As the temperatures continue to dip and the winter winds are still blowing, we yearn to retreat to a cozy New York bar that serves up festive cocktails. With an emphasis on smoke, fire, and toasted spices, these seasonal drinks are the perfect winter warmers.
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The star of this Greenwich Village craft cocktail bar is the Corduroy Pillow. It boasts the warming flavors of Applejack brandy, Tolstoy, cinnamon and vanilla syrups, and includes a dash of lemon. A cabernet float lends an ombré shading to the cocktail. The Corduroy Pillow is theatrically finished off with a charred cinnamon stick, which is still smoking when it arrives to the table. 212-432-0200, 19 W. 8th St., analoguenyc.com
Mace Cocktail Bar
This innovative craft cocktail destination offers its delectable Cinnamon 2.0, which is made with bourbon and sweet vermouth cooked sous-vide (vacuum-sealed and then placed in a water bath or steam environment for longer than normal cooking times) with the flavors of both peach and cinnamon. It is served “Mote Con Huesillo-style” with lapsang souchong (black tea)-cooked pearled barley. Very exotic! 649 E. 9th St., macenewyork.com
SakaMai
The signature cocktail at SakaMai is the Aged Smoke #2. Cinnamon sticks and cloves impart a deeply-spiced smoky undertone to the snifter, which is filled with barrel-aged sweet vermouth, cacao liqueur, rye, Hanahato Kijoshu aged sake, and a dash of almond extract.
646-590-0684, 157 Ludlow St., sakamai.com
Continuing the smoky theme is Tonchin’s
Smoked Matcha Cocktail. This artistically presented cocktail boasts premium matcha whisked together with Helix vodka and a dash of vanilla. It’s then topped with fresh whipped cream, placed inside a glass cloche, and smoked on the bar. The Smoked Matcha is served with a glass of Lustau ‘Pedro Ximenez’ San Emilio sherry, which is meant to be poured over the smoked cocktail for an umami-rich drink with just a hint of sweetness.
646-692-9912, 13 W. 36th St., tonchinnewyork.squarespace.com
The Wayland
Lots of interesting cutting-edge cocktails are served in The Wayland’s casual bar space. Explore the flavors of the I Hear Banjos–Encore drink. It is stirred and smoked, and features apple pie moonshine, rye whiskey, house apple-spice bitters, and applewood-cinnamon bark smoke.
212-777-7022, 700 E. 9th St., thewaylandnyc.com