For many, discovering a new drink starts in a new city. Heading to New York? Add these tips to your itinerary.
In many ways, New York is the city of spirits – home to aspiring creatives, entrepreneurs and restaurateurs – but also to brands like Absolut, who, despite being Swedish, launched in NYC in ‘79. These days, the likes of Faccia Brutto, Widow Jane and NY Distilling Co. all hail from Brooklyn. The city is also muse to a long list of cocktails, including the three-ingredient Manhattan, the conspiracised, mythicised and famously potent Long Island Iced Tea, and the wildly underrated New York Sour.
With five boroughs and at least 5000 different things to eat and drink in each one of them, city-breaking in NYC is best achieved with a tried-and-tested hit list. We needed resident Caitlin Emiko on the case.
Caitlin’s ‘what if we’ disposition and commitment to personal growth makes her the kind of digital storyteller that turns your casual ‘follow’ into a parasocial relationship. Born in California, raised in Melbourne and living in New York City for the past three years, the TikTok strategist and marketing consultant is the kind of person you go to for recommendations on anything: drinks, clothes, restaurants, homewares, travel and how to get glossy hair that resembles the perfect shade of Lindt 85%.
Big Apple on your mind? You’ll want Caitlin’s New York City guide.
This is tricky, there are so many good options. I would start at Bar Valentina and order a Dirty Martini (pictured), and from there, I’d walk over to Le French Diner and pray for a table. Sit at the bar and order the escargot and steak frites (so good), and maybe pair it with a nice chilled red.
If we’re feeling something sweet, I prefer to not be seated, so I would find a Caffé Panna and try whichever flavour is their most popular during the month (maybe the tiramisu soft serve).
We’re starting with a run through Central Park (pictured). A little loop is the perfect way to start the day, before jumping on the subway downtown to SoHo.
First stop: Café Lyria for iced Lyrias (that’s oatmilk, espresso and honey shaken over ice) and a proper catch-up out front. They have the best music there. We’ll pop into Kith just for fun. Hot take: I don’t love the shopping in NYC – I think Aussie brands do it best! But it's good to window shop.
Jump on an ebike, and we’ll spend a couple of hours wandering around Williamsburg. Then, for the evening, I would head up to Greenpoint to a listening bar called Eavesdrop, have their Yuzu Margarita, then walk a few steps down to Twins Lounge for a game of pool.
If we wanted to continue dancing, I’d either head to Mad Radio or Public Records.
- Day drink: Iced Lyria from Cafe Lyria: the perfect amount of caffeine + a touch of sweet
- Night drink: Yuzu Margarita at Eavesdrop
- Best pizza slice in NYC: Prince Street Pizza’s vodka slice (pictured)
- Best souvenir: Fishwife tinned sardines. They're super tasty and the packaging is very cute
- Hidden gem: Dim Sum Palace in China Town has the best soup dumplings
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