Hottest Cold-Weather Cocktails
A.F. Rapoport Hot Buttered Rum at Joseph Leonard
Self-proclaimed “bar with serious food” Joseph Leonard, in the West Village, is serving hot buttered rum developed by loyal customer Andy Rapoport. A.F. Rapoport Hot Buttered Rum batter is insanely rich and buttery, laced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and Eastern spices. Order one, and the bartender will mix a scoop of the batter with Sailor Jerry spiced rum and freshly grated nutmeg. You can skip dessert.
Joseph Leonard: 170 Waverly Place, 646.429.8383
Hot Apple Spiced Punch at Prima
Greg Seider, the cocktail architect who curated the tipples at East Village newcomer Prima, is adding a bourbon and Nocello walnut liqueur–spiked hot apple cider punch to the menu. The boozy concoction is nicely balanced with lemon, orange juice, and a dash of bitters. Seider’s cred extends to the recent revamping of Le Bernardin’s cocktail menu, so we’re more than a little comfortable coming to him for our midwinter spiced punch needs.
Prima: 58 East 1st Street, 646.559.4823
The Cheshire Regiment at the Bar Room at The Modern
Danny Meyer’s decadent midtown dining room at MoMA is getting festive with sparkling cocktails. Beverage director Ehren Ashkenazi puts a twist on the classic French 75 by combining Beefeater gin, Pineau des Charentes infused with raspberries, Punt e Mes vermouth, and sparkling rosé. It’s like drinking a Parisian holiday light show.
The Bar Room at The Modern: 9 West 53rd Street, 212.333.1220
Shackleton at Fedora
Fedora co-owner and mixologist Brian Bartels combines smoked simple syrup and the bombastically bitter Italian liqueur Fernet-Branca to give this bourbon-based cocktail the distinct ability to slam the door shut on the wintry weather outside. The abundant botanicals in the Fernet prove particularly warming.
Fedora: 239 West 4th Street, 646.449.9336
Bacon-Infused Bourbon Old Fashioned (Benton’s Old Fashioned) at PDT
We’ve been drinking this porcine cocktail for many a winter now, as nothing beats the synergy of bacon and bourbon in the dead of winter—or anytime of year, really. If you don’t believe improvements can be made to a classic Old Fashioned, just imagine hitting your frostbitten lips with the smokiness of bacon-infused bourbon paired with dark maple syrup.
PDT: 113 Saint Marks Place, 212.614.0386
