For those whom gin is their spirit of choice, The Ivory Peacock is a must. This New York City bar is a paean to the botanically-infused elixir. Offering 860 gins from around the world, the selection is the largest in the city that never sleeps.
Located at 38 West 26th St. at the intersection of the NoMad and Chelsea neighborhoods, the bar takes inspiration from the world’s most welcoming and poshest hotel lobby bars that serve as the “town squares” of their communities. Guests arrive in the primary space that features a lovingly restored wooden bar that seats 24. By the front windows at the entrance are two “perches” inspired by Irish snugs, where groups of eight to 10 can congregate. The bar room accommodates 100, and is replete with plush banquettes, antique chandeliers from the Waldorf Astoria New York and the NoMad Hotel, and 19th-century Louis XV-style carved giltwood mirrors. The space then transitions to the grand, semicircular Emerald Bar with 14 marigold velvet seats, offering a spectacular raw bar experience alongside the growing Emerald Bar Gin Collection with bottlings from around the world prominently displayed.
But enough about décor. Though elegant, welcoming, and alluringly illuminated at night, it’s the cocktails that draw the crowds. The Ivory Peacock features elaborate martinis, an exuberant G&T service, and contemporary cocktails elevated via kitchen science using a range of clear and aged spirits. The drinks are complemented by French/Japanese-inspired, seafood-focused dishes and raw bar selections.
Seasoned mixologists love to work with gin because it is so versatile, bright, and complex, creating an ideal canvas for cocktail creativity. With its multiple botanicals, gin celebrates the bounty of the planet and each gin’s botanical composition has a unique and beautiful story to tell. The Ivory Peacock serves gin in cocktails that are accessible, engaging and fun, such as its bevy of optimized martinis, both classic and creative. Each is available as 2 oz or 4 oz pours, enabling tipplers to sample a wider variety of gins. The Emerald Bar Gin & Tonic Service is designed as an elegant introduction to new gins; cocktails are presented deconstructed Copa-style with curated botanicals, tonics, ice and garnishes and served on bespoke trays handcrafted by RCP Design in Brooklyn. Classic Cocktails are elevated with kitchen science using modernist culinary equipment and techniques to create complex flavors that elevate classics from the mixology canon. These advances add complexity and texture and are hidden under approachable and irreverently whimsical presentations. The bar team creates its own “super” cordials, which are essentially oleo-saccharums adjusted with citric and malic acids to maximize flavor, prolong freshness, and advance sustainability.
Bright, balanced and discovery-driven, the cocktails were created by The Ivory Peacock’s Lead Bartender Gill Grossman, a veteran of Dante at Pier 17, Honeybees, Blue Quarter and The Fulton by Jean-Georges. Grossman is joined by fellow Lead Bartender Sean McClure, a veteran of Daniel, Le Bernardin, Dirty French, Amor y Amargo and Panorama Room.
Non gin drinkers needn't stray. The Ivory Peacock also makes a mean Nouveau Old Fashioned, and other varied spirited cocktails. A curated wine list by Mark Drew, formerly of the Four Seasons Hotel and WS New York, skews French, with American and global discoveries, featuring wines by the glass and by the bottle. The beer list celebrates traditional favorites with a rotating selection of seasonal brews.
Culinary offerings celebrate classic French dishes and techniques, while incorporating Japanese flavor accents. The seafood-forward, seasonal offerings are the creation of Chef Grayson Altenberg, who honed his skills at The French Laundry, Restaurant Ukiyo, Daniel Boulud’s The Dinex Group and Babbo. Think caviar, tuna tartare, oysters, uni tempura, lobster roll, and a stellar miso-glazed Croque Monsieur.
The Ivory Peacock is open Wednesday-Thursday, 4pm-2am, and Friday-Saturday, 4pm-4am. 38 W. 26th, New York, New York.
Photos courtesy of The Ivory Peacock
