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Lonely Planet Experiences: East Village Cocktails & Speakeasies Small Group Tour
Recommended for your New York City trip
Free Cancellation
up to 24 hours in advance
2 hours 30 minutes (Approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English
Good for avoiding crowds
Keeping you safe during COVID-19
Overview
Experience the heart of Manhattan’s booming cocktail scene like an insider by visiting the top watering holes in the East Village with an in-the-know guide. New York is a true cocktail town, both for classic and cutting-edge libations, and with this tour you can enjoy three beverages and explore the dynamic neighborhood, learning about where the best restaurants and bars are in the area.
- Taste three cocktails at some of the best bars and hidden gems in Manhattan
- Discover locally produced spirits from microdistilleries with a guide
- Learn how Prohibition-era speakeasies shaped New York City
- Small-group tour limited to 12 ensures personalized attention
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Meet your guide in Tompkins Square Park, the biggest swath of greenery in the East Village, and begin the tour. You’ll be introduced to a water fountain that was donated to the city by a temperance advocate who promoted imbibing water rather than whiskey.
Then head out, exploring the streets of the East Village. Learn about New York cocktail culture and the major players, the bartenders and mixologists of the drinking scene here. See former speakeasies (hidden bars during Prohibition) and listen to stories about politicians and mobsters who secretly kept the booze flowing during the period when alcohol was illegal.
Visit Astor Wines, one of the best wine and spirits shops in the city. Get introduced to micro-distillers and many of the alcohol companies that are local. And if you want to make a purchase, the guide is there to offer recommendations.
After visiting a few cocktail-centric spots, learn from your guide where are the best places to imbibe in the neighborhood.
Then head out, exploring the streets of the East Village. Learn about New York cocktail culture and the major players, the bartenders and mixologists of the drinking scene here. See former speakeasies (hidden bars during Prohibition) and listen to stories about politicians and mobsters who secretly kept the booze flowing during the period when alcohol was illegal.
Visit Astor Wines, one of the best wine and spirits shops in the city. Get introduced to micro-distillers and many of the alcohol companies that are local. And if you want to make a purchase, the guide is there to offer recommendations.
After visiting a few cocktail-centric spots, learn from your guide where are the best places to imbibe in the neighborhood.
Itinerary
We meet at this park in the center of the neighborhood which was once not such a safe place to hang out but today is full of dog parks, children’s playgrounds, street art, and sometimes we get to hear live jazz music in the park. Inside the park, we see an historic Temperance Fountain that is left over from the temperance movement trying to curb people’s consumption of alcohol.
Duration: 10 minutes
Admission Ticket Not Included
This historic speakeasy from Prohibition has lots of history and stories, including the one we tell about the gangster who hid unpaid tax money in the basement. The modern day bar also serves as one of our tastings, where we try absinthe prepared in the bohemian style.
Duration: 20 minutes
Admission Ticket Not Included
While sipping on absinthe made at the bar next door, we get to visit the lobby of the theater and learn the story of the gangster who tried to evade paying taxes during Prohibition. We hear stories of bootlegging, murder, and classic New York theater.
Duration: 20 minutes
Admission Ticket Not Included
We don’t visit the entire museum, but see the theater and bar that is part of it. We hear the story of the gangster who ran the speakeasy that was inside this building during Prohibition and how he attempted to evade paying taxes on the millions of dollars he illegally earned.
Duration: 10 minutes
Admission Ticket Not Included
Inside an old landmarked printing press, is New York’s most famous wine and liquor store. Some nights we do a tasting and learn about how to make spirits and which local libations are the best to purchase. We come here for all your cocktail supplies.
Duration: 10 minutes
Admission Ticket Not Included
Traveler Tips
- "At this point I would warn people who book through Viator to be careful if they change the date." See review
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Product code: 5713COCKTAIL
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