Flatiron Martini at Suffolk Arms
Photograph: Liz Clayman
Photograph: Liz Clayman

The best new vodka cocktails in NYC

See how top New York City bartenders are shaking and stirring new life into the once-maligned clear spirit

Dan Q Dao
Advertising

In the early years of New York's cocktail revolution, bar pioneers shunned vodka in favor of whiskey and gin, adhering strictly to the ethos of pre-Prohibition boozing. Now, a new crop of drink shakers at bars in NYC are giving spirited proof to vodka's bona fides with creative ingredients and newfangled presentations, dispelling the much-perpetuated myth that the clear spirit is flavorless and dull. From an Asian punch sipper to a Chemex-dripped Bloody Mary, these are the best cocktails with vodka in New York.

RECOMMENDED: See more cocktails in NYC

Best new vodka cocktails in New York

  • Cocktail bars
  • Williamsburg
The Northside at Belle Shoals
The Northside at Belle Shoals
At this Southern-twanged juke joint, head bartender Jimmy "Jimbo" Palumbo taps into the clear spirit’s ability to spotlight other subtle flavors. Iceland’s Reyka vodka and caraway-shot Brennivín aquavit are neatly soothed by splashes of cucumber and lime. $12
  • Lounges
  • Greenwich Village
Star Anise at Mace
Star Anise at Mace
Bar veteran Nico de Soto flexes his knack for spice-forward elixirs in this sophisticated tipple offsetting heady star-anise–infused Reyka vodka with bright rose-and-pomegranate shrub, sour verjus and bubbly champagne. $16
Advertising
  • Cocktail bars
  • Meatpacking District
True to the shtick of this café-cocktail bar mash-up, barman Tobin Ludwig slings a version of the vodka-tomato brunch classic made using a Chemex coffee dripper. The booze is infused with fresh horseradish, habanero, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce in the filter, while lemon and organic tomato juice are poured in à la minute. $16
  • Cocktail bars
  • Lower East Side
At his recently-opened solo project, Giuseppe González celebrates a long history of vodka innovation with an entire page of the spirit's greatest hits. This iconic stir, first created by the bartender's erstwhile mentor Julie Reiner in 2003, triples up on citrus with a bitter-tart mix of Grey Goose L'Orange, Lillet, Cointreau and orange bitters. $13
Advertising
  • Cocktail bars
  • West Village
Village Bicycle from Slowly Shirley
Village Bicycle from Slowly Shirley
Offered with either Dorothy Parker gin or Aylesbury Duck vodka, this aperitif from Jim Kearns zeroes in on traditional Eastern flavors with a blend of muddled kaffir lime, ginger and floral Giffard lychee liqueur rounded out by Dolin blanc vermouth. $16
  • Cocktail bars
  • Tribeca
Isla de Sol at the Bennett
Isla de Sol at the Bennett
True to it's name (it translates to "island of the sun" in Spanish), Meaghan Dorman's shaken cocktail evokes a sunny escape with chilled hibiscus tea and bright Wolffer Estate verjus offsetting Hangar One vodka and a splash of Giffard Creme de Peche in a Collins glass. $15
Advertising
  • Pan-Asian
  • Lower East Side
At this neon-lit Southeast Asian newcomer, bar man Andrew Borgia offers an emerald-hued refresher that tames Tito's vodka with fresh green melon and lime juices and matcha-infused honey over crushed ice. A dusting of bee pollen sourced from local keeper Andrew's Honey crowns the top, and a dollar of each drink goes towards the New York Beekeepers' Association. $15
Recommended
    You may also like
    You may also like
    Advertising