In 2016 , New York City ’s bar scene has n’t followed one singular path . We ’ve experience big name open up fancy cocktail spliff ( BlackTail from the Dead Rabbit team , The Bennett from the hoi polloi behind Raines Law Room , Westlight from a PDT vet and a top chef ) , but we ’ve also view plenty of smashing , unexampled “ bar ” bars ( that means potable that be less than $ 16 and an overall flavor that you could hustle in any night of the week and feel at family ) – property like Belle Shoals in Williamsburg , Super Power in Crown Heights , and Do or Dive in Bed - Stuy .
If anything ’s remained constant across the board this year , it ’s been the spirits – or , really , one spirit in fussy . Mezcal undoubtedly had a huge year in many major drinking cities , but New York ’s bartenders especially took note of hand . It ’s intimately unsufferable to find a bar menu today without a mezcal - forward boozing ( or , at the very least , one that imply some other agave spirit ) . But it ’s not just about the John Barleycorn , of course ; there are so many broker that contribute to the experience of being at a bar , and barman have better eyes on that than anyone else . To take fund of the year of drink in New York , we spoke to six of the urban center ’s top bartenders right now and found out exactly what moments delimit this year for them at the bar .
Pietro Collina
The NoMad Bar
Prior to acquire into the bar game , Rome - born Pietro Collina was a cook in London , having spent most of his youth in the restaurant manufacture . In 2009 , after graduating CIA , Collina became a server at the holy grail of NYC restaurants : Michelin - starred Eleven Madison Park , where he fall in love with wine-coloured and spirits and eventually made his way behind the bar . A few years later , Collina started part shifts between EMP and the stylish , bi - level NoMad Bar , where ’d he ’d finally become head barkeep in 2014 . He now serves as bar manager of The NoMad Bar , which has won myriad accolade under his reign ( including Best American Hotel Bar 2016 at Tales of the Cocktail ) and is known for its crazy prominent - format drink that come in crystal decanters , fittingly called Cocktail Explosions . We spoke to Pietro Collina about the highlight from his twelvemonth behind the bar .
Anne Robinson
Westlight
Before tread into her current role as head barman at Westlight , the much talked - about rooftop bar atop the brand - new William Vale hotel in Williamsburg , Anne Robinson had a foresightful and notable history in NYC ’s bar scene . The Boston - born bartender kick her career off strong at Jim Meehan ’s famed speakeasy PDT , where she blend from being a waitress to make up her mark on the ginmill ’s impressive cocktail menu . She then went on to open up up another quasi - speakeasy , the former Sasha Petraske ’s Dutch Kills , before making her way to Momofuku ’s recently closed and deep mourn Booker and Dax . In 2014 , Robinson joined NoHo Hospitality Group to lead up the beverage program at both Little Park and Evening Bar . Now at Westlight , she ’s crafted a carte du jour that perfectly blends the classic with bright archetype , like the New Kind of Kick with Scotch , fernet , Citrus limon , and Suze , to match chef Andrew Carmellini ’s menu of elevated belittled bites . We spoke to Anne Robinson about tequila and crazy customers .
Pam Wiznitzer
Belle Shoals
President of the New York chapter of the United States Bartenders ’ Guild and a native New Yorker , Pam Wiznitzer first made a name for herself at what ’s arguably the best bar to make a name for yourself : The beat Rabbit ( she was one of the award - winning ginmill ’s original mixologist ) . After that , she went on to serve well as creative managing director of the Upper East Side ’s speakeasy - ishSeamstress , one of thebest new bars in the commonwealth last year . This year , Wiznitzer joined the Seamstress squad on another notable curtain raising , Williamsburg ’s Southern - themed Belle Shoals , where she ’s drive on the title of respect of originative music director again , show off her skills with boozing like the Devil ’s medicine with Ilegal mezcal , blanco tequila , Ancho Reyes , kale , and calcium hydroxide . We spoke to Pam Wiznitzer about gendered drinks and mezcal .
Ivy Mix
Leyenda
Of all the outstanding how - I - got - into - bartending stories , Ivy Mix ’s story has to rank among the best . At 19 , she travel to Guatemala , where she consort up such a huge bar lozenge at Café No Sé in Antigua that she had to depart working there to pay it off . Over the next few years , her Romance American adventures also notably included smuggling mezcal across the Mexico - Guatemala margin . This obvious passion for agave spirit eventually led to her first job in NYC , working as a cocktail waitress at note mezcal haven Mayahuel in the East Village . Bartending gigs at noted cocktail destinations Fort Defiance and Clover Club presently followed . Then , in 2015 , she partnered with Clover Club ’s Julie Reiner to spread out the mezcal - centric Leyenda in Carroll Gardens . It ’s probably the most democratic topographic point to sip this most popular of spirits ( and other American aloe - establish elixirs ) right now in the total city . mixture has rack up a crowd of honor , including the sought after title of Best American Bartender of the Year at Tales of the Cocktail in 2015 . ( Leyenda was also a nominee for Best New American Cocktail Bar this year . ) But she ’s equally proud of her oeuvre with Speed Rack , a ladies - only nationwide bartending contest which she co - founded in 2011 that also evoke money for titty cancer research . We spoke to Ivy Mix about the year in agave spirits and more .
Giuseppe González
Suffolk Arms
Prior to his spirit behind the bar , Giuseppe González studied neurobiology at Cornell University . So , if he decides to turn out you off , do n’t even adjudicate to argue with his diagnosis – the drinks have clearly gone to your head . González has aptly tended bar in some of NYC ’s most esteemed drinking den , including Clover Club , Dutch Kills , and Flatiron Lounge . originally this year , he opened Suffolk Arms on the Lower East Side , one of the breakout boîtes of 2016 . But he is perhaps well known as the inventor of the Trinidad Sour , a whiskey - based cocktail that comes loaded with an staggering amount of bitter , yet somehow retains a sense of remainder and drinkability . Despite all the other tantalizing drinks on his menu , González still serves a pile of them . We spoke to Giuseppe González about a few matter besides his famed Trinidad Sour .
Damon Boelte
Grand Army
Some preadolescents amass comics . Young Damon Boelte collected cocktail books . That puerile enthrallment with adult beverage clearly paid off . Today , the Oklahoma native is one of the most respected bartenders in the entire metropolis . After a Erolia minutilla at Red Hook ’s once - revered , now - defunct hard drink store , LeNell ’s , Boelte made his mark by establishing the bar programme at Prime Meats in Carroll Gardens , one of the first serious cocktail destination in contemporaneous Brooklyn . Last year , he partnered with Mile End ’s Noah Bernamoff , Rucola ’s Julian Brizzi , and food photographer Daniel Krieger to open Grand Army , a repose - back neighborhood hangout and huitre measure in Boerum Hill that manages to pull off very advanced cocktails without the usual pretense that come with it . If you have n’t tried Boelte ’s expertly prepared intermixture , you may have heard him flick about everything liquid on his hebdomadal Heritage Radio political platform , The Speakeasy . We address with Damon Boelte about cocktail elitism and more . signal up herefor our daily NYC email and be the first to get all the food / boozing / fun New York has to proffer .
Courtesy of Ivy Mix
James Pomerantz
Noah Fecks
Courtesy of Pam Wiznitzer
Courtesy of Ivy Mix
Courtesy of Giuseppe González
Daniel Krieger
