Beyond Gin and Tonic: 3 NYC Bars for Gin Lovers

Though it’s a simple drink, a gin and tonic has a refined taste that never goes out of style. And, for someone who truly loves gin, the timeless cocktail is just the first sip into the comprehensive world of gin and gin cocktails–shaken, stirred, or on the rocks. These NYC bars are dedicated to the liquor, offering the finest selections and a lengthy list of classic and original gin-based cocktails.

Gin Palace
95 Avenue A
(212) 614-6818
Mixing old and new classics, from the Gimlet to the Hanky-Panky, as well as original concoctions, Gin Palace offers 72 types of gin served with tonic, soda, or juice. What’s more—there’s gin and tonic on tap. But original cocktails like the “The Way to Shell Beach” (Dorothy Parker, Amontillado sherry, chipotle pasilla chili syrup, and rosemary) and “To Sleep with Common People” (Beafeater, Cherry Heering, cinnamon lime juice, Peychaud’s Bitters, and club soda) are some of the celebrated drinks at this gin bar. The bar is currently closed for construction but is planned to reopen soon.

Madam Geneva
4 Bleecker Street
(212) 254-0350
In a dimly-lit cocktail den attached to Saxon + Parole, Madam Geneva serves twists on classic gin cocktails. Branch out from your standard sip with the “Pomegranate Sage Collins” (Hayman’s Old Tom Gin, pomegranate, sage, lemon, and soda) or the “Backwards Hanky Panky” (Dubonnet Rouge, Perry’s Tot, and Fernet-Branca).

Bathtub Gin
132 9th Avenue
(646) 559-1671
Enter this roaring ‘20s-style “speakeasy” through a hidden door inside the coffee shop at Stone Street Coffee Company for top-notch “bathtub gin” cocktails. When quality gin was limited during the prohibition era due to prohibition laws, mixologists of the time made gin more drinkable by mixing it with flavorings like berries and juices before seeping the mixture in a bathtub. Imitating these “bathtub gin” cocktails from the ‘20s, Bathtub Gin mixes gin and other spirits with fresh fruits, juices, syrups, and infusions for shaken and stirred concoctions. Those who appreciate a fine sipping gin should try Nolet’s Reserve Dry Gin, which is produced in very limited quantities. It’s available on the rocks: $44 for one ounce and $88 for two ounces.