NYC Bars You Must Visit

Here are a few NYC bars that are doing something different than just revamping classic cocktails.  They also all happen to be a little hidden, but it's definitely worth the little effort it takes to find them.  In no particular order:

• Apotheke - Deriving its name from the German word for "pharmacy", this bar is located on Doyers Street down in Chinatown, and the focus here is bold flavors using market fresh fruits and vegetables, infusions, purees, teas, spices, herbs, etc.  The cocktail list is extensive, changes every season, and is categorized by the effect of the drink, ie. aphrodisiac, pain killer, stress reliever, etc.  They also have several absinthe offerings.  This place is one of my favorites.
• Experimental Cocktail Club - The 3rd installment after the original Paris bar and subsequent London bar, this establishment is located on Chrystie Street in the Lower East Side.  You'll be hard pressed to find a better cocktail in the city, and the drinks here truly live up to the bar name.  Bottled cocktails, mushroom infused scotch, burnt butter & toasted hay infused calvados, red bell pepper syrup, and many other unusual but delicious things can be found here.  A must visit.  *NOTE: ECC has recently changed bar managers, so it remains to be seen if the menu will continue to offer the same extreme ingredients.
• Mulberry Project - Bespoke cocktail geniuses.  Hidden down a sidewalk stairwell between two Italian restaurants on Mulberry Street, this place has no cocktail list.  Instead there is a chalkboard by the bar with the day's fruits, vegetables, spices and herbs, and bartenders stand by willing and able to concoct craft cocktails on the spot tailored to your tastes and preferences.  I have yet to be disappointed by anything coming out of the bar.
• Angel's Share - This bar is one of the forefathers of the speakeasy craft cocktail movement in NYC, and it's the closest thing to an authentic Japanese cocktail experience you'll find in the city, maybe the country.  Situated in the back of Village Yokocho restaurant on Stuyvesant Street in the East Village, this bar also has an extensive list of cocktails that changes regularly, and every cocktail has a story behind it adding to its allure. 

Hopefully at some point in the near future you'll have the opportunity to visit each one.

Cheers.