Bathtub Gin has solved the perennial New York real estate trap – how to maximize your rental investment long after the folks working the day shift have tallied the tills. From the sidewalk, the 9th Avenue speakeasy is fronted by Stone Street Coffee Company, the Manhattan outpost of the infamous Brooklyn roast house. Come nightfall, a glowing red light is the only beacon alerting pedestrians about the prohibition-era bar inside (aside from the militant security detail manning the velvet rope). Paying homage to the venue’s name is an oversized copper bathtub in the center of the room, while guests are free to sip on bespoke cocktails from the luxury of the surrounding plush damask couches under the pressed tin ceiling. Despite the prop, the owners decided to focus on recipes dating back prior to the bathtub gin-brewing decade, mixing booze with various herbs and spices behind the bar instead of allowing the mixture to steep for several days in the tub, as was the method during the 1920’s.
Try the Orchard Negroni, made with Caorunn gin, Laird’s applejack brandy, Cynar artichoke amaro, house-made apple syrup, apple & Angostura Bitters and all-spice rinse, stirred & served on the rocks. For $15, tip your hat to a 24-Gun Salute, made from Beefeater 24 gin, St. Germain Elderflower liquor, organic saffron syrup, orange-apple-Bokers bitters and grapefruit oils, also stirred and served on the rocks. From historic gin cocktails to those with enough mixology flair to qualify as a scientific experiment, the cozy, din space has a distinct Roaring ‘20s vibe, where, after consuming enough stiff drinks, you’ll feel compelled to take to the dance floor and perform your own interpretive sexy foxtrot to the swinging jazz tunes blaring from the live band. Don’t leave without snapping a selfie seated in the tub (with your clothes on, of course.)
