Saturday crowds in Manhattan and Brooklyn are seeing new cocktails on bar menus this week. Local bartenders are using spring produce like cucumbers, sugar snap peas, mint, and arugula. At Dante in Greenwich Village, the house spritz now features muddled snap peas alongside gin and lemon. Greenpoint’s Ramona has added a cucumber-mint cooler, served over crushed ice for $16.
Spring ingredients are showing up as garnishes and infusions. At Leyenda in Cobble Hill, bartenders top mezcal palomas with arugula leaves and a pinch of sea salt. Midtown’s The Campbell offers a vodka-based drink with fresh mint and a celery salt rim, available through June.
Many bar managers cite customer demand for lighter, less sweet drinks as temperatures rise. “People are asking for something refreshing,” said Allison Lee, beverage director at a Lower East Side cocktail bar. “We’re getting more requests for green, herbal flavors.”
Produce is sourced from regional distributors and Union Square Greenmarket. Some bars report higher costs for snap peas and organic herbs, but expect prices to moderate as supply increases through June. Most new drinks range from $15 to $18.
On Saturday afternoons, sidewalk seating fills up quickly as guests opt for these early summer cocktails. Several bartenders said they plan to keep rotating seasonal produce as the city moves into summer.