 |
Illustrations by Remi Geoffroi
|
Gin
-
- Madam Geneva
-
4 Bleecker St., at Bowery; 212-254-0350
The moodily lit lounge hidden in back of AvroKO’s Bowery hot spot Double Crown takes its name from an old British slang term for gin. The Beefeater comes sweetened with housemade jam.
Best drink: the tart and refreshing Rangpur gimlet, made with Tanqueray Rangpur gin mixed with homemade lime cordial ($12).
 |
Scotch
-
- Highlands
-
150 W. 10th St., at Waverly Pl.; 212-229-2670
The West Village tavern is defined by all things Scotland, from the tartan décor to the haggis to the expansive list of Scotch whiskeys (Glenrothes, Compass Box, Oban) that glow beneath bare-filament bulbs.
Best drink: the smoky, fruity Blood and Sand cocktail, made with Highland Park Scotch, Cherry Heering, orange and lemon juices, and bitters ($12).
 |
Rum
-
- Roneria Caracas at Caracas Brooklyn
-
291 Grand St., nr. Havemeyer St., Williamsburg; 718-218-6787
The lively branch of the East Village’s Venezuelan arepas joint serves 30-plus rums available for sipping or in consulting mixologist Orson Salicetti’s (Apothéke) imaginative cocktails.
Best drink: the bay-leaf-scented Rum Manhattan, incorporating Venezuela’s Santa Teresa Gran Reserva ($11).
 |
Tequila and Mescal
-
- Cabrito
-
50 Carmine St., nr. Bedford St.; 212-929-5050
Zak Pelaccio’s mellow West Village Mexican restaurant pours nearly a dozen mescals and 70-plus tequilas spanning young, bold blancos, like the earthy Gran Centenario, to barrel-aged añejos, like Partida.
Best drink: the Mexican Firing Squad, made with tequila, pomegranate syrup, bitters, and fresh lime ($12).
 |
Bourbon and Whiskey
-
- Rye House
-
11 W. 17th St., nr. Fifth Ave.; 212-255-7260
Chelsea’s rustic-American gastropub serves more than 70 bourbons and whiskeys (including a rare variety of Utah’s High West Rocky Mountain rye). Freemans vets Lynnette Marrero and Jim Kearns crafted the cocktails.
Best drink: the citrusy punch amped up with chai-infused Wild Turkey rye and Batavia Arrack ($12).
 |
Vodka
-
- Vlada Lounge
-
331 W. 51st St., nr. Eighth Ave.; 212-974-8030
Hell’s Kitchen’s sleek gay lounge is run by Russian Samovar’s Vlada von Shats, who chills eighteen vodkas infused with oddities like ginger, grapefruit, and horseradish. Drinks are usually two for one from 4 to 8 p.m.
Best drink: the bracing ginger infusion, served straight up and kept chilled on the bar top’s inlaid ice ($12).