Drexler’s

I LOVE DREXLER’S!
sorry for the short review but it’s just an awesome neighborhood bar.

I went on a Friday night and it was a little empty but I had to write about the downstairs area. It is a super intimate, cool space with great music. The vibe is really chill and rustic. And the music has this old timey feel with a modern mix. Definitely worth a stop by.

KO: KIM:BO
MISTRAL PISCO NOBEL, AMARO MONTENEGRO, STRAWBERRIES, LIME, ANGOSTURA BITTERS, EGG WHITES — decent, but nothing that wowed my palate.
The place was crazy loud, giving it was a Saturday night.
So J said let’s go somewhere else, where there wasn’t a birthday celebration party going on.

Lovely décor with the cool old school bathtubs tucked behind the bar. Great background music. Friendly bartender named, «Mikey» served us strong flavorful drinks. We had one of their signature cocktails the, «Colonial Upside» at $ 7.00 on a Friday during happy hour. Delicious! Worth a visit!

Great vibes, great cocktails. I worked with Eric to book some tables for my birthday, and he was super lovely!
Our waitress was okay. I think she was a bit grumpy because my group didn’t order enough drinks. And then she kicked us out a little bit early, for reasons I didn’t understand because it was loud at that point.
I still had a good time and would come back though. The cocktails are too good not to!

Excellent cocktails. Went for drinks before dinner, and the variations on classics were on point. Also good variety with bases of whisky, mezcal, vodka, tequila, gin, etc. The bartender wasn’t too busy so he was happy to help us out in our choices. Nice.

Be warned… cocktails here are yummy but strong. Definitely getting ur moneys worth in terms of liquor.
Nice ambiance, good vibes and definitely worth coming in for a drink or two.

Great bar, great drinks. Excellent service and knowledgeable staff. I will definitely come back here. Nice selection of craft beers, wine and cocktails. Thanks!!!

Almost everything about Drexler’s is on point. The ambiance, the meat and cheese plates, and the drinks were all pretty much perfect.
Whoever curated the drink menu did a great job. It definitely stands out, which is important in a city/​neighborhood where specialty cocktails are easy to come by.
The only reason I left out 1 star is because their best drink, The English Milk Punch is delicious but very weak. I had extra run poured in mine and that made it perrrrrfect!

Passed by on a Wednesday night, and the doorway just called our names. It is rather spacious, just-​dark-​enough, and low-​key. There is booth and bar (a very long bar) with seating. With Led Zeppelin and classic rock hits, their music was great, and not loud. They have a holiday menu; of which I tried a Bad Santa (yum), and an Egg Nog (Even yummier. It was milky and smooth).
Drinks– ⁵⁄₅ Space– ⁵⁄₅ (very clean, spacious) Staff– ⁵⁄₅ (Bartender was very nice and quick)
It’s a spot that is good for anything; a date, buying yourself a well-​deserved drink, or hanging out with friends.

Cocktail Bar that is perfect for a date!
This cocktail bar offers great drinks with top shelf liquor to satisfy your palate and get away the woes of work. When you walk into this dimly lit bar you notice a very cool décor that kind of makes you feel like you are in a speakeasy.
I got a spot at the bar during happy hour and ordered a few of the drinks a New York sour and duck hunt while my friend got the beat surrender. They were all delicious and made by our bartender devin who was a very cool guy who explained the different ingredients being put into the drinks and made the overall experience a lot of fun.
In short:
— Date Spot
— Great Drinks
— Friendly Bartenders

Recap: Decent cocktails, awesome aesthetics, but be weary on weekends… the place gets packed and the lower level reeks of farts. Yup, farts. Even so, 4 stars.
Came here for a get-​together on a Saturday, and found out that this was the old Ella space. Apparently, management wanted to go another direction with the bar, and I’m quite happy it’s no longer the overly-​clubby, house music blaring space it once was. The interior is gorgeous — dim lighting, brickwalls, wood-​beamed ceilings, a chic looking bar, with large wooden bench tables for additional seating. The design team took a «less is more» approach, and they succeeded in creating a chic and inviting vibe.
As for the libations, they do have some craft beers on tap and in bottles ($ 6 – 8), but I stuck to cocktails ($ 10-​$ 12) for the evening. I tried the Beat Surrender, Reunion Tour, and Fear of Commitment. All the drinks were solid and decently well-​balanced. I wasn’t «wow”-ed by any means, but still, they were tasty and not too pricey. Score.
Service was a bit slow, but what do you expect on a Saturday night in the East Village? Our waitress was a champ though, she was waiting on way too many tables, but didn’t once mess up anyone’s order. Plus, she was more than accommodating when we asked to break up our group tab. So kudos to her.
Okay, so the next time I come back to this place it’ll probably be on a weeknight or early evening on a weekend. The place on this Saturday night just got way too busy for my liking, but I get it… it’s the East Village and it’s a hot new space. Oh yea, and I’ll probably stick to the upper level, too. I ventured down to the more clubby lower-​level during peak hours. Such a mistake. It was probably 90 degrees down there and overflowing with people standing/​dancing. And for whatever reason, the crowd that evening was farting up a storm. But it’s that’s your thing, by all means, head downstairs.
Farts aside, I had a great time at Drexler’s. It absolutely holds its own among the countless other great bars in the East Village.

