Both the logo and the name of this bar refer to a jigger, the tool most used by bartenders to measure liquid ingredients for cocktails. You’ll have to cross the well-kept garden past the torch-lit fountain to enter.
Once you’re inside, the velvet decorations, deep bronze and dark wood tones will make you feel sophisticated and pampered. There’s an impressive marble bar where the star of the show, Mica Rousseau of Nikki beach Los Cabos and Buddha Bar Mexico, enchants visitors with cocktails.
I started with the Inside Manhattan from the Classics menu, made with bourbon, vermouth and Angostura bitters. It’s a classic combination of strong flavors with a new look thanks to the old-fashioned glass it’s served in and the hollow ice ball the bartender cracks open right before serving it.
There’s also a take on the Ramos Gin Fizz that hit the spot. An aromatic mixture of gin, lemon, egg while, whipped cream, and orange blossom water modernized with vanilla ice cream and violet syrup. It’s definitely a New Orleans style retro drink, and if not prepared correctly can be heavy.
His version of the gin fizz bouquets I also liked, it is an aromatic mixture of gin, lemon, egg white, whipped cream and orange blossom water, updated with vanilla ice cream and a touch of violet syrup. It's a retro drink, very New Orleans style that, if not prepared correctly, can be heavy and saccharine. However, this was not the case at Fifty Mils.
Should you want to nibble on something, the menu is far more exotic that anticipated with items like crab churros with serrano dressing – which really didn’t taste much like crab and just smacked of plain churro dough -, the hamburger with tomato jam or the Hamachi tuna tlayuda, both of which are home runs.
The vibe here is quiet and conducive for conversation and not a constant all-out rager. If you want to throw caution to the wind here, come for one of the DJ sets. With shows by Chelsea Leyland, the British-born NYC dweller, and Neon Rider, those nights are bursting with disco, funk and house beats. Pro tip: this is one of the few bars that’s open on Sunday and Monday. A perfect excuse to step out on a school night.