s Manual in 1908 but didn’t gain much traction until the cocktail movement of the early aughts. Though the drink was named after the NYC borough, Grohusko himself lived in Hoboken, New Jersey, and worked at Barraca’s restaurant on Stone Street in Lower Manhattan.
Signature properties: Although its NYC-themed cousins the Manhattan and Bronx are more celebrated, the Brooklyn cocktail deserves a place in your rotation. The balanced blend of rye whiskey, dry vermouth, maraschino cherry liqueur and Amer Picon (a brand of citrus-flavored bitters) is worth trying the next time you’re in need of a strong and stirred libation. According to Frank Caiafa, author of The Waldorf Astoria Bar Book, you can replace the hard-to-find Amer Pico with Bigallet China-China Amer (a bittersweet orange liqueur).
Where to get it: Clover Club, Celestine, Meadowsweet
Courtesy, The Ivory Peacock
Cosmopolitan
NYC background: Everyone has heard of the cosmopolitan, thanks to the television show Sex and the City. Young Carrie and her crew probably started ordering them at The Odeon, where the drink was improved by Toby Cecchini in the mid-1980s. The first iteration was actually invented in Provincetown, Rhode Island, and cosmos saw some popularity in the 1970s in San Francisco, but the version we know today is pure NYC.
Signature properties: A New York City cosmo is made with vodka, lime juice, triple sec and cranberry juice cocktail (100 percent cranberry juice is too tart for this one). Shake the ingredients and strain them into a classic martini glass to live your best Carrie life.
Where to get it: The Odeon, Holiday Cocktail Lounge, The Ivory Peacock, Fort Hamilton Distillery
Dante’s Garibaldi. Photo: Steve Freihon
Dante’s Garibaldi
NYC background: The Garibaldi was dreamed up in Italy and named for Giuseppe Garibaldi, the man responsible for uniting the country and liberating it from Austrian rule. But the two-ingredient drink was perfected in New York City at Caffe Dante by bartender Naren Young, whose “fluffy” orange juice elevates it to the best version in the world.
Signature properties: Dante’s Garibaldi is light, airy and easy to prepare at home. To make the fluffy orange juice, simply pulse some juice in a blender a few times to aerate it. Pour an ounce and a half of Campari into a highball glass, then top it with about 4 ounces of the aerated juice.
Where to get it: Caffe Dante
Manhattan Cocktail. Photo: Daniel Krieger
Manhattan
NYC background: Manhattan’s namesake is one of the most popular stirred and strong drinks in the world. Likely born at the Manhattan Club sometime around the 1870s (like much of cocktail history, the origins are murky at best), it contains just two ingredients. That simplicity makes it particular—you must use the proper spirits and technique to truly get it right.
Signature properties: A classic Manhattan is made with rye whiskey; those earthy, sometimes spicy notes meld with the botanicals in the second ingredient, sweet vermouth. But bourbon Manhattans are certainly a thing, so if you prefer that corn-forward whiskey, it isn’t strange to order it that way. Quality sweet vermouth is a must—you can’t go wrong with Antica Formula, and Punt e Mes is lovely in a bourbon Manhattan. The drink is always stirred, never shaken, and is served up or on the rocks. Garnished with a fancy maraschino cherry, a Manhattan is a truly memorable cocktail.
Where to get it: Manhatta, Employees Only, Keens Steakhouse
New York Sour. Photo: Brent Hofacker/iStock
New York Sour
NYC Background: While the New York sour appeared in Mr. Boston Official Bartender’s Guide in the 1930s, it is thought to date back to the 1880s. And—plot twist!—an early version of the drink was described in an article in the Chicago Tribune. Regardless of its hometown, the New York sour will forever have ties to NYC because of its name.
Signature properties: Think of a whiskey sour but make it bold, just like New York City itself. A float of red wine tops the classic combo of whiskey, lemon juice and simple syrup, and that additional ingredient gives the cocktail a beautiful gradient color.
Where to get it: Discolo, Emmett’s on Grove, Travel Bar
Nutcracker. Photo: Vivian Xie
Nutcracker
NYC background: The nutcracker is one of New York City’s most beloved summertime tipples. You’d be hard-pressed to find this frosty, fruity cocktail anywhere else. It was hatched in the early ’90s at Chino-Latino restaurant Flor de Mayo at 101st Street and Broadway by restaurant manager José Chu. Supposedly, he was hanging out with a local patron who went by the name Juice, and they came up with the potent mix together, landing on the name after seeing a New York City Ballet commercial for the production. It’s a favorite portable drink for beach days, park hangs and events like the National Puerto Rican Day Parade and West Indian American Day Parade.
Signature properties: The original nutcracker was made with Amaretto, whiskey, the now-discontinued Bacardi 151 and pineapple juice. But every mixologist has their own formula, usually multiple spirits and fruity juice. One property that all nutcrackers share is they’re really strong, so always sip slowly when enjoying one.
Where to get it: Just listen for vendors yelling “nutcrackers!” the next time you’re hanging at the beach or in one of NYC’s parks. Tatiana by Kwame Onwuachi serves a great modern version of the drink.
Courtesy, Temple Bar
Penicillin
NYC background: Sam Ross developed this Scotch cocktail in the mid-2000s while he was a bartender at NYC’s Milk & Honey. It’s essentially a riff on the Gold Rush (another option from that legendary bar), replacing bourbon with blended Scotch. Its sweet, spiced flavor comes from honey-ginger syrup.
Signature properties: In addition to blended Scotch, honey-ginger syrup and fresh lemon juice, the penicillin is finished with a float of peaty Scotch. Ross serves the drink in a rocks glass without a straw, so the smokiness of that top layer of Scotch comes through with every sip. Garnished with a piece of candied ginger, it’s a near-perfect NYC cocktail.
Where to get it: Attaboy, The Campbell, Temple Bar, Brandy Library
Red Hook
NYC background: Named for the waterfront Brooklyn neighborhood, the Red Hook was conceived in 2003 by bartender Vincenzo Errico at now-defunct Milk & Honey, one of the bars that kicked off the rebirth of craft cocktails in the United States (and really the world). It riffs on the Manhattan and Brooklyn, combining elements of both to make a uniquely delicious drink.
Signature properties: The Red Hook is made with rye whiskey, maraschino cherry liqueur and the Italian vermouth Punt e Mes, which translates to “point and a half,” meaning that it’s a balance of sweet and bitter. The liquids are stirred and served in a coupe glass that’s garnished with a maraschino cherry.
Where to get it: The Dead Rabbit Grocery and Grog, Le Crocodile
Red Snapper. Photo: Maurese/iStock
Red Snapper
NYC background: Every St. Regis hotel has its own Bloody Mary, and it all started in the City, with the red snapper at the St. Regis’s fabled King Cole Bar. When it was first created by Fernand Petiot in 1934, Bloody Mary was deemed too scandalous a name, so the cocktail was rechristened the red snapper.
Signature properties: A Bloody Mary describes a drink made with vodka, but the red snapper replaces vodka with gin. The spirit of choice is mixed with tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, celery salt and any other herbs and spices the bartender chooses. It’s traditionally garnished with a celery stalk and lime wedge, but everything from pickled green beans to bacon have adorned the purported morning hangover cure.
Where to get it: King Cole Bar, Double Chicken Please, Egg Shop, Nura
