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It may still occasionally feel like summer in NYC, but the days are growing shorter and apples and pumpkins are showing up at farmers markets — just waiting to be turned into seasonal fall drinks. That’s right: It’s time for the return of dark spirits, baking spice, and heartier flavors in glasses across the city. It’s also the season of celebrations, from Day of the Dead and Halloween through to Oktoberfest, Thanksgiving, and beyond – and it’s the time of year when many new restaurants open their doors. Here are the drinks to enjoy in cozy bars and outdoor patio spaces, until the last of the colorful leaves drift from the city’s trees.
Must be 21 years of age or older to consume alcoholic beverages. Please drink responsibly.
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Peacock Alley at Waldorf Astoria New York Midtown East
Waldorf Cocktail
Within the newly revamped Waldorf-Astoria, the gilded Peacock Alley at Waldorf Astoria New York has all the glitz, live piano, and tourist appeal. Lex Yard slips under the radar as a more sedate and sprawling space – and like the showy Peacock, it also has a cocktail program headed by PDT’s Jeff Bell. If you like a Manhattan, the Waldorf Cocktail will suit just fine, made with Jaywalk Heirloom Rye Whiskey from New York Distilling Co. and sweet vermouth in an absinthe-rinsed glass. It’s a perfect power lunch pairing with a juicy Lex Burger. Read more about the return of the iconic hotel and its dining spaces here.
Elsa Cobble Hill
Mirrored Compass
On autumn’s more blustery evenings, settle into this cozy cocktail bar for a dirty martini with a local twist: EVOO-washed Brooklyn Gin and Greenhook Gin, plus Cocchi Vermouth di Torino extra dry and lacto-fermented brines. It’s also a good one to enjoy on the backyard’s heated patio. Keep an eye out for special events and drink menus, too — we’re eagerly awaiting the return of Spooky Movie nights in October.
Celestine Dumbo
Moonlight
The waterfront view is still one of the best, making it a special place to bring out-of-town visitors or splash out on date night. It’s hard to go wrong with the Mediterranean-focused wine list, but the cocktails merit attention too, including this spicy mezcal margarita made with blood orange amaro and yuzu curacao, finished with blood orange salt. Pro tip: plan ahead, Celestine will be open for Thanksgiving again this year.
KABIN Hudson Square
Kardamom Bun
With a revamped Nordic Air & Travel theme and new daytime coffee service, this Scandinavian favorite channels a playful Nordic vibe. The Kardamom Bun reimagines the beloved pastry in liquid form: aged rum and bourbon with brown butter, cardamom, and demerara, enriched with egg white and stout. On weekdays, get your fika on with espresso drinks and beans from a collab with Norwegian roaster Tim Wendelboe.
The Yacht Club Chelsea
Espresso Martini
This indoor-outdoor spot on the 10th floor of the Starrett-Lehigh Building is just right for that shoulder season when warm weather still lingers, or when we wish it would for just a while longer. Opt for the Tequila-spiked espresso martini, made with New Orleans cold brew and Amarula, a spiced cream liqueur from South Africa. It’s on the drink menu in the dining room, as well as at the outdoor Lido Deck with expansive waterfront views. Or, channel the last of the summer vibes with chilled bubbles and a tower of oysters.
Rosevale Cocktail Room Theater District
Rosevale Irish Coffee
Sure, you could order something more sedate, like a martini (Rosevale has one of the most extensive vermouth collections in the entire city). But odds are, if you’re pre- or post-gaming a Broadway show nearby, you want a little drama with your drink. This delivers, and then some, as the whiskey- and brandy-spiked brew delivers steamy, aromatic theatrics as it brews a “diorama” of botanicals. It’s finished with cider donut cream, plus a thick block of chocolate grated over the drink, tableside. All eyes will be on you. Pro tip: Thursdays to Saturdays starting at 8 p.m, you can nip into The Blue Vault, a hidden tasting room with a collection of rare whiskies and vintage theater memorabilia.
Mixteca West Village
Vampiro
Another one from PDT’s Jeff Bell, as well as bartender Victor Lopez (also of PDT), this agave bar opened in August, as an ode to Lopez’s hometown of Puebla, Mexico, and its vast array of agave spirits. The focal point of the space is a vaulted back bar clad in deep blue Talavera tiles reminiscent of historic cantinas. Order this show-stopping drink (yes, it’s served with fake fangs as the garnish) on Halloween, or all year round: it’s a spicy mix of reposado Tequila, Sangrita, lime, and Squirt, plus adobada rub for extra savory heat. Hungry? Order Tijuana-style tacos from the first East Coast location of Tacos 1986 and they’ll be delivered to the bar. And keep an eye out for luxe cocktail lounge Kees, opening downstairs from Mixteca this fall.
ADDA East Village
Oye Khajoor
At this innovative Indian restaurant, non-alcoholic cocktails receive particular attention. This rich sipper (with a name translating from Hindi as “Hey, Date”) centers salted date syrup, along with a smoky zero-proof agave spirit and zero-proof coffee liqueur, finished with Coca-Cola. The complex end result is somewhere between a batanga (typically made with Tequila, lime juice, and Mexican Coke) and an espresso martini, with a luxuriously foamy head. Another attraction on the menu: A trio of half-size sippers based on Adda’s housemade mint, tamarind, and mango pickle chutneys.
