New Yorkers love their alcohol, so much so that many cocktails have been named in their honor. When you go to Old Town Bar or McSorley’s you may just want to stick with draft beer because it goes better with chicken wings, but here are more than a dozen cocktail recipes to get you started at home. By all means, try them all. We just recommend you not do it all at once.
Harlem Nights
3 oz tequila
3 oz coconut rum
2 oz coffee liqueur
Splash of pineapple juice
Splash of peach schnapps
Staten Island Ferry
Equal parts Malibu rum and pineapple juice, mixed
Serve over ice in highball glass
Madison Fizz
3/4 oz lemon juice
3/4 oz simple syrup (recipe below)
1/2 oz Marie Brizard apricot liqueur
1 oz Bombay gin
1 1/2 to 2 oz champagne
Garnish: Mint sprig or slice of apricot
Closing Bell
1 lime wedge
Sugar for garnish
1 1/2 oz Don Julio tequila
1/2 oz triple sec
Dash lime juice
1 oz mango purée
Dash simple syrup
Dash Grand Marnier
1 oz sour mix
Dash tonic water
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water in a saucepan
Simple syrup: Combine sugar and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil for a few seconds. Set aside to cool.
Rub the rim of a tall glass with rind of lime, and dip the rim in granulated sugar to coat. Pour the tequila, triple sec, lime juice, purée, syrup, Grand Marnier, and sour mix into a shaker, and shake well. Fill the glass with ice, strain the shaker's contents into the glass, and top with tonic water.
The Brooklyn
3 dashes cherry liquer
1.0 oz rye/whiskey
0.75 oz Vermouth
Mix together with crushed ice in a glass and garnish with mint leaves
Autumn in New York
1 oz Cognac
1 bottle Zima
Pour both the Remy Martin cognac and Zima into a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice cubes. Shake gently, strain into a highball glass, and serve
New York Flip
1 oz Bourbon
3/4 oz Tawny Port
1 Egg Yolk
3/4 oz Cream
1/4 oz Sugar Syrup
1 pinch Nutmeg
Shake well over ice cubes in a shaker. Strain, sprinkle with nutmeg, and serve.
New York Lemonade
1 oz Grand Marnier
2 oz Citrus Vodka
2 oz Lemon Juice
1 oz Club Soda
Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass with a frosted rim (lemon and sugar).
New York Black Haus
1/2 oz Irish Cream
1/2 oz Pear Liqueur
1 oz Black Haus
Pour all ingredients into a shot glass, stir, and serve.
New York Mofo
1/4 oz Vodka
1/4 oz Coffee Liqueur
1/4 oz Gin
1/4 oz Rum
2 oz Cream
Pour the vodka, rum, gin and Kahlua coffee liqueur into a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice cubes. Shake well, and strain into a cocktail glass. Top with cream as desired, and serve.
New York Sour
1 1/2 oz rye whiskey, 80 proof
3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
3/4 oz simple syrup
Splash of fresh orange juice
1/2 oz dry red wine
Garnish: Half orange wheel and maraschino cherry
The Ruby Foo
1 1/2 oz. (or equal parts) super-premium vodka (your choice; Ruby Foo's uses VOX) and plum sake
1 oz. cranberry juice
A splash of lemon juice and a splash of pineapple juice (a splash is equal to 1/8–1/4 oz.)
New York Cocktail
2 oz blended whiskey
1 oz lemon juice
1 tsp superfine sugar
1/2 tsp grenadine
Lemon twist for garnish
The White Way Cocktail
3/4 oz Creme de Menthe
1 1/2 oz Gin
Shake with ice, strain into cocktail glass
Manhattan
Dash Angostura bitters
3/4 oz sweet vermouth (preferably Stock)
2 1/2 oz rye whisky (preferably Old Overholt)
Long Island Iced Tea
2 cups ice cubes
1 oz vodka
1 oz gin
1 oz white rum
1 oz white tequila
1/2 oz Triple Sec
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup cola, or to taste
2 lemon wedges