If New York City had a signature drink, there’s no doubt what it would be: the martini. The cocktail, like the city itself, is sophisticated, stylish and straightforward. And lately, it feels like a wave of bars has been swept up in martini madness, from the ubiquitous espresso to James Bond’s timeless Vesper.
Yet some of the city’s most beloved hotels, including the martini’s very birthplace, are shaking things up with offerings where the cocktail takes center stage. Here are five of our favorites, all worthy of a toast.
The Wall Street Hotel
At Forbes Travel Guide Recommended Wall Street Hotel, it’s always martini time. The Lounge on Pearl offers a creative spin on happy hour with its Martini Clock. At 4 p.m., the signature drink costs $8, $10 at 5 p.m., $12 at 6 p.m., and $15 at 7 p.m., ideal for the surrounding Financial District’s wheelers and dealers after the day’s closing bell.
The Lounge’s Triple Pearl Martini is a more customizable experience, a choose-your-own-adventure in a glass. Start by picking vodka or gin. After that comes the theater: a trio of martini pearls — highly concentrated, gastronomic spheres reminiscent of boba that are made in house — arrive elegantly presented on mother-of-pearl spoons. Pair each kind (dry, dirty and espresso) with a sip of your drink and watch the flavor explode.
The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel
Bemelmans Bar at Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star The Carlyle is an Upper East Side icon. With whimsical wallpaper by Ludwig Bemelmans, creator of the Madeline children’s books, the space has a fun, old-school New York atmosphere ideal for conversations and cocktails. With regards to the latter, it’s reported that the bar’s red-jacketed bartenders sometimes pour more than 1,000 martinis a night.
As nice as it can be to leave the drink-making to the pros, The Carlyle also lives by the old proverb that goes, “Teach a man to make a martini, and he’ll have something to drink for life.” That said, the hotel’s Martini Masterclass puts you in the hands of the best for a 45-minute session where you learn the differences between gin and vodka, shaken and stirred techniques, and what makes a pour dirty.
The Fifth Avenue Hotel
There’s nothing quite like a former Gilded Age mansion to put you in the mood to indulge. Decadence drives Forbes Travel Recommended Fifth Avenue Hotel‘s Martini Ritual. Every evening between 5 to 7, with the press of a button on the bedside tablet, a butler in an elegantly tailored white jacket will come to craft your perfect pour en suite.
Before getting to work, the butler curates the scene: drawing the velvet curtains, dimming the lights and turning on a jazzy soundtrack. Next, come the questions. Gin or vodka? Shaken or stirred? A gourmet garnish? What follows is a painstakingly precise preparation using the Portrait Bar’s recipe. But be warned: no other start to the evening will ever compare.
Should you want company, the Portrait Bar is the place to be. The space feels like a luxurious living room with a fireplace, dark wood paneling and a collection of personal art. There’s also a travel-inspired cocktail menu, in case you feel the need to branch out from the smooth classic.
The Knickerbocker
The martini legend looms large at this storied Times Square hotel. Some even call The Knickerbocker the cocktail’s birthplace. As the story goes, bartender Martini di Arma di Taggia concocted the first dry martini in 1919 for John B. Rockefeller in the hotel’s gilded ballroom. The true inventor remains disputed, but the cocktail has undeniably starred throughout the 120-year-old hotel’s history. The hard-drinking F. Scott Fitzgerald reportedly sipped The Knickerbocker’s original recipe while writing Mr. Icky, and opera singer Enrico Caruso was known to stop in for a glass, too.
That history lives on in the hotel’s programming today. At the fourth-floor Martini Lounge, a dedicated trolley wheels tableside to prepare the original recipe, paired with a caviar-topped croquette and a telling of the drink’s origin story. Should you want to extend the moment, book the Martini Suite, where you’ll find sophisticated design, Times Square views and Waterford’s Lismore Diamond crystal, a contemporary spin on the timeless 1950s pattern.
No matter which room you reserve, though, the party doesn’t have to stop. Order the DIY kit — mini gin bottles, vermouth, garnishes and bar tools are all included — via room service to shake up your own memories.
W Hoboken
If city dwellers are flocking to New Jersey, you know W Hoboken is pouring something good. The Living Room, a sunny co-working space with coffee by day and a chic, buzzy cocktail bar by night, is the primary draw. And this week, the main attraction has a name: No. 3 Gin Martini Fitting cocktail experience.
Through July 23, a No. 3 Gin specialist will lead nightly sessions to help craft a pour tailor-made to your unique taste. Experimentation factors include vermouth (dry or sweet, 1:1 ratio or 3:1), dilution, temperature (chilled glassware or dense ice cubes) and garnishes, from the quintessential olive to the elevated rosemary sprig. Beyond the guided experience, your ticket includes a spritz, two tailor-made martinis and a selection of small bites.
But even when the No. 3 Gin experience comes to a close, the W Hoboken’s Living Room Bar is a martini-must thanks to the Kyoto Bridge cocktail on the menu. Haku vodka, sake, ceremonial matcha and yuzu offer a punchy, Japanese-flavored take on the standard classic.
