It’s almost impossible to talk about the modern cocktail revival without mentioning a basement on 6th Street. Honestly, back in 2006, the idea of a bar called Death and Company New York City felt a bit dark. Morbid, even. But when David Kaplan, Ravi DeRossi, and eventually Alex Day opened those heavy wooden doors in the East Village, they weren't interested in a goth aesthetic. They were interested in a revolution.
Walking in today, it still feels like a secret. No windows. Dim lighting. It’s tight in there. You’ve probably seen the line outside—it’s legendary, and not always in a good way if you're hungry and sober. But once you’re inside, the chaos of Manhattan basically disappears.
The Myth of the Speakeasy
People love to call it a speakeasy. It isn't one. Not really.
A real speakeasy was a product of Prohibition—illegal, grimy, and usually serving terrible bathtub gin masked by juice. Death and Company New York City was the opposite. It was about precision. They weren't hiding from the law; they were hiding from the mediocre, neon-colored "martinis" that dominated the 90s.
The bar’s name actually comes from an old temperance movement flyer. The idea was that drinking led to keeping company with death. Kaplan and his team flipped that on its head. If you’re going to drink, they reasoned, drink something worth the "risk."
The early days were wild. You had Sasha Petraneche over at Milk & Honey setting the standard for etiquette, and then you had the Death & Co crew focusing on the craft of the build. They experimented with things that seem standard now but were revolutionary then. Think about house-made bitters. Big, clear ice cubes that don't melt in five seconds. Using weird, smoky mezcals when everyone else was still stuck on gold tequila.
Why the Menu is a Novel
If you’ve ever sat at the marble bar, you know the menu is a beast. It’s not just a list of drinks; it’s a curriculum.
Most bars give you a one-pager. Death & Co gives you a leather-bound book. It’s organized by profile—Light & Playful, Boozy & Honest, Elegant & Refined. It’s designed so you don't have to be a mixology nerd to find something you like.
One thing that people get wrong is thinking the bar is snobby. Sure, the bartenders look serious. They use jiggers for every single pour. $0.25$ ounces of simple syrup matters to them. But if you ask for a recommendation, they actually listen.
The Drinks That Defined an Era
You can’t talk about this place without talking about the Oaxaca Old Fashioned. Created by Phil Ward in 2007, this drink changed everything. It took the classic whiskey template and swapped in reposado tequila and mezcal. A couple of dashes of chocolate bitters and an orange twist flamed over the glass.
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It sounds simple now. In 2007? It was a grenade.
It proved that "brown, bitter, and stirred" didn't have to mean bourbon. It introduced an entire generation of New Yorkers to the smoky, earthy world of agave spirits. Suddenly, mezcal wasn't just that "bottle with the worm" in the back of the cabinet. It was a sophisticated ingredient.
Then there’s the Naked and Famous. Another modern classic. Equal parts mezcal, Yellow Chartreuse, Aperol, and lime juice. It’s bright, pink, and deceptively strong. It’s the kind of drink that makes you realize cocktails are basically liquid chemistry.
The Reality of Getting a Table
Let’s be real: getting into Death and Company New York City on a Friday night is a nightmare.
They don't take reservations. They never have. You put your name on a list, and a host gives you a wait time that sounds like a jail sentence. "Two and a half hours," they'll say with a straight face.
Most people give up. They go to a nearby pub. But the ones who wait usually head to a second-choice bar nearby, nursing a beer while they wait for the text. Is it worth it? That depends. If you want a loud party where you can scream over Top 40 hits, absolutely not. You will hate it. It’s dark. It’s quiet. You have to stay seated. No standing at the bar.
But if you want to actually taste what you're paying $20 for, it's the gold standard.
The "Death & Co" Effect on the Industry
The influence of this single East Village basement is kind of staggering. The alumni list reads like a Who’s Who of the beverage world.
- Phil Ward: Went on to open Mayahuel (RIP), which furthered the agave movement.
- Joaquín Simó: Opened Pouring Ribbons and won American Bartender of the Year.
- Thomas Waugh: Became a legend at ZZ’s Clam Bar and the Major Food Group spots.
Basically, if you’ve had a high-end cocktail in any major city in the last decade, there’s a direct line back to 433 East 6th Street. They even published a book—Death & Co: Modern Classic Cocktails—that became the bible for home bartenders. It’s a massive, heavy tome that demystifies the "mistery" of the trade. They didn't gatekeep their secrets. They shared them.
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It's Not Just New York Anymore
Success breeds expansion, which is always a risky move for a "neighborhood" spot. When they announced locations in Denver and Los Angeles, some purists rolled their eyes. How do you bottle the vibe of a tiny NYC basement and move it to a sprawling hotel in Colorado?
Surprisingly, it worked.
The Denver spot is huge. It’s in the Ramble Hotel. It has high ceilings and tons of light. It’s the polar opposite of the New York original. But the DNA is the same. The hospitality. The obsessed-over ice. The menus that feel like they were curated by a librarian with a drinking habit.
They proved that Death & Co isn't just a room; it’s a system. It’s a way of treating ingredients.
Common Misconceptions
People think you have to dress up. You don't. I've seen guys in hoodies sitting next to couples in full formal wear. The bar cares about your palate, not your shoes. Just don't be a jerk. The "house rules" are pretty standard for these types of places: no shouting, no fighting, don't hit on people you don't know. Basic human decency, really.
Another myth? That it's too expensive.
Look, $18 to $24 for a cocktail isn't "cheap." But consider the labor. You have a staff that preps for five hours before the doors even open. They're making their own cordials. They're hand-cutting ice from 300-pound blocks. When you realize you're drinking a work of art that took 10 minutes to build and 10 years of training to master, the price makes more sense.
The Science of the Stir vs. The Shake
If you watch the bartenders at Death and Company New York City, you'll notice they are almost robotic in their movements. This is intentional.
They use a technique called "the Japanese hard shake" for certain drinks, designed to aerate the liquid and create tiny ice crystals. For stirred drinks, they use long, slender bar spoons, moving them in a way that minimizes noise and maximizes chill without over-diluting.
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It’s physics.
A stirred drink, like a Negroni or a Manhattan, needs to be silky. It needs to feel heavy on the tongue. A shaken drink, like a Daiquiri, needs to be bright and effervescent. Watching them work is like watching a watchmaker at a bench. It’s meditative.
What to Expect If You Go
First, go early. Like, 5:45 PM on a Tuesday early.
If you show up at 9:00 PM on a Saturday, you’re looking at a three-hour wait. There is no "hookup." There is no secret backdoor. You talk to the person at the door, give them your number, and you wait.
When you get in, don't look for a vodka soda. You can get that anywhere. Look for the ingredients you've never heard of. Ask about the "Sherry" section. Try something with Suze or Smith & Cross rum.
The Food Situation
Most people forget they have food. It’s mostly small plates. Truffle fries, sliders, that sort of thing. It’s good, but it’s definitely secondary. You’re there for the liquid. That said, eating something is a smart move because these drinks are not "light" on the alcohol. They use high-proof spirits and very little filler.
Actionable Steps for Your Visit
If you're planning to experience Death and Company New York City, don't just wing it.
- Check the Wait Times: Use an app or just walk by early to put your name in. They’ll text you when your table is ready, and you usually have about 10-15 minutes to get back there before they give your spot away.
- Sit at the Bar: Tables are fine for dates, but the bar is where the magic happens. You get to see the "theatre" of the pour.
- Read the Intro: The first few pages of their menu usