Grand Street CocktailJessie Duré, bar manager at New York’s famed, newly reopened speakeasy Chumley’s, makes this soothing concoction with a dash of amaro. It’s great for settling your stomach before bed. One bag of Sleepytime tea, steeped in 4 oz. of hot water for 3 minutes ½ oz. Amaro Montenegro ½ oz. sweet vermouth 1 dash Angostura bitters Remove tea bag. Add amaro, vermouth, and bitters. Drop in a lemon wedge. Stir.
Rum & Tonic“A nightcap for me usually revolves around really good tonic water,” says Tara Gallina, co-owner of Vicia in St. Louis. It’s easy to stock in the fridge and easy on the stomach, and it’ll gussy up whatever booze you have on hand. 2 oz. dark rum 2 dashes Angostura bitters 1 bottle Fever-Tree tonic 1 lime wedge Pour rum and bitters over ice. Stir and top with tonic and a squeeze of lime.
Off BroadwayA nightcap doesn’t have to be much more than a couple fingers of bourbon or brandy—but if it could be both, wouldn’t you want that? Bartender Kevin King from McCrady’s Tavern in Charleston, S.C., uses apple brandy and orange bitters in this deliciously autumnal drink. 1 oz. apple brandy 1 oz. bourbon 1 oz. sweet vermouth 2 dashes orange bitters Stir with ice and strain into a coupe. Garnish with a twist.
Pineapple Rum RickeyTop Chef alum Kwame Onwuachi, who opened his restaurant, Shaw Bijou, in Washington, D.C., in November, looks for evenly matched sweetness and acidity to balance out the craziness of the day. 2 oz. aged rum, such as Cruzan Black Strap ¾ oz. pineapple juice ½ oz. lime juice ¾ oz. simple syrup Combine all ingredients in a shaker. Stir. Pour over ice. If you have mint on hand, muddle it in the shaker prior to mixing. If you have club soda, top it with some of that, too.
Play Crack the SkyOn a cold night, Jon Lewis of the Rue bistro in Portland, Ore., recommends this spicy cocktail to warm things up. Miracle Mile bitters, made with exotic roots and spices, pairs well with any aged amber spirit. 2 oz. Old Grand-Dad, 100 proof ½ oz. genepi ½ oz. Punt e Mes 1 dash Miracle Mile Forbidden bitters Stir. Serve over a big ice cube with an optional orange peel garnish.
The White WalkerChamomile plus coconut milk is about as mellow as it gets. Chef Ari Taymor of Los Angeles’s Alma at the Standard mixes the two with a little rhum agricole and lemon to create a sweet, tropical nighttime treat. 1½ oz. rhum agricole 2 oz. hot chamomile tea 1½ oz. coconut milk ¾ oz. lemon simple syrup (one part lemon juice, one part simple syrup) Mix ingredients.
Corn ’n’ Oil If a nightcap can help you unwind and make you think you’re on a tropical island, so much the better. Anthony Schmidt, beverage director at San Diego’s new tiki-inspired bar False Idol, is happy to oblige and carry you away to the Caribbean. 2 oz. Barbados rum, such as Mount Gay½ oz. John D. Taylor’s Velvet Falernum 2 or 3 heavy dashes Angostura bitters A squeeze of lime Mix ingredients, including the squeezed lime. Top with cracked ice. Stir.
After-School SpecialKyle Davidson’s Chicago bar Elske is opening soon. Once it does, he’ll be unwinding with this supersimple twist on the Manhattan. 1½ oz. Cynar 1½ oz. bourbon (whatever you have on hand—Davidson likes W.L. Weller 90 proof or Wild Turkey 101) Pour over rocks. Jiggle the glass. Add an optional orange peel or slice.
To contact the author of this story: Sierra Tishgart in New York at sierra.tishgart@nymag.com.
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Jillian Goodman at jgoodman74@bloomberg.net.
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