There’s a never-ending argument over which city has the best bars and bartenders – New York or London. While towns like Las Vegas and New Orleans want to muscle in on some of that action, but, the biggest city in the USA against the busiest capital in Europe.
If pushed into a corner, I’d choose London for the best cocktail scene — even with an exchange rate that will very literally break the bank. However, on a recent run through New York on another story, I spun around the city on a night off to try two of the newer and more popular cocktail joints in town.
Related: 21st Amendment, New Orleans Mixology
With a hotel in Brooklyn Heights serving as my base of operations for a night, I started out walking toward Smith Street and ended up at Clover Club – a very popular mix of cocktails, trendy vests and jazz. The mood is friendly enough in that very New York, “almost, but not quite up its own arse” kind of way. They forgave me for the unforgivable sin of not living in Brooklyn – not even Queens – to layout a few small samples of their excellent designer drinks.
As long as you’re there, you might as well start off with the house speciality. The titular $12 Clover Club employs gin, dry vermouth, lemon, raspberry and egg white for a stylish drink acceptable to masculine or feminine palettes. The Brooklyn VIP sticks with the gin and vermouth theme, adding Velvet Falernum, fino sherry, rose water and a dash of absinthe.
If you want to go more exotic, take on one of the bar’s sophisticated Royales (sparkling wine cocktails served in a glass to match) or a classic Fizz (usually a sour cocktail pepped up with a soda water).
When business took me into Manhattan and over to Union Square and Gramercy, Adalya (a very young restaurant on Irving Place) offered up its small, but original cocktail selection. My immediate favorite was the Sleeping car, with Cognac, Calvados, Lemon and Simple Syrup. For a stronger, smokier taste, there’s the Cellar Door with Tequila, Mezcal, Lime, Cassis and Ginger Beer. Finally, with summer nearing, consider the simple Kiss My Fizz and its Gin, Limoncello, Basil and Prosecco.
