nykeiko eats: Bespoke cocktails are a thing at Milk and Honey [NYC]

I finally got to try Milk and Honey, a neo-speakeasy bar that Dave has been wanting to try for some time. The bar is easy to find on the internet but in person, you have to look a little harder. Hidden behind unmarked glass doors and black curtains, Milk and Honey has been the go-to spot for New Yorkers to taste some fantastic bespoke (i.e. custom, made-to-order) cocktails. Owner, top mixologist Sasha Petraske opened Milk and Honey back in 2000 at a smaller venue in the Lower East Side. Now that it has moved to the Flatiron district, the intimacy is lost and the venue seats up to 66 people. Every seat was taken even when we were there close to 1 in the morning (Gasp! We were up late right?).

Milk and Honey instead, which was probably the best decision ever! We got our own booth after less than ten minutes of waiting. The bar was quiet for a Friday night and big parties with no reservations were turned away. It was perfect. Oldies tunes played and Dave and I could still hear each other speak. We were therefore able to catch up on important life questions such as : "If you had to eat at one restaurant (unlimited funds) in New York city for a whole week for all three meals, which restaurant would you pick?", "If you find a $100 bill in the subway tracks, would you wait an hour for an MTA agent to retrieve it for you? What about $50...?". You know, important things like that.

There are no cocktail menus here and you get to order whatever you feel like that night. Well, not whatever. (I asked for berries in my drink but they didn’t have any.). You describe to your waiter what your ideal drink is. Maybe pick a spirit you want (gin, vodka, whiskey...), maybe some flavors (fruity, gingery, lavender..) and add a little bit of personality to it (sweet, sour, refreshing, bitter, spicy...) and patiently wait for your unique concoction to be made and served. That night, I went with a twist of a gimlet which had some crème violet liqueur. My second drink was something fizzy (egg white and cream). I was loving being able to customize my drinks. They should make a restaurant with that concept…No, Chipotle is not the same.