While you certainly have your go-to happy hour and date-night spots, sometimes those get boring, and you want to kick it up a notch. Luckily, NYC is pretty great for offering unique experiences that serve booze. So, where should you go if you want to shake (not stir) things up a bit for your next round? Check out one of these interesting spots to grab a drink.
An immersive theater performance and a cocktail? Sign us up. Back by popular demand, PUBLIC ARTS is putting on a breathtaking production of "Carmen: To Havana and Back." Set in the haven of Havana’s infamous Tropicana Club in the 1950s, the performance touches on love, jealousy, and betrayal with you in the center of it all. But the immersion also extends well beyond the performance, as the venue is transformed in Carmen’s dressing room, covered in rhinestones, feathers, and glitter. There you can order an array of Cuban cocktails, like the Daiquiri, made with Havana Club Anejo Blanco, simple syrup and fresh lime juice, and the Celebratory Airmail, a mixture of Havana Club Blanco, honey syrup, fresh lime juice, and prosecco.
One of the best parts of the city is being able to escape it for a bit. So, take that drink out on to the river by boarding New York City’s only floating lobster shack, North River Lobster Company. They set sail frequently meaning you don’t have to stress about getting there and serve a line-up of beverages including the popular Watermelon Mule with lime vodka, Watermelon, and Thai basil, Lime, and Ginger Brew; Frozé! Frozé! Frozé! frozen cocktail featuring Cloud Chaser Rosé, botanical grapefruit vodka, strawberry, elderflower and lemon; and a Trio of Margaritas, including classic, nautical and blood orange are back for the season. Plus, you can order some stellar seafood and get unparalleled skyline views.
The McKittrick Hotel is already a great spot to grab a rooftop or 1920s themed drink. But a late-night cocktail just got a whole lot more magical. Now offered in The Club Car, "Speakeasy Magick" is a combination of up-close-and-personal prestidigitation and parlor magic, hosted by Todd Robbins. You sit at a small table as several magicians come to you to perform their best tricks. Sleight-of-hand extends to the bar offerings as well. Signature drinks include a stiff Old Fashioned and the hotel’s signature Sleep No More concoction, as well as a gilded bar cart with chilled bubbly, bespoke creations, and barrel-aged cocktails poured tableside.
There’s nothing better than laying beachside and dipping your toes in the sand. Unfortunately, that can’t happen regularly when working a nine-to-five. Or, can it? The Beach at Dream Downtown has the largest hotel pool rooftop in Manhattan boasting a 4,800-square-foot beach with real Hamptons-imported sand and a glass bottom swimming pool looking into the hotel lobby. Sit by the water with pals day or night while you order an Oversized Coco Colada ($200) with frozen coconut mousse topped with boozy shavings of Blue Curacao and Malibu Rum and seasonal fruit, or a Buzz Pop cocktail with vodka, tequila or rum.
You can watch aerialists and contortionists while you sip on a glass of Nicolas Feuillatte champagne, the official drink of Cirque du Soleil, this spring. Why? Well, the acrobatic company’s new Mexican-inspired show, Luzia, is running until June 9. There’s dancing, pole dancing, a water performance, and even an intricate soccer game during the two-hour performance. Order before the show or during intermission though because you won’t want to miss a single second the heart-stopping acts.
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