Wow. perfect cocktails crafted in a beautiful space. Classic cocktails, ie. Bobby Burns (oh so friggen just goddamn… in simple terms, good). If you’ve got your pre-​prohibition pants on come and enjoy drinks the way civilized folks used to. (tho I am no shrug or snob of drinking pints o’ beer n well shots next door :-P). Sometimes it’s nice to feel sophisticated; -) Super cool and knowledgeable mixologist Dustin made us some amazing cocktails. Expensive ~$ 64 for 4 drinks with tax and tip but well worth the splurge every once in a while.

Bordering the Lower East Side, Drexler’s is a wonderful addition that has classed up the bar scene in the East Village.
The space is low-​key, warm and still has the scent of fresh wood. We were able to take advantage of the happy hour specials, which includes $ 7 dollar specialty cocktails Monday-​Friday. Mind you this is an entire menu of well-​crafted, original cocktails — some of which regularly go up to $ 15 dollars a pop. What a treat!
The Bee’s Knees, California Milk Punch, and the New York Sour were among our favorites. Careful of the Mezcal Especial, though, as it was unexpectedlly very smoky.
Certainly wouldn’t mind coming back here for another round and this time trying one of their delicious-​looking cheese plates!

My friend and I came here after dinner on a recent Friday night. We arrived around 8:30, maybe a little earlier, and it was already fairly crowded. It’s a big space, however, so it thinned out a bit once we made it to the actual bar. We got seats there without a problem. I ordered the Bee’s Knees (Botanist Islay gin, herbed honey, lemon), which is a pretty standard gin drink, but I can honestly say this is the best version I’ve ever had. All I can figure is that whatever herbs are in the honey added an extra delicious kick. It also came with a rosemary garnish, which created a really nice aromatic scent every time I took a sip. My friend ordered the Greenpoint (Whistle Pig 10-​year rye, Dolin sweet vermouth, yellow chartreuse, angostura and orange bitters), which she said was amazing. Usually I like to mix it up at new places, but I just stuck with the Bee’s Knees for the whole night because it was so incredible. My friend stuck with hers as well. The $ 12 price tag was great as well; I feel like $ 15 per drink is more the norm in the city.
My only complaint about this place is that it was on the loud side when we got there, and it only got louder as the night went on. We were sitting inches from each other at the bar and yet had to basically yell in each other’s ears in order to hear. My throat was raw the next morning from shouting. So, if you’re looking for a quiet spot, this isn’t it. If you’re in the mood for great drinks in a more boisterous environment, then this fits the bill.
FYI: Downstairs is more of a lounge (with a d.j.). The bathrooms are not down there – they’re on the main level straight in the back.

I found my new favorite cocktail bar in the East Village.
I walked passed this place on a Tuesday night and it caught my eye. The entrance is very interesting and draws you in. Unfortunately I realized it was only Tuesday, so I had to keep it moving. Came back three days later and was blown away.
The cocktails are fantastic, and well priced (~$ 12 per cocktail). The food menu (although limited) is the perfect compliment to the drinks. Your options are basically meats or cheeses (each portion of a meat or cheese that you order is between $ 9 – 11 bucks). Every order you place comes with a choice of a bread (or cracker, etc) and a spread. The olive tapenade is perfect, the baguettes toasted and tasty, and the cheese fantastic. I tried one gin and one mezcal based cocktail. Both were great, but I was really blown away by the mezcal based one.
Best part? Happy hour! Cocktails are $ 5 dollars Monday through Friday until 8pm. SOLD.
This place is cute and intimate, and not as tiny as a lot of the other good cocktail bars in Manhattan. There’s a good amount of seating at the bar, as well as a bunch of tables that you can sit at and get waiter service. I came in around 7:30 and didn’t have any issue finding a table. I am already planning my next visit.

$ 10 for an amazingly delicious cocktail that the Mixology Gods would appreciate? Say what?
Plus there’s actually space to enjoy your cocktail and the bartenders are friendly? Really?
Drexler is almost too good to be true. That milk punch is the stuff of dreams! Just remember, keep it on the down low. Shh…

Stopped in for a late afternoon drink en famille. Thought a bourbon cocktail was delish, my daughter less pleased with the smallish English Milk Punch. She did enjoy a plate of cured meat with ricotta cheese — a long time coming, but artfully arranged.
Aesthetic are from the 19^th century– whether its steampunk of Old San Francisco is hard to say. The music was all 80s, Talking Heads, Billy Idol, Bowie, the Cure, etc. Volume not too loud.
Guessing the crowd was mostly people in their late 20s, early 30s. I’d go back.

What a lovely new spot in the East Village! Very excited to see how this place takes shape in the coming months. Seeing as the location is fantastic (right on the border of the LES/​East Village), I’m optimistic that Drexler’s will be around for quite some time.
Drexler’s has been on my list of places to go since its genesis, so I was overjoyed when I stumbled upon in Saturday night while walking to the Library. I hate to be the one to opt for the hot young dude/​tte over the tried and true classic… but I did. I’ll own that.
Walking in, I immediately noticed how new the place smelled. While not overpowering, you can clearly get a whiff of the wood finish. You’ll habituate to it though (plus this place will only be new until it’s not… so, the smell will last… until it doesn’t). My second observation was how gorgeous the space was. While I didn’t go downstairs (I believe it’s more lounge-​y down there), I was still impressed by what I saw. Lots of wood, exposed brick, high ceilings, minimalist décor (wood/​iron/​industrial chic) — simple and beautifully designed.
Unlike a lot of the cocktail bars in the East Village, this place is quite spacious. It has a somewhat intimate vibe (dim lighting, candles, etc. etc.) that could serve as a decent date setting, but I see it more as a place to go with a small/​medium-​sized group friends who want to try a number of interesting meats, cheeses, spreads and cocktails. I’ll say intimate but not romantic.
My fuzzy cocktail picture for Drexler’s is of the «Reunion Tour». Or something containing the word «reunion» (it’s not listed on the menus that are featured online). The only ingredients I remember are gin, grapefruit and absinthe. A bit too much absinthe for my liking (I shouldn’t have tested my luck, so it’s my own fault) but otherwise, a delightful and refreshing cocktail. The cocktail menu here is solid, but it’s not the most inventive list I’ve seen. That said, I’ve been to a lot of unbelievably amazingly wonderfully awesome cocktail spots, so my bar is set high.

Yeah, budday!
Came here after reading about it on Gothamist. Being a somewhat newly finished space, it still smells like lacquer and there are a ton of what looks like renovated church pews arranged like booths strewn everywhere. Overall, a very rustic yet upscale feel. They play a lot of old school upbeat 60’s music, while mixing it up with stuff like Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes. You know, that mainstream hipster ish. Clientele so far seems pretty hipster-​y as well, with the occasional overflow of yuppie white couples from Boulton and Watt. In all, the space wasn’t too crowded, but had a solid amount of people, especially for having just opened this week.
They have a pretty cool selection of cocktails. I was able to try the Fireball Sour (12 year bourbon, cinnamon, lemon, bitters and egg whites. I liked the rich tasted from the egg whites and the citrus and bitters was a really good contrast of tastes. The crown jewel though, was the Employee of the Month, which serves 2, and comes in a huge trophy glass. Awesome. Made with Mount Gay rum, sherry, passion fruit, orgeat, lime, pineapple, and topped with strawberries, blueberries, and mint, the fruitiness can be overpowering, but a delicious drink nonetheless. Not a huge rum person, but it was a good mix of ingredients. Kinda like an elevated fish bowl drink, with the price to match ($ 26).
The waitstaff is very friendly, one of which was definitely an Aubrey Plaza clone, which I really dug for some reason, ha. Prices are around $ 10 – 12 a cocktail which is pretty standard. I didn’t get to try any of the food, so I’ll have to come in sometime and give it a shot.
Overall, it’s definitely still on its first legs, but I really enjoyed what I saw. I hope to enjoy Drexler’s a good amount before it gets too crowded and people find out about it. Maybe writing a detailed Unilocal review won’t help, but oh well! Cheers to a new cocktail bar to try!