Since premiering in 2007, “Mad Men” has helped usher in a cocktail craze.
“We call it the ‘Mad Men effect,’ ” says city bartender Rosser Lomax. “We’re seeing more people ordering Manhattans, or any of your classic drinks, because they know what it is.”
Created in the 1870s, the Manhattan is a quintessential whiskey cocktail. It’s a thing of simple beauty, with just three ingredients — American whiskey, sweet vermouth and Angostura bitters.
In recent years, bartenders around town have put their own spins on the tipple and cheekily named their spinoffs after various parts of the city.
“It’s a natural progression,” says Leo Robitschek, the bar manager at Eleven Madison Park. “You start making drinks off of cocktails you already enjoy.”
Looking to drink locally?Let this be your guide.
THE MADISON AVENUE MANHATTAN
$14 at Aquavit, 65 E. 55th St.; 212-307-7311
Though bar manager Joey Mesina says, “Aquavit [restaurant] never follows trends,” after two seasons of “Mad Men,” he started experimenting with brown booze and the traditional Scandinavian spirit the restaurant is named after. The end result is this cultural mash-up of Maker’s Mark and fig-and-cardamom-infused aquavit. For a final Swedish splash, Mesina uses lingonberry concentrate instead of bitters.
THE SOUTH CHELSEA
$14 at Willow Road, 85 10th Ave.; 646-484-6566
“I wanted to do something everyone would like,” says mixologist Mark Buettler of his smooth, earthy creation, which features celery bitters, honey syrup and Foro organic dry vermouth. “There’s a hint of sweetness . . . and the vermouth gives it a citrus-y, floral thing,” he says. “It’s a nice easing out of winter and into spring.”
THE MADISON SQUARE PARK
$16 at Eleven Madison Park, 11 Madison Ave.; 212-889-0905
“We wanted to create a Manhattan variation that was lighter and more spring-like,” Leo Robitschek says of this riff, which is made from Jim Beam Black bourbon, two different amaros (Italian liqueurs that impart a uniquely bitter herbal flavor) and dry vermouth. It’s garnished with a thick cucumber slice, which, he says, “gives it freshness.”
THE LOWER MANHATTAN
$8 at the Strand Smokehouse, 25-27 Broadway, Astoria; 718-440-3231
Strand beverage director Dan Bronson pays homage to both the downtown cocktail scene and low-country culture with this rye-based version. It’s “unapologetically served [on the rocks] and in a Mason jar,” he says.
THE CARROLL GARDENS
$14 at Pouring Ribbons, 225 Avenue B; 917-656-6788
“I was wandering around my Italian-American neighborhood, statues of the Madonna everywhere, old men playing dominos,” mixologist Joaquin Simo says of the inspiration behind this tipple. The base spirit, Rittenhouse rye, is American but the other ingredients — Nardini amaro, Luxardo Maraschino liqueur and Punt e Mes vermouth — are from Italy.
THE SLOPE
$12 at Clover Club, 210 Smith St.; 718-855-7939
Clover Club bartender/owner Julie Reiner was living in Park Slope when she created this easy-drinking rendition that gets a sweet kick from a splash of apricot liqueur and a traditional cherry garnish. “Apricots and cherries are always a good match.” she enthuses. “It’s delicious!”
THE PUEBLO GUILLERMO )A.K.A “THE WILLIAMSBURG)
$12 at Third Man, 116 Avenue C; 212-598-1040
The off-the-L-train bar scene inspired mixologist Rosser Lomax to create this bold version, made from bourbon, bitter Cynar and Fernet Branca, a sinus-clearing amaro popular in hipster circles. Simply calling the cocktail “the Williamsburg” would have been “absolutely insufferable” Lomax says, so he translated the neighborhood name into Spanish to make it go down smoother.
Click through the gallery for recipes for each of the cocktails