Narkara Union Square
Rice Paddy Herb Martini
At this Thai newcomer focused on regional dishes from north and northeast Thailand, the bar program offers plenty of culinary touches. A prime example: This stiff, faintly savory sipper is made with jasmine green tea–steeped gin and dry vermouth infused with rice paddy herb (a leafy plant native to Southeast Asia, with a savory, citrusy flavor some liken to lemongrass), garnished with a sprig of the herb. It’s a refreshing accompaniment to lime-cured tuna ceviche with cashews.
Osteria Radisa Brooklyn
Never For Money
While you might default to the low-intervention wine list to pair with the comforting northern Italian fare influenced by the Emilia-Romagna region, spare a minute for an aperitivo — the tightly-edited cocktail menu contains some pleasant surprises. Beverage director Althea Codamon’s golden signature drink nods to her Filipino heritage, mixing coconut-washed Ginebra gin from the Philippines, pomelo-calamansi juice, dry vermouth, and basil, for a refreshing, herbaceous start.
Sip & Guzzle West Village
Miami Vice Negroni
We love a good drink mash-up. This version takes the summery Miami Vice (a blend of strawberry daiquiri and piña colada) into colder-weather territory, tempering it with bittersweet Negroni flavors. It’s just what we want paired with the venue’s new izakaya-influenced burger: a wagyu patty topped with binchotan-smoked cabbage slaw, house-fermented shishito relish, and Parmesan on a sesame potato bun from Breads Bakery.
MUSAEK Koreatown
Yuza & Seaweed
If you’ve been watching the latest season of “Wednesday” on Netflix, you know this line: “I’m allergic to color.” The name Musaek means “colorless” in Korean. At this austere, subterranean Korean seafood restaurant beneath DubuHaus, that means clarified cocktails, accented by occasional, well-planned pops of color – like a sea-blue swath brushed on the side of this milk-washed gin drink with Korean pear and lychee. It also means dishes like delicately transparent fluke sashimi and a dramatic shaved-ice dessert topped with rich black sesame sauce. Make those alt-Halloween Resys now.
The Dead Rabbit New York City Financial District
Late Bloomer
Yes, this sprawling, multi-storied Irish pub makes one of the best Irish coffees in town and pours plenty of Guinness, but the zero-proof options also mean business. This rosy version, available in the Taproom, is made with blueberry, chamomile, sunflower honey syrup and Everleaf Forest non-alcoholic aperitif. For those across the river in Jersey City, N.J., the Dead Rabbit team opened San Patricios, an “Irish-Mexican cantina,” in mid-September. We suspect this will be a particularly fun choice for Day of the Dead celebrations in early November.
The Rum House Times Square
Painkiller
Fall show season is in full swing, so squirrel away in this Theater District oasis with a pre- or post-show drink. Located within the Edison Hotel, rum cocktails are the main attraction. Some nights you’ll be entertained by live music, other times you might find Bob Marley or even yacht rock accompanying well-made classics like the Painkiller (two kinds of rum, pineapple, coconut cream, and orange juice). And don’t sleep on happy hour, from 4 to 6 p.m., when excellent mai tais and daiquiris can be had for $10 — a true bargain in tourist-priced Times Square.
Foolproof Whiskey Bar Williamsburg
Barrel-Aged Old Fashioned
With more than 400 bottles of whiskey on offer at this warm, welcoming newcomer, you know what you’re here to try. In addition to pages and pages of American whiskey, the list also extends to Scotch, Irish and Japanese whiskey, and pours from countries including India, Mexico, and South Korea. Cocktails and spirits span beyond just whiskey, but the barrel-aged old fashioned has our attention, made with Michter’s bourbon, Spanish brandy and bitters; a barrel-aged Manhattan is on offer too.
Ye's Apothecary 夜莺 Lower East Side
Spice Isle
Located on border of Chinatown and the Lower East Side, this self-described “Chinese speakeasy and tapas bar” offers vintage Chinese glamour, warm lighting, and food and drinks inspired by traditional Chinese medicine. Spice Isle is made with coffee-finished rum, walnut, star anise, and orange, and presented in a beautiful ceramic mug. Of note, the menu helpfully spotlights the restorative attributes of some of the ingredients in each drink: Here, walnut is ascribed “warming” qualities, while star anise purportedly helps with respiratory issues. One thing’s for sure — the tropical sipper will help put out the fire from the spicy popcorn chicken bucket.
Len Len Flatiron
Tomato Som Tum
“It tastes like papaya salad,” whispered the guest sitting on the next bar stool at this new Thai bar and restaurant inspired by Bangkok’s 1970’s shophouses and farmers markets. It’s certainly fruity, spicy, and complex — a margarita-ish mix of blanco Tequila, tomato eau de vie, pear liqueur, tamarind, and fish sauce, clarified with peanut milk and finished with a tingly tomato-chile salt rim. Though inspired by som tum, a Thai green papaya salad, there’s no papaya in the drink, as it can read as bitter, says bar manager Robert Lam-Burns. Also worth trying: the “bantam-sized” Jasmine Martini.
