ARN to EWR (or the Swedish whisky lovers guide to New York) Part I

This post became so long I broke it up in two parts, the second part is posted here.

I follow a handful of whisky-related blogs and forums on a daily basis, many of them Swedish. Swedish whisky drinkers not only drink a lot, they are also very passionate about their hobby. With direct flights from Sweden to New York, many Swedes take vacation to New York and I frequently see questions on what a whisky lover should do in the Big Apple. I thought I would just write down my recommendations. Although written with a Swedish reader in mind, I am sure this could prove helpful to any visitor to New York.

First off, you don't go to New York for its whisky. I don't have to stress that New York offers so much for a tourist and whisky should certainly not be the main focus for any visit. That said, New York is a culinary "mecca" and there is no harm in enjoying a good drink with the fabulous food the city can offer.

Where to stay?

Among New York's many hotels, there are a handful that have excellent bars worth a visit even if you are not staying at the hotel. Some of these bars focus on whisky; for example, Soho Grand. In addition to being a nice hotel located near some of the best shopping in NYC, their Grand Wiskey Bar has a decent selection of American whiskey well worth a visit. They offer both full (2oz ~= 6cl) and half pours (1oz ~=3cl). The Nomad in the Flatiron district has, in addition to a Michelin-starred restaurant (The NoMad), a nice bar that servers whisky and bespoke cocktails. Whereever you stay you'll most likely be just a stone's throw away from a drinking hole that either has a decent selection of whisky or serves excellent cocktails.

Where to drink (and eat)?

In addition to drinking whisky, New York is an excellent opportunity to experience the revival of the speakeasy and the cocktail. There are many cocktail bars that serve up excellent concoctions made with artisan liquors and bitters, more often than not, based on whisky, but there are also bars that focus solely on spirits. Both types belong among my favorites listed here (not even close to an exhaustive list). As a Swede, beware that you never order drinks or cocktail by the volume of spirit. The bartender will pour you what he thinks is an appropriate size for the cocktail asked for. The exception is for a few places that will offer half pours of whisky (or other fine spirits), which usually mean 1oz instead of the usual 2oz.

The Highlands in the West Village is a nice neighborhood Scottish gastropub, in addition to having a decent Scotch list, they also serve up excellent hearty food (try their Beef Wellington, for example). The cocktail you can not miss here is the "McQueen," originally created by their head bartender at their sister pub, "Mary, Queen of Scots" (which sadly has closed). A potent cocktail featuring such ingredients such as Laphroaig, Compass Box Great King St, Fidenco Mescal and Chocolate bitters.
There are many other excellent restaurant choices in the neighborhood, if you just stay for drinks. Succulent BBQ at Mighty Quinn's (with a nice list of American artisanal draught beers), Brasserie En, a Japanese brasserie that sports not only excellent food, but a good selection of sake and Japanese beer and whisky, and Spice Market, Jean Georges' southeast Asian outpost, to name a few.

For a more relaxed and quiet time, try The Brandy Library in Tribeca, which houses one of New York's most extensive collection of brown liquors, all set in a library-like environment. Their whisky list is impressive. The more rare whiskies are not on the menu, so you'll have to ask or browse the shelves. They either pour you a full 2oz or you can go for a flight of six .5oz pours. If you can't choose they will most often let you try first. Prices are up there though. Since they only serve finger food, you'll have to fill your belly elsewhere. Bubby's Diner is just down the block for some wholesome American comfort food. One more block west you'll find Locanda Verde, an excellent and hip Italian restaurant (also good for brunch). Actually within a few blocks, you'll find many of New York's high-end restaurants.

Brandy Library's sister bar is called Copper and Oak, located on the Lower East Side. This is just a hole-in-the-wall, seating no more than 8-10 people, but with an excellent whisky list. Probably the only place in New York to have multiple Karuizawas on the menu (surprisingly neither of cask #8775 nor #869, which is the only bottles released in the US). They also have a selection of Single Grain whiskies, including a nice North of Scotland 1964 from Scott's Selection (see my 2014 review post).
Lower East Side offers a lot when it comes to cheap eat and drinks (less and less as the neighborhood gentrifies) to balance the large tab you'll likely build up at Copper and Oak. The neighborhood is not short of beer drinking locations. Marshall Stack down the block is a nice bar with 10 to 20 beers on tap at all times, but the best selection of the neighborhood and a definite visit for any beer lover is Top Hops on Orchard Street. One of New York's best stocked beer store that also offers a "tasting" bar with 20 beers on tap. American beer lovers will find it hard to leave this place. A classic tourist attraction in the neighborhood is Katz's Deli, New York's oldest delicatessen.

