Places like The Wall Street Hotel are giving the classic drink its due.<\/p>\n
The Wall Street Hotel <\/p>\n
If New York City<\/a> had a signature drink, there\u2019s no doubt what it would be: the martini. The cocktail, like the city itself, is sophisticated, stylish and straightforward. And lately, it feels like a wave of bars has been swept up in martini madness, from the ubiquitous espresso to James Bond\u2019s timeless Vesper.<\/p>\n Yet some of the city\u2019s most beloved hotels<\/a>, including the martini\u2019s very birthplace, are shaking things up with offerings where the cocktail takes center stage. Here are five of our favorites, all worthy of a toast.<\/p>\n The Wall Street Hotel<\/p>\n At Forbes Travel Guide Recommended Wall Street Hotel<\/a>, it\u2019s always martini time. The Lounge on Pearl offers a creative spin on happy hour with its Martini Clock. At 4 p.m., the signature drink costs $8, $10 at 5 p.m., $12 at 6 p.m., and $15 at 7 p.m., ideal for the surrounding Financial District\u2019s wheelers and dealers after the day\u2019s closing bell.<\/p>\n The Lounge\u2019s Triple Pearl Martini is a more customizable experience, a choose-your-own-adventure in a glass. Start by picking vodka or gin. After that comes the theater: a trio of martini pearls \u2014 highly concentrated, gastronomic spheres reminiscent of boba that are made in house \u2014 arrive elegantly presented on mother-of-pearl spoons. Pair each kind (dry, dirty and espresso) with a sip of your drink and watch the flavor explode.<\/p>\n Bemelmans Bar is ideal for cocktails and conversations into the night.<\/p>\n The Carlyle, A Rosewood HotelThe Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel<\/p>\n Bemelmans Bar<\/a> at Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star The Carlyle<\/a> is an Upper East Side icon<\/a>. With whimsical wallpaper by Ludwig Bemelmans, creator of the Madeline children\u2019s books, the space has a fun, old-school New York atmosphere ideal for conversations and cocktails. With regards to the latter, it\u2019s reported that the bar\u2019s red-jacketed bartenders sometimes pour more than 1,000 martinis a night.<\/p>\n As nice as it can be to leave the drink-making to the pros, The Carlyle also lives by the old proverb that goes, \u201cTeach a man to make a martini, and he\u2019ll have something to drink for life.\u201d That said, the hotel\u2019s Martini Masterclass<\/a> puts you in the hands of the best for a 45-minute session where you learn the differences between gin and vodka, shaken and stirred techniques, and what makes a pour dirty.<\/p>\n The Fifth Avenue Hotel\u2019s Martini Ritual is an elegant evening affair.<\/p>\n The Fifth Avenue Hotel\/William AbranowiczThe Fifth Avenue Hotel<\/p>\n There\u2019s nothing quite like a former Gilded Age mansion to put you in the mood to indulge. Decadence drives Forbes Travel Recommended Fifth Avenue Hotel<\/a>\u2018s Martini Ritual. Every evening between 5 to 7, with the press of a button on the bedside tablet, a butler in an elegantly tailored white jacket will come to craft your perfect pour en suite.<\/p>\n Before getting to work, the butler curates the scene: drawing the velvet curtains, dimming the lights and turning on a jazzy soundtrack. Next, come the questions. Gin or vodka? Shaken or stirred? A gourmet garnish? What follows is a painstakingly precise preparation using the Portrait Bar\u2019s<\/a> recipe. But be warned: no other start to the evening will ever compare.<\/p>\n Should you want company, the Portrait Bar is the place to be. The space feels like a luxurious living room with a fireplace, dark wood paneling and a collection of personal art. There\u2019s also a travel-inspired cocktail menu, in case you feel the need to branch out from the smooth classic.<\/p>\n The Martini Lounge\u2019s trolley wheels the fun to your table.<\/p>\n Shelby PineThe Knickerbocker<\/p>\n The martini legend looms large at this storied Times Square hotel. Some even call The Knickerbocker<\/a> the cocktail\u2019s birthplace. As the story goes, bartender Martini di Arma di Taggia concocted the first dry martini in 1919 for John B. Rockefeller in the hotel\u2019s gilded ballroom. The true inventor remains disputed, but the cocktail has undeniably starred throughout the 120-year-old hotel\u2019s history. The hard-drinking F. Scott Fitzgerald reportedly sipped The Knickerbocker\u2019s original recipe while writing Mr. Icky, and opera singer Enrico Caruso was known to stop in for a glass, too.<\/p>\n That history lives on in the hotel\u2019s programming today. At the fourth-floor Martini Lounge<\/a>, a dedicated trolley wheels tableside to prepare the original recipe, paired with a caviar-topped croquette and a telling of the drink\u2019s origin story. Should you want to extend the moment, book the Martini Suite<\/a>, where you\u2019ll find sophisticated design, Times Square views and Waterford\u2019s Lismore Diamond crystal, a contemporary spin on the timeless 1950s pattern.<\/p>\n No matter which room you reserve, though, the party doesn\u2019t have to stop. Order the DIY kit \u2014 mini gin bottles, vermouth, garnishes and bar tools are all included \u2014 via room service to shake up your own memories.<\/p>\n The No. 3 Gin Martini Fitting cocktail experience takes over the W this week.<\/p>\n No. 3 GinW Hoboken<\/p>\n If city dwellers are flocking to New Jersey, you know W Hoboken<\/a> is pouring something good. The Living Room, a sunny co-working space with coffee by day and a chic, buzzy cocktail bar by night, is the primary draw. And this week, the main attraction has a name: No. 3 Gin Martini Fitting cocktail experience<\/a>.<\/p>\n Through July 23, a No. 3 Gin specialist will lead nightly sessions to help craft a pour tailor-made to your unique taste. Experimentation factors include vermouth (dry or sweet, 1:1 ratio or 3:1), dilution, temperature (chilled glassware or dense ice cubes) and garnishes, from the quintessential olive to the elevated rosemary sprig. Beyond the guided experience, your ticket includes a spritz, two tailor-made martinis and a selection of small bites.<\/p>\n But even when the No. 3 Gin experience comes to a close, the W Hoboken\u2019s Living Room Bar is a martini-must thanks to the Kyoto Bridge cocktail on the menu. Haku vodka, sake, ceremonial matcha and yuzu offer a punchy, Japanese-flavored take on the standard classic.<\/p>\n MORE FROM FORBESForbesHow GLP-1s Are Reshaping Luxury HospitalityBy Carrie Bell<\/a>ForbesForbes Travel Guide\u2019s 9 Best Cancun HotelsBy Forbes Travel Guide<\/a>Forbes12 Marathons Worth Traveling For In 2026By Jennifer Kester<\/a>ForbesForbes Travel Guide\u2019s Best Hotel Bars For 2026By Jennifer Kester<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Places like The Wall Street Hotel are giving the classic drink its due. 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