Tiffany Short’s Silent Aku
At the Library at the Public, 425 Lafayette St., nr. Astor Pl.; 212-539-8777
This riff on a classic tiki cocktail (the Astro Aku Aku) uses calamansi in place of lemon or lime. When made properly, tiki drinks aren’t actually sweet. “We got the cup from a Chinatown kitchen-supply store,” Short adds. “Tiki drinks are supposed to be served in their own specific vessel; tiki nerds take presentation very seriously and can get quite hysterical if you use the wrong one.”
Photo: Bobby Doherty/New York Magazine. Illustration by Murphy Lippincott.
Joaquín Simó’s Old Fashioned
At Pouring Ribbons, 225 Ave. B, nr. 14th St.; 917-656-6788
This new version of the standby Old Fashioned forgoes the traditional whiskey base. Simó, recently named American Bartender of the Year at the Tales of the Cocktail awards, blends Barbancourt 8-Year rum with demerara and both orange and root-beer bitters (the bar’s own). The springy finishing touch is a teaspoon of crème de pêche.
Photo: Bobby Doherty/New York Magazine. Illustration by Murphy Lippincott.
Xavier Herit’s Green Lantern
At Wallflower, 235 W. 12th St., nr. Greenwich Ave.; no phone
When Herit was working on his juicy ode to the comic-book hero, many of his taste-testers thought it contained Chartreuse. Apparently, they were confusing his tarragon syrup for the centuries-old liqueur; inspired, Herit added a small amount to the final drink, which also uses Linie aquavit and yuzu sake.
Photo: Bobby Doherty/New York Magazine. Illustration by Murphy Lippincott.
Jesse Vida’s Jesse’s Girl
At Booker and Dax, 207 Second Ave., at 13th St.; 212-254-3500
Vida (who also tends bar at Dutch Kills) designed this drink with Booker and Dax’s shaved-ice machine in mind”the mix of Aperol and rhubarb-“based, slightly bitter Zucca is meant to work well with the quickly melting ice. And that hard-to-place ingredient on the tip of your tongue? Umeboshi vinegar.
Photo: Bobby Doherty/New York Magazine. Illustration by Murphy Lippincott.
Jillian Vose’s Part-time Lover
At Death & Co, 433 E. 6th St., nr. Ave. A; 212-388-0882
Warm-weather cocktails needn’t be fruity and light, as head bartender Vose (late of Maison Premiere) proves with this staff favorite from the new spring menu. Vose’s base for the stiff, stirred drink is New York Distilling Company’s Dorothy Parker gin; she blends that with manzanilla fina sherry, Dolin Blanc vermouth, green Chartreuse, maraschino, and absinthe.
Photo: Bobby Doherty/New York Magazine. Illustration by Murphy Lippincott.
Masa Urushido’s Strawberry Cobbler
At Saxon + Parole, 316 Bowery, at Bleecker St.; 212-254-0350
For Urushido’s twist on the classic sherry cobbler, which is traditionally made with fortified wine, sugar, and fruit, he uses extra-dry white rum, sparkling wine, Tio Pepe sherry, fresh strawberries, and housemade lemongrass shrub for a refreshing lift. “The sherry I use has a delicate nuttiness that the nutmeg perfectly complements,” he says. “It also goes really well with strawberries.”
Photo: Bobby Doherty/New York Magazine
Leo Robitschek’s Sons of Liberty
At the NoMad, 1170 Broadway, at 28th St.; 212-796-1500
This balanced and smooth drink blends apple brandy, bourbon, Earl Grey tea, and an egg white, all finished with black pepper. Robitschek says its patriotic name nods to the past: “Bourbon and apples are two very American ingredients which are also important to the legacy of drinking in this country.”
Photo: Bobby Doherty/New York Magazine. Illustration by Murphy Lippincott.
Franky Marshall’s Standard Bearer
At the Dead Rabbit, 30 Water St., nr. Broad St.; 646-422-7906
Inspired by a drink designed for a daytime-cocktail competition, this peppy number includes pear liqueur, fruit brandy, pineapple, chamomile tincture, and jasmine-infused whiskey. “When people say, “I hate whiskey,’ ” says Marshall, “I make them a cocktail and don’t tell them what they’re drinking. I do the reveal once they’ve tasted it.”
Photo: Bobby Doherty/New York Magazine. Illustration by Murphy Lippincott.
Johnny de Piper’s Velvet Curtain
At Featherweight, 135 Graham Ave., at Johnson Ave., Bushwick; 202-907-3372
This is a boozy, deconstructed tiramisu in liquid form with 12-year-aged rum, coffee liqueur, and an absinthe whipped-cream float. De Piper says it’s a drink that gets a reaction. “I was worried it was going to be a little too gimmicky”slash”TGI Friday’s,” he says, “but it’s been very popular.”
Photo: Bobby Doherty/New York Magazine. Illustration by Murphy Lippincott.
Craig Murphey (left) Ten Eyck Street and Union Avenue, Williamsburg. Early in the morning of October 18, 2007, Murphey was biking home from escorting his date to her South Williamsburg apartment. According to police reports, Murphey attempted to outrun a gas truck turning left on Ten Eyck Street. His pelvis shattered on impact, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. In his honor, over 40 friends have since received tattoos that read BE BETTER. Frank C. Simpson Linden Boulevard near 175th Street, St. Albans. Simpson, a janitor returning from the evening shift at a Con Edison facility, was hit by a Dodge Stratus on November 9, 2006.