Cocktail culture in NYC just got elevated.
In a city where lackluster rooftop bars are a dime a dozen, one of the country’s preeminent mixologists — who professed to once serving the late Patrick Swayze “the best Cosmo” he’d ever had — is bringing his award-winning craft to the Big Apple’s most civilized new piece of top-level real estate.
Located on the 39th floor of the year-old Virgin Hotel in Manhattan’s NoMad neighborhood, The Post got a preview of cocktail king Charles Joly’s the Riff Raff Club, which opened its doors on Thursday — days after the drinksmith served the cast of Hulu’s “The Bear” at the Governors Ball in Los Angeles.
But while Joly and crew are aiming for upper class all the way when it comes to drinks and atmosphere, all are welcome, the elite member of the shakerati explained.
“I don’t want the experience to feel overly precious or nerdy,” the pro insisted to The Post.
“The goal is to have something for everybody, whether for adventurous drinkers or people who’d normally sip on a plain vodka soda,” he said.
That’s not to say cocktail nerds won’t be wowed.
The bar boasts an extensive “Liquid Library” of vintage spirits, some dating back to the early 1900s. That includes a 1947 Cognac Napoléon and 1960s and ’70s-era expressions of Green Chartreuse, all sourced by Joly himself, who has an affinity for throwback booze and vintage glassware, which he will be using at the bar.
There’s also the Negroni Affumicato: a Negroni infused with chicory-applewood smoke. The $23 drink is served inside a box Joly actually created himself as part of his collection with Fortessa.
The Chicagoan has made a name for himself as a force in the American cocktail scene over the years.
A James Beard-winning beverage director for his hometown’s acclaimed The Aviary, Joly stands as the only American winner of the global World Class by Diageo cocktail competition.
He’s collaborated alongside iconic chefs like Eric Ripert and Anthony Bourdain and even has his own glassware company (Crafthouse by Fortessa).
And the South Side native’s talents have taken him far — besides his stint at the Emmys, he’s also the official mixologist for the Academy Awards every year.
“You do get star-struck on occasion,” he admits, when it comes to the cushy gigs he’s slung drinks at — everything from the Kentucky Derby to the Grammys to private events for the likes of Oprah Winfrey and Jimmy Kimmel.
“Two years ago, I was setting up under the bar and when I got up my first guest was Quentin Tarantino. It took me by surprise. I was like, ‘Oh s–t, what are we drinking today?’”
But whether or not A-listers flock to Riff Raff is beside the point, Joly said.
“There’s a cool common thread that a bar is always a bar, whether at big events or a small brick-and-mortar place,” he explained.
Though sometimes both do collide, like early on in his career back in Chicago.
“Patrick Swayze was in town and he came into our eight-seat bar one night with his wife,” Joly recalls of the beloved late actor.
“Patrick was exactly as cool as you’d think he’d be. He actually ordered a Cosmopolitan, and I was like ‘OK! I’m going to make the best Cosmo this guy ever had.’”
The Riff Raff Club is just the latest high-profile opening in an emerging cocktail scene in the tony district sandwiched between Madison Square Park and the chaos of Herald Square.
“There’s been a real boom here,” says Joly, alluding to trendy destinations including the Bronze Owl, the Roof at Park South, NoMad Tea Parlor, Little Ned and the Tusk Bar. The nearby reopening of the Experimental Cocktail Club occurred this week as well. “You can go on an amazing crawl now in the neighborhood in any direction.”
The club, centered around an island bar, provides sweeping views of the cityscape and nearby Empire State Building.
When it comes to its endlessly mulled-over menu, it’s a cocktail lover’s dream of souped-up classic recipes as well as more esoteric jaunts.
They include the Bukowski Cocktail named after the gritty author and featuring Malört, Drambuie, basil and honey. “That one was flying last night,” he said, noting Malört is beloved back home in Chicago. “Not bad for a bitter wormwood spirit.”
