The best winter cocktails in NYC for this season

I had egg nog for the first time this Christmas! Nice, but a bit too rich for me. I'm an Elderflower Collins kind of girl, but in colder seasons a Brandy Alexander is nice and rich... Winter Sangria is also lovely. I had it once at Park Avenue Winter...

@ajadedidealist What's a winter sangria?

Hot toddies! http://www.hungrynation.tv/hungryinbk/episode/HIB_20101230/hungry-in-brooklyn-new-years-eve-cocktails

Tomorrow I go to Apotheke, and will report on the cocktail results!

@BroadwayBk great video.. love hot toddies.

@Uraniumfish do report back..I have found a bar like Apotheke in HK. Its called Le Boudoir and it serves champagne and some great cocktails made with absinthe and other spirits.

@Uraniumfish A prompt report, please.

Apotheke is fantastic! Do go, I have a feeling they cannot make a bad cocktail. I had two different ones, both amazing. The atmosphere is pretty great, I would say it's an excellent place for a first date because there are couches where you can hang out and talk. It seemed like a few of the couples there might be on first or second dates. The opium den feel is pretty beautifully achieved, but the cocktails are rather steep at $16 a pop. Since it's in my neighborhood I'll probably be there a lot from now on, every time I want to impress a friend with the "special little place" I know of.

@Uraniumfish After checking out the cocktail menu, I scheduled a date at Apotheke for next week. $16 is pretty steep for a cocktail, but you should cut yourself off after two on a first date anyway. :) I'm leaning toward the "stress relievers" on the menu, but also looking forward to some "pain killers."

@BroadwayBK I too had a look at the menu and the stress relievers sound quite fantastic as do the aphrodisiacs.. if you're date is going well perhaps one of those as well?

@uptowngirl, I've honestly only ever had it at Park Avenue Winter. It was white/beige in color, with cardamon in it, and plenty of other delicious things I can't recall. Here's a recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sunny-anderson/winter-sangria-recipe/index.html I very much confused the waiter at a trendy UES bar this weekend when I asked for some mulled wine...

@ajadedidealist LOL a friend who was visiting us from Singapore did the same at this trendy bar that we took him to in Hong Kong. Considering Hong Kong was a former British colony you would think the bar tender would have known what mulled wine was! thanks for the Winter Sangria recipe ..it seems to be quite yummy.

@uptowngirl Haaa! Good call! But only if the date goes well. @ajadedidealist You'd think a waiter should know what mulled wine is?!?!

@uptowngirl, BroadwayBK I went for a couple of "Pharmaceuticals" myself. So delicious. Maybe the Aphrodesiacs should wait until at least date number three?

Speaking of good cocktails, I also met a friend recently at the Chinatown Brasserie (which, confusingly, is not really in Chinatown) I love the expansive kitch of the place, and we were served a cocktail which had been invented by the bartender himself. I like that kind of ambition in the staff! Didn't go for dinner in the main dining area, but sitting at the bar was pretty great.

@Uraniumfish I have dined at the Chinatown Brasserie and the food was pretty good much better than the Macao Trading Company which also has an impressive decor and a great cocktail list ( many feature absinthe) but the food was abysmal unfortunately. http://www.macaonyc.com/menus/cocktail_menu.pdf

Is Chinese food better than American food. I ate both and I like American a lot more. That is just my taste. Anyone have a strong taste for Chinese.

@hhusted as i mentioned in another thread, I am a big fan of Chinese food though I dont like the MSG that many Chinese restaurants add to make their food seem tastier. I like American food as well though in small doses and always need to spice it up with the addition of condiments.

@Uptowngirl: You Indian people sure do like your spices, don't you. I'm not into hot stuff. I can't handle it.

@BroadwayBK How was your Apotheke date?

@Uraniumfish I landed in the city on Wednesday after an extensive Florida vacay and I haven't had much time on my hands since. Also I'm not one to go outside at the moment; I'm still adjusting to the temperature difference! The Apotheke date is still on my to do list, however.

@uptowngirl I'm curious to know what a transplant such as yourself would view as American cuisine (besides of course hamburgers, hot dogs and french fries). It's always fun to see these things with fresh eyes!

@BroadwayBK Speaking of cold weather, last night was supposed to get as low as 5 degrees. Yikes! I was at Apotheke again on Friday night and it was super-packed. By the time we left there were people standing outside waiting to get in. That seemed surprising - I didn't realize it was such a hot spot.

@hhusted. I'm not a huge Chinese food fan, but my friend who spent a lot of time in Beijing said that Chinese food in China tastes so different from watered-down "Chinese" food, and argues that proper Chinese food is one of his favorites! I suppose most Chinese food in NY is Cantonese, which doesn't help; I much prefer Szechuan food! As for American food - what this expat abroad misses most is a proper cheeseburger (not from a franchise - from my local diner, with healthy, real beef!), salmon, butternut squash soup, bagels, New England clam chowder, Matzoh Ball soup (sp?), smoked salmon and cream cheese, my grandmother's chicken noodle soup...

@Uraniumfish I refused all requests for me to leave my apartment yesterday. Can't say that I regret it. The few times I've headed to the city on a weekend night I've been reminded that one should always stay in Brooklyn on the weekend - that B&T crowd is killer, and I'm just talking about the number of people populating the downtown bars.... @ajadedidealist What I missed as an American abroad was my mother's mac 'n cheese and Mountain Dew. And of course cheeseburgers done proper.

@BroadwayBK My husband has a surrogate American mum who always invites us to her home in Poughkeepsie for holidays and serves us home cooked American food like meat loaf and such. The food is usually delicious and though its perfect for that one meal I don't think I could eat it on a regular basis. I love the spices and flavors of Asian cuisine .. Indian, Thai, Malaysian, Singaporean, Indonesian, Vietnamese...they get my vote every time if I had to make a choice. That's one of the main reasons I like to live in NYC the diversity of the foods you get here..I dont think any other city comes close maybe San Francisco?

@uptowngirl: San Fran is pretty diverse, food wise. Their Chinatown is pretty hard to beat. As far as drinks, you can't forget the hot toddy! Freemans and Smith and Mills both make a great one. Perfect winter cocktail, in my opinion.

@JenMac I am with you on the hot toddy bandwagon .. absolutely love it and perfect for those freezing NYC evenings.

BroadwayBK: I love mac 'n cheese. But I can't stand Mountain Dew. Too much caffeine.

Caffeine is the breakfast of champions!

@BroadwayBK As someone who was previously loyal to Brooklyn, I have to say that living in Manhattan has made me less of a winter cranky person. Because there are tons of things to do within a short walk, going out doesn't feel like an ordeal and I can usually manage a 2-3 hour outing even on a school night!

@uraniumfish: I totally agree. I'm a lot less lazy now that I live in Manhatts.

I lived in the LES a few years back, and it was absolutely easier to dart across the street to Arlene's then it is to transverse a neighborhood to get to the latest Williamsburg hole-in-the-wall bar, but I don't mind the cab ride. What I do mind is the slush on the street corners...

@BroadwayBK Ah, the slush. As we have learned from some previous posts, one can't get through this winter without a pair of rubber boots. Also, traction is incredibly important. I've had several close calls almost slipping and falling this month.

@Uraniumfish, BroadwayBK can nothing be done about the slush accumulating at the end of pavements? I so hate it as I get older I feel more incapable of dealing with the winter. Its no wonder then that the maximum number of emigres to Florida seem to be New Yorkers looking for some sun.

Here's a cocktail for the current state of affairs in our lovely town: http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/the-blizzard-cocktail?backto=true&backtourl=/photogallery/winter-cocktails#slide_7

@uptown: I'm the same way. I feel like this winter has been particularly cruel (snow wise) and I don't know if I have another one in me.

I think I am the only person who is currently still careful to wear snow boots whenever I step outside. I just can't risk dying on the ice, even though the sidewalks are mostly clear by now.

@BroadwayBK: Yeah, you have to watch out for black ice, especially at night.

@broadway, I have worn snow boots every day for pretty much the last two weeks so you are totally not alone.

@Everybody: I actually went outside today to take care of an emergency and didn't realize all the snow that was piled up, with ice on top of it. What a scene. Of course I wore my boots.

@JenMac I must be a simpleton because all I need is one day of sunshine and - poof - I forget about all the bleary snowstorms only a few days before. Today was such a day, it was soooo good to be outside, man.

@hhusted How often do you go outside? It's not an everyday occurrence?

@Uraniumfish I pray for many such sunny days when I am over in three weeks time.

Although the thermometer says it's the same 30 degrees it was at the beginning of January, it feels like springtime if the sun is out.

@Uraniumfish Seriously?! Today was a horrid icicle. A windy one.

@BroadwayBK: No. My doctor restricted me from going out in the cold. He told me it would cause me pain in the surgical area. So I only venture out when the temperature is over 40 degrees.

Yeah, the sun doesn't do much to trick me . . especially during a winter like this. And, especially when my hometown is having pretty much the warmest winter of all time. I don't think any more of these winters left in me.

@JenMac I spent all of December and most of January in Florida because I just couldn't fathom returning to this weather; I completely understand where you're coming from.

On that note, the NY Mag Space of the Week is a snow fort some dude built outside his apt: http://nymag.com/homedesign/features/71559/?mid=home-design--20110209

It's warm and sunny in Oxford - has been for a couple of days! It feels like Spring! What happened to dreary old England?

@JenMac I feel the same way .. I just don't think I want to deal with the freezing cold anymore after having lived almost a year in tropical climes.

Sunshine just really makes you happier right?

@JenMac Totally! I need to see the sun it seriously does affect my mood.

@JenMac Yes! even moody ole me gets happier in the sunshine.

My girlfriend also feels the same regarding the sun. She is feeling the affects of not seeing the sun. The sun produces vitamin D, which our body needs. Without it, many people suffer from depression or anxiety.

@everyone its a dull, grey and relatively cold day here .. I am so hoping that the sun is out and its way warmer in NYC when I am over...

@uptowngirl It's 62 degrees! I hope everyone is enjoying the day...

@BroadwayBk Whaat?? that's not too bad

It was so glorious out today! I wish it would stay this way . .. but, sadly, back to the 30's by next week.

@JenMac that's cruel isn't it the tricks the weather plays especially in the heart of winter...

I know! I would almost rather it just power through the cold and get it over with. No one wants to see for a day and then go back to being blind, right?

@JenMac couldn't agree more.. for all its worth Hong Kong too has had a yucky winter its coldest since 1977..and the cold here is wet and damp though the lowest temps are in the high 40s and most homes are not heated. So its the same temperature indoors and that can be quite uncomfortable. I am constantly wearing a fleece something I never do in NYC.

@JenMac but I made the most of my brief day of sight!

@uptowngirl I actually don't mind a 40 degree day - I much prefer it to a 30 degree on, in any case. And I'll take the occasional 50/60 degree day instead of none at all!

Today was pretty great too. I didn't have the heat on and the sun coming in through the windows was so intense I actually felt HOT.