NYC's Best Hot Drinks
The 'Suckao'
Max Brenner
841 Broadway, NYC, 10003
(212) 388-0030
maxbrenner.com
It's dense, it's rich and you have to work for it. No, not your boss, it's the 'Suckao' from Union Square chocolate factory Max Brenner. This potent mini-drink is an intense and concentrated shot of hot white or milk chocolate. The name "Suckao" is derived from the word 'Suck' - and suck you must, so much so that a metal straw is in order - and the German word 'Kakao', meaning cocoa beans.
'Granddad's Coffee'
Freemans
End of Freeman Alley (Off Rivington between the Bowery and Chrystie)
212-420-0012
freemansrestaurant.com
In a restaurant so hip that it doesn't have a street address, you can find out what Gramps was hiding in his morning mug. This coffee cocktail is made silky by all-natural Nux Alpina walnut liqueur and Landy VSOP cognac. The coffee comes from 'revolutionary' artisanal roaster Stumptown Coffee. Bartenders top of this old-timey brew with a yummy cream float.
'Loco Cocoa'
Alice's Tea Cup
220 East 81st Street
(2 other locations in town)
212-734-4832
alicesteacup.com
The popular and whimsical uptown tea room serves a hot chocolate for tea lovers with a freaky side. Baristas add a mix of nutmeg, cinnamon and powdered cayenne pepper into tea-infused hot chocolate, giving you just the right spicy kick. A rotation of non-caffeinated, cocoa-complementing teas, such as Rooibos Bourbon (a vanilla-flavored red tea) and Rooibos Coconut Vanilla, ensure a unique tasting experience for return visitors. This hot chocolate is topped off with whipped cream and a pinch of spices.
The 'Nell Gwynne'
Serendipity 3
225 East 60th Street
212-838-3531
serendipity3.com
This well-loved restaurant celebrates all that is uppity with a steamy drink served 'pousse-café' style (layered with the densest ingredient at the bottom). The Nell Gwynne is named after a lowly "orange-girl" who went on to become the long-time courtesan of England's King Charles II. Layers of espresso, steamed espresso, and a semi-sweet blend of 14 different chocolates, are topped with a heavy cream whipped with a drop of vanilla and a pinch of sugar. In honor of the drink's namesake, the final layer is a sprinkling of orange peel.
'Hot Greenmarket Cider'
Gramercy Tavern
42 East 20th Street
212-477-0777
gramercytavern.com
If you're looking to avoid calorie-laden treats this year, saddle up to this restaurant's elegant bar for a cup of hot greenmarket cider. Made from the locally grown apples of Samascott Orchards in Kinderhook, New York, this simple but nourishing hot cider is garnished with a dried apple ring. So, you're not that wholesome? To provide further warmth and maybe even a little cheer, bartenders are happy to add a shot or two of Appleton rum or Buffalo Trace bourbon.