If the quiet environment of Brandy Library and Copper and Oak does not suit you, there is a rather more lively bar in Tribeca (a few blocks from Brandy Library) called Ward III, which has both cocktails and a lot of whisky to choose from, mostly American. They offer free tastings on occasion as well. This is one of the places that might actually have Pappy (more on Pappy in part II) on the shelves for a limited time. If you love cooking yourself, you should not miss the Japanese knives store, Korin, just two blocks south.

Irish whiskey is on the rise, especially in America, and a for Swede this is a good opportunity to drink some Irish whiskey, which is hard to find at home. Dead Rabbit in the Financial District has one of the city's best selection of Irish Whiskey. Here is your chance to try some really good pot still whiskies, such as Redbreast 12 yo cask strength and Powers John's Lane Release. The renowned bartender Jack McGarry mixes excellent cocktails as well.

If your travel company is not much of a whisky drinker, but rather a wine drinker, there is a wine and whisky bar, called The Vintry, on a happening small street in the Financial District. What looks like a typical wine bar actually has an impressive whisky list, including rare bottling from silent distilleries such as Glen Mohr, Dallas Dhu, Littlemill, etc. They offer both 1oz and 2oz pours, but remember if you don't want to have your whisky in a tumbler, you'll have to let them know and the number of Glencairn glasses are limited.

The Flatiron Room in the Flatiron District is another well-stocked whisky lounge, with an impressive whisky list curated by New York's first whisky sommelier, Heather Greene (former brand ambassador for Glenfiddich and author of "Whisk(e)y Distilled"). The Flatiron Room offers tastings and classes on a regular basis as well.

In the same neighborhood you'll also find Rye House, an unpretentious buzzing pub with decent bar food such as sandwiches and burgers. The neighborhood offers up much to eat. BLT Prime is an excellent choice for their Porterhouse for two. It is a bit more contemporary than old school restaurants such as Peter Luger's or Wolfgang's, but the steaks are still good. BarnJoo is a hip Korean gastropub with solid chicken wings and pork belly. They also has a "hidden" whisky bar in the basement called The Grain. The NoMad (as mentioned above) has a chicken for two worth trying if you want to splurge.

The adventurous Swede will leave Manhattan and venture to Brooklyn. Williamsburg will make most Swedes that frequent Sodermalm feel at home. One of the best bets for whisky in Williamsburg (and in NYC) is Normann's Kil. At the other end of Williamsburg, you'll find The Whiskey Shop attached to The Whiskey Brooklyn. The former is a hole-in-the-wall whisky shop with friendly staff.  The latter is a sports bar that servers whisky. If you want to chase down the whisky with some beer (or the other way around), you are only a stone's throw away from Brooklyn Brewery or you can cross the park to Greenpoint where Mikeller's "Evil Twin" has a bar called Torst. Some of the artwork inside is done by Omnipollo's Karl Grandin. Willamsburg also hosts one of the best BBQ joints in NYC: Fette Sau. In addition to slowly smoked meat, served on trays with parchment paper, they have a nice selection of beers and bourbons. Be prepared to stand in line and fight for a spot on any of the communal tables, a system that can get any orderly Swede to stress out.

Another part of Brooklyn called Cobble Hill houses Char No.4, a whiskey bar and restaurant named after the hardest level of charring of bourbon casks. With more than 150 American whiskeys on the menu, and extremely knowledgable and friendly staff, this is a bourbon lover's paradise. They offer American fare with a focus on smoked meat and often hosts tastings as well. Before Nikka launched on the U.S. market, this was one of the few places you could sample some of their whisky. If you like to start your drinking early, there is a brunch spot down the block that serves excellent brunch cocktails, including several varieties of Bloody Mary, called Clover Club.

Join me in part II where I talk about buying whisky in New York.