8 NYC Cocktails Inspired By 'The Great Gatsby'
Now that it's not required reading in your sophomore year English class, The Great Gatsby is a lot more exciting. The Roaring Twenties are making a serious comeback thanks to Baz Luhrmann's silver screen take on the novel, hitting theaters this weekend. Everything from flapper fashion to - you guessed it - cocktails inspired by F. Scott's Fitzgerald's characters. So where does one drink like Jay Gatsby or Daisy Buchanan?
The Gin Rickey, The Dove Parlour
228 Thompson St.
New York, NY
(212) 254-1435
thedoveparlour.com
More: How To Throw A 'Great Gatsby' Party
If Gatsby author F. Scott Fitzgerald was still with us, it's our guess he's like to imbibe at the Dove Parlour, a Greenwich Village haunt all about sophistication and old-time jazz playlists in the evenings. The bar is currently serving a twist on one of Fitzgerald's favorite drinks, The Gin Rickey, a libation his characters drink in the celebrated novel. With the recent bout of Gatsby fever, the concoction has become a popular menu item here. Made with Spring44 gin and real French lavender, the folks at Dove Parlour told CBSNewYork the locals love hearing the story behind the cocktail: Rumor has it that Fitzgerald wrote the second half of Gatsby in the south of France, where lavender fields bloom in abundance.
Daisy Syke & The Blissful Cliff, The Clover Club
210 Smith St.
Brooklyn, NY
(718) 855-7939
cloverclubny.com
The head bartender at Clover Club, a handsome, upscale lounge with a sprawling menu of tipples, describes the Daisy Syke as a cocktail "light, delicate, subtly smoky and irresistible -- just like Daisy Buchanan." The drink is made with scotch, old tom Gin, green chartreuse, pineapple juice and lemon juice. Another Gatsby-inspired concoction is the Clover Club's Blissful Cliff (Rose champagne, licor 43, gran classico and lemon peel). Champagne, of course, is the most imbibed beverage within the pages of The Great Gatsby. With two liquers, it's luxury, easy sipping and "a drink you can really imagine guzzling on Gatsby's lawn."
The Beautiful Fool, 21 Club
21 W 52nd St
New York, NY 10019
(212) 582-7200
21club.com/
'21' Club is one of the true, original speakeasies responsible for transforming the social echelons of New York nightlife in the 1920s. Now known as a swanky New York hot spot where big shots do business, the wine cellar that was originally constructed to hide booze in the 1930s is still operational -- now as one of the most coveted private dining room spaces in the city. The 'Beautiful Fool,' is a cocktail made with Greenhook Gin and St. Germain, named for one of the most famous lines from the work by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
In The Hedges, The Strand Smokehouse
25-27 Astoria, NY
718-440-3231
More: Astoria's 8 Best Happy Hour Bars
Given that Gatsby threw his lavish weekend soirees at his West Egg mansion during Prohibition, moonshine was likely served -- but this style of booze is still popular today. At the Strand Smokehouse, a sprawling drinking hall in Astoria, bartenders craft the 'In the Hedges' cocktail, made with Midnight Moon Moonshine (small-batch, legal moonshine) house-infused "Gin" with rosemary and juniper, Brooklyn Soda Works, Lemon Thyme Soda and fresh thyme swizzle.
Vieux Carre, Bathtub Gin
132 9th Ave.
New York, NY
(646) 559-1671
bathtubginnyc.com
See Also: The 3 Best Bars In The Financial District
Prohibition-era speakeasies were nothing like today's incarnations -- you know, the ones with luxe interiors and mixology cocktails. Instead, they were simply hidden rooms with booze made and served in bathtubs. The aptly named haunt, Bathtub Gin, is a relatively new "speakeasy" behind Stone Street Coffee Shop. The venue serves a Prohibition-inspired cocktail menu, including a Gatsby-style drink called Vieux Carre. The luscious libation is made with Bulleit Rye Whiskey, Remy Martin 1738 Accord Royal Cognac, Carpano Antica Vermouth, Benedectine, Angostura Bitters and Peychaud's Bitters -- stirred and served on the rocks with orange wedge.
New York Daisy, The Empire Room
350 5th Ave.
New York, NY
(212) 643-5400
hospitalityholdings.com
It's no wonder that The Empire Room, a haunt which harkens back to the Golden Age of lavish supper clubs and cocktail bars, has developed a drink menu devoted to The Great Gatsby. Leading character Daisy, the object of Gatsby's affection, is honored with her own concoction at the Midtown venue. Available leading up to the release of the film, the New York Daisy is made with vodka, grenadine, lemon and orange juice.
The Side Car, The 40/40 Club
6 W 25th St
New York, NY 10010
(212) 832-4040
The 40/40 Club owner Jay Z scored the soundtrack to the film, so it only seems fitting to get a taste of the The Great Gatsby at Hov's haunt. The upscale sports bar in Flatiron is serving up an entire menu of Flapper-era drinks, including the Side Car (1-1/2 oz Kettle one Vodka 1/2 oz Triple Sec Splash Peach Schnapps, sour mix).
