If you live in New York or plan to be there next week, we have 138 bars and 54 spirit producers to recommend.
That’s because November 18-24, 2024, is the inaugural kick-off of New York Bartender Week, where local spirits producers team up with great bars and distilleries to showcase their cocktail innovation in the Big Apple and throughout the State.
“We are so humbled by the enthusiasm, excitement, and support of the bartending and spirits community for New York Bartender Week,” says Hanna Lee, President of Hanna Lee Communications and Co-Founder of New York Bartender Week. “We are delighted that cocktail fans will have the opportunity to visit many different kinds of bars and salute their favorite bartenders during the festive week.”
"We are so humbled by the enthusiasm, excitement, and support of the bartending and spirits community for New York Bartender Week. We are delighted that cocktail fans will have the opportunity to visit many different kinds of bars and salute their favorite bartenders during the festive week.”
— Hanna Lee, President of Hanna Lee Communications and Co-Founder of New York Bartender Week
Not only are we here at Barleycorn reporting on this week-long event, but as a bartender at The Rose Room, a sexy little speakeasy in The Garden City Hotel on Long Island, we are in on the action. The Rose Room proudly present Sour Apples, our own Bartender Week cocktail. Indulging in fall flavors like spiced apple cider and fig cordial with New York Distilling’s Perry’s Tot Naval Strength Gin as our base spirit, this quirky cocktail embodies the autumn season most unusually. So if you are in Nassau county next week, visit The Rose Room or any participating bar for a truly special cocktail, or check out the Sour Apples recipe below to make at home. Either way, supporting New York Bartender Week helps local establishments and craft producers across the State. And all you have to do is enjoy the drinks.
“New York is the second largest producer of apples in the US, so I decided to indulge in the spirit of fall with local apple sauce and a beautiful fig cordial. The Naval strength gin is key here as the alcohol and botanicals shine through the other flavors instead of being lost in the shuffle. Campari is employed to temper the sweetness and create a bitter finish that gets the mouth watering for the next sip. — John McCarthy, The Rose Room
What You’ll Need:
- 2 oz New York Distilling Perry’s Tot Naval Strength Gin
- ¾ oz lemon
- ½ oz fig cordial
- ½ oz Organic New York State Apple Sauce
- 1/4 oz Cinnamon Syrup
- 1/4 oz Campari
- 2-3 dashes Apple Blossom Bitters
- ½ oz Egg White
How to Make It:
Dry shake egg white until it froths, about 30 seconds. Add all ingredients with ice and shake until very cold, Strain over fresh ice into a rocks glass. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and dried apple wedge. To make cinnamon syrup, boil two cups of water and add 2 cups of sugar. Lower heat and stir until sugar dissolves Add 5-6 cinnamon sticks and let steep in low for about 30-40 minutes. Strain and let cool.
John McCarthy is a spirit, travel, and lifestyle journalist, managing editor, and author of The Modern Gentleman and Whiskey Rebels: The Dreamers, Visionaries & Badasses Who Are Revolutionizing American Whiskey. McCarthy is also editor of Barleycorn Drinks and Director of Judging of the John Barleycorn Awards.
