Mixologist at Little Branch   (Photo: Carmen E. Lopez and AJ Wilhelm)

King Cole Bar Lounge
2 E. 55th St., nr. Madison Ave.; 212-753-4500
Mixological lore has it that the so-called "Red Snapper" came over from Harry's New York Bar in Paris and eventually morphed into the Bloody Mary, King Cole's signature cocktail. You won't find avant-garde concoctions here, just perfectly-balanced renditions of the classics, served in a perfectly civilized atmosphere.

Little Branch
20 Seventh Ave., at Leroy St.; 212-929-4360
Milk & Honey is Sasha Petraske's best, but this spinoff provides nearly the same cocktail quality without the secret reservation number. Name your favorite liquor and they’ll give you an encyclopedic list of old-fashioned cocktails that incorporate it.

PDT
113 St. Marks Pl., nr. First Ave.; 212-614-0386
This snug, sexy speakeasy with a twist can only be accessed through a vintage phone booth within Crif Dogs. Once inside, Jim Meehan offers up oddball concoctions (an old-fashioned made from bacon-infused bourbon and maple syrup) and delicious infusions (buttered-popcorn rum) with equal skill.

Tailor
525 Broome St., nr. Thompson St.; 212-334-5182
The city’s most avant-garde mixologist, Eben Freeman, shows off his latest inventions: everything from spicy paprika punch to shots of bourbon infused with tobacco, to the genre-bending “solids”: cocktails in, yes, solid form.

Pegu Club
77 W. Houston St., nr. W. Broadway, second fl.; 212-334-5182
Audrey Saunders, a Dale De Groff acolyte and creator of the drink list for Bemelmans Bar, crafts the house beverages here with hand-squeezed citrus juices and house-made tinctures.