Our Favorite New Spring Cocktails
We’ve been lavishing lots of love on spring dishes as of late, like Lamb with Ramps and Fiddlehead Ferns, and Ricotta-Swabbed Pasta dotted with Asparagus Tips and Morel Mushrooms. (Sounds delicious, no?) But restaurant cocktail menus have also undergone a sprightly seasonal makeover, and from the “Organic Pea Mojito” at Rouge Tomate on the (lower) Upper East Side to the strawberry-flavored “Kon-Tiki” at Wallflower in the West Village, we’re rounding up the most mouth-watering, warm weather libations in New York!
Hotel Delmano
The tipples at this slinky Williamsburg cocktail den have definitely gotten the spring treatment. Perch at the curved, marble bar or settle into one of the plush, jewel-toned banquettes with a tall, shaken “Lucky Cloud,” made with local gin, beach plum gin and raspberry grenadine, the “White Light” with rhum agricole, kaffir lemongrass syrup and triple sec, or the “Violent Femme,” a muddle of vodka, dill syrup, cucumber, lemon, kummel and rhubarb bitters.
Read MoreThe Butterfly
Most Michael White restaurants are considered destinations for all things pasta, but the year-old The Butterfly is a must-try for expertly mixed cocktails. And acclaimed mixologist Eben Freeman has just released a number of creative, seasonal riffs on classic libations for spring, like the “Violet Fizz” with crème de violette, egg white and lime, a “Beet Sangria” with red wine and brandy, and a “Lovage Sour” made with gin, lemon, and vermouth infused with lovage; an aromatic herb in the celery family.
Read MoreRouge Tomate
Helmed by award-winning sommelier and beverage director Pascaline Lepeltier, Rouge Tomate’s cocktail program features fresh juices from the restaurant’s in-house juice bar, and they even plan to debut their very own Rhubarb Beer next month! The stalky spring delicacy can also be found in the “Rhubarb Sidecar,” made with rhubarb juice and Calvados and garnished with a lavender flower, and it doesn’t get more seasonal than a “Spring Pea Mojito,” comprised of organic pea juice, yuzu, biodynamic elderflower syrup and mint, or the “Spring Onion Granité Martini,” topped with a potent scoop of pickled, blended and chilled young allium.
Read MoreGolden Cadillac
This new, East Village hot spot is inspired by 1970’s-era NYC, but tempers unapologetic kitsch and decadence with modern polish and finesse. And that largely translates to a cocktail menu offering refined takes on otherwise cloying, admittedly tacky tipples, like a “Harvey Wallbanger” with vodka, galliano and clarified orange juice, a “Lava Flow” Daiquiri swirled with fresh strawberry puree, and a rosy “Pink Chihuahua” made with tequila, lemon, orgeat, pomegranate and egg white.
Read MoreWallflower
Xavier Herit was the head bartender at Daniel for seven years, and is now bringing serious mixology cred to this alluring new, West Village speakeasy. Try his “Fake Russian” with tea-infused vodka, smoked pineapple syrup and chartreuse, the “Green Lantern” with aquavit, sake and tarragon, the “Sho Sho” with carrot shochu, carrot ginger syrup and ginger beer, and the breezy “Kon-Tiki;” a disarmingly boozy amalgam of sherry, three types of rum, lime, strawberry syrup and coconut milk.
Read MoreDistilled
Ever heard of Mead? You will soon, so you might want to get acquainted with this spicy, fermented honey beverage. While most people drink “Mead” in the winter and fall, Distilled’s offering up a surprisingly refreshing and light version. This Tribeca gastropub adds it to their surprisingly refreshing “Sueño Vida” cocktail, paired with aperol, gin and house-charged grapefruit bitters, and other spring-appropriate options currently include the “Sparkle & Shine” with cherry moonshine, champagne and rhubarb shrub, and the “Dram Betty” with vodka, cucumber, kummel (a sweet liqueur made with fennel & cumin) and Maldon herb salt.
Read MoreRamona
From the owners of East Village favorite, Elsa, this stylish, bi-level new Brooklyn bar couples standby cocktails, like Manhattans and Sazeracs with original, seasonal libations. Current offerings include “The Handsome Grandson,” an herbaceous combination of bay leaf syrup, gin, basil and lime, the floral “Perfume-V” with rose petal tequila, elderflower syrup and orange flower water, and the verdant “Broken Mirror;” a vibrantly green concoction including absinthe, mint, lime and foraged dandelion-burdock bitters.
Read MoreForagers City Table
When this Chelsea market and eatery refers to themselves as “farm-to-table,” they’re not just paying lip service to the the oft-overused term. From produce to eggs, they source much of what they use from their farm upstate, and rely on their own distribution trucks to run pastured meat from the countryside to their restaurant. So it’s no surprise that their seasonal aesthetic extends all the way to their drinks menu, which currently includes a “Hare of the Dog” with tequila, hibiscus tea, ginger and lemon, a “Pomelo Blossom” with gin and fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice, and a “Foragers Bloody Mary,” made with a homemade Bloody Mary mix and organic Carrots.
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