Top 5: NYC Mixology Bars

No.5 - Pegu Club

77 W. Houston St.

While the other places on this list may be good for certain moods, Pegu Club is the kind of place where you can feel at home no matter what your mood. If you like music, there’s jazz playing at just the right volume; if you like meeting people, the place is usually packed quite nicely, with seating room for everyone if they wish; and if you like unusual drinks, then this is definitely the place for you. Mixologist Audrey Saunders, formerly of Bemelmans Bar at the Carlyle, is a particular fan of gin. However, there are drinks in all categories here including a champagne mojito and a Whisky Smash that is similar to a mint julep. There is also a menu of delicious bar food like coconut shrimp to pair with your martini, which was voted one of the best in Manhattan by New York magazine in 2007.

No.4 - Milk & Honey

134 Eldridge St.

The rule of this bar is “no name-dropping and no star f*cking” according to some reviews, so you know this is a place that doesn’t care if it’s trendy; in fact, it only cares if its drinks are delicious. That doesn’t mean, however, that this place is easy to get in to. Actually, only non-famous people can get in via appointment and referral, and you must call ahead to get past the surveillance camera at the door. The drinks are expensive and delicious, made with the freshest and most exotic fruits and the finest liquors, but don’t think of doing anything untoward: Another one of the house rules is “gentlemen will not introduce themselves to ladies.”

No.3 - Death & Co.

433 E. 6th St.

This East Village spot is a throwback to the jazz days of prohibition, even naming the bar after a series of seemingly anti-alcohol propaganda ads that were in fact encoded directions to the nearby speakeasy. Behind the wooden doors, the place is dimly lit by chandeliers and kerosene lamps, and once you pick your poison (gin, whisky, tequila, etc.) there are tons of different options for you. If you’re a whisky fan, try the Whirling Tiger, a mix of bourbon, fresh Fuji apples, lemon juice, and ginger syrup.

No.2 - Employee's Only

510 Hudson St.

This is a restaurant first and foremost, and their original mission was to serve delicious food to others in the food and service industry late into the night. It has also become a watering hole for many of those same folks and for a lot of residents in the West Village. The cocktails they make are classic with a dash of modernity like lavender gin, all of which are made to be paired with the bistro food they serve. It feels a bit like a speakeasy, but the bartenders here aren’t serving up bathtub gin, and if you tell them the flavors you like, they’ll make sure to give you a drink that’s right up your alley.

No.1 - Apotheke

9 Doyers St. off the Bowery

The space used to be an opium den back in the day, but now their raison d’être is to provide you with a more subtle kind of numbing experience. Apotheke is striving for not only a bar experience, but something of a spa one as well, offering cocktails in categories as vast as “House Remedies,” “Pharmaceuticals” and “Aphrodisiacs.” There are over 250 specialty cocktails in all, including the Five Points, which is made with hibiscus, bitters and a bunch of ”elixirs.” The bartenders handle each drink you order with care and precision -- which can make for a bit of a line at the bar -- and the crowd can be a bit hipsterish and snooty. It can also be difficult to make your way inside.