10 Amazing Martinis To Try In NYC Right Now

There’s probably no cocktail more beloved than the martini.

This is among the most spirit forward of cocktails, and the most classic of martinis have very little else than a chilled glass and a healthy dose of vodka or gin. But there’s riffs that go beyond that, from a lemon twist to going dirty with olives and a fair-sized splash of brine.

While a purist would not necessarily consider a fruit-centric or dessert martini to actually be a martini (and that is technically correct), I’m all about a delicious cocktail in a martini glass, and there’s some pretty spectacular options to be enjoyed in New York City right now.

Prickly Pear Martini

Available at ATRIO Wine Bar and Restaurant located inside of the Conrad New York Downtown, this fun and photo-ready cocktail combines fresh pear puree, Grey Goose Vodka, St-Germain and lime juice for a perfectly balanced cocktail. Joe Neis, Senior Food & Beverage Manager at Conrad New York Downtown says: “One sip into this cocktail and it will taste as if you are biting into an actual pear. I’ve added St-Germain into the martini to add in sweet floral notes while the lime balances it out with a touch of acidity.”

Truffle Martini

Tiny’s is a super cute restaurant in Tribeca from Matt Abramcyk (previously of The Beatrice Inn and Employees Only, and current owner of Yves and Smith & Mills), housed in a pink townhouse built in 1810. The Truffle Martini is made with Wolffer Estate Gin or Tito’s Vodka with black truffle blue cheese stuffed olives. “This martini was inspired by using a local gin from Wolffer Estate, which is a non classic London dry gin, perfumed, floral, grape or rose wine base. It is very unique on its own and an excellent introduction for a beginner (non martini drinker) into the martini world,” said Rachid Abdelouahad, director of operations for Neighborhood Projects.

The Dirty Aly

Available at MAD Bar & Lounge at NH Collection New York on Madison Avenue in New York City, the Dirty Aly is a sexy spin on the traditional dirty martini, comprised of muddled Castelvetrano olives, Monkey 47 gin, brine, and a vermouth rinse over the olives. The cocktail is finished off with a few drops of salt water and a garnish of blue cheese, olive, and capers, with an optional vodka variation for those who prefer their dirty martinis with vodka instead of gin.

The Krystel Palace

The Krystel Palace at Mister French, a French supper club located in NYC’s Flatiron District, is a rendition of a lychee martini with a modern twist. It’s composed of Roku Japanese Gin, Pear eau de vie, French Lychee Liqueur, House Lemon Oleo Saccharum, lychee, and lemon juice. This cocktail is served up with a rose water spritz and, of course, a lychee. “The cocktail is bright and refreshing with crisp notes of stone fruit , ripe lychee, and a beautiful essence of floridity,” says Angelo Medrano, the head bartender and beverage director of Mister French.

San Luis Gibson

At Ensenada in Brooklyn, this martini riff combines the flavors of gin and mezcal for a smokey, sharp rendition of the bar classic, offset by the spicy zing of Ensenada’s one homemade pickled vegetable juice. “This is our take on a Dirty Martini combining Plymouth Gin, Mezcal Derrumbes San Luis Potosi, dry vermouth and pickled juice from our homemade pickled onions. The earthiness of Plymouth plays well with the chili tones of the Derrumbes mezcal. Derrumbes San Luis Potosi is made from the region’s wild agave Salmiana, giving it a unique, vibrant flavor not found in other mezcal. We pickled pearl white onions with spices and chilies, and is the same brine that we add to the cocktail. The name is a reference to the Mexican state the mezcal is produced in, which coincides with our chef’s name,” said Jorsand Diaz, Beverage Director of Ensenada.

Di Martini

The Di Martini was created by Cristhian Rodriguez, the Bar Director at La Devozione by Pastificio Di Martino, who began his career in cocktails at the NoMad Hotel and Eleven Madison Park. The Di Martini is Rodriguez’s Italian twist on a classic dry gin martini, composed of Marconi 42 gin with Morolo extra dry vermouth and Contratto Bianco, a sweet vermouth, accompanied by Acqua di Cedro and Lustau Fino sherry in a separate glass on ice within a rocks glass, and cherry tomatoes brined in tomato water, which is pressed from fresh tomatoes and seasoned with Opal, Thai and Genovese basils paired with seasonal pickled fruits.

Fire Lily

At Verōnika, Fire Lily is a heated version of the gin martini. It’s made with Fords Gin, Vida Mezcal, Dolin Dry Vermouth, Cointreau, Crème de Violette and a dash of Ginn’s Firewater Tincture. The Firewater tincture is made from cooking Thai chilis and everclear sous vide for 2 hours at 158 degrees, which is then strained and cut into equal parts with water before putting into an accurate dasher bottle. “The inspiration for our Fire Lily martini came from a few products I love to imbibe: Fords Gin and Del Maguey Mezcal. However, I’ve never seen them together in a stirred rendition of a martini. There is a shaken cocktail called a Water Lily, by Richard Boccato, a good friend of mine. And sometimes I like to consider “opposites” when doing recipe R&D. How could I produce a stirred version of a Water Lily? Our Bar Manager Ginn Choe had this firewater tincture that she kept dangling in front of me. It carries a lot of heat but uses Thai chilis as it has the least “bell pepper” notes of flavor and a clean heat, compared to fire waters made with habanero and jalapeño. Once I tasted it, I knew we had to try it out. It started with a potluck of ideas, and the build is intricate, but it really stuck the landing,” said Eric Alperin, Global Director of Beverage, Restaurants and Bars, CultureWorks (which oversees Neuehouse, Fotografiska, and Veronika by Fotografiska).

Stoli Doli

The Capital Grille’s Signature Martini, the Stoli Doli, is made by infusing Stoli Vodka with fresh pineapple, chilled and served straight up. “At The Capital Grille, our signature Stoli Doli infusion jar greets you at the bar… beautiful layers of Hawaii’s highest quality Dole Gold Pineapple are freshly cut and infused with Stoli Vodka over 5-7 days. The signature Capital Grille Stoli Doli martini is our favorite way to begin an unforgettable dining experience,” said Michael LaDuke, Executive Chef, The Capital Grille.

Kinky Martini

Deux Chats is Golden Age Hospitality’s newest Williamsburg cocktail and raw bar. While there’s an option for a classic martini, the menu also offers a spicy and swankier version – Kinky Martini. The Deux Chats’ Kinky Martini consists of spicy vodka, ancho reyes verde, vermouth, cocchi americano. “Leaning into the fact that we’ve positioned Deux Chats as a martini destination, I wanted to incorporate a fun twist to the beloved martini by adding a spicy element. The Kinky Martini is not only spicy but still hits on the saltiness that everyone looks for in a traditional dirty martini, just now reimagined and served ice cold,” said Ashley Santoro, Beverage Director for Golden Age Hospitality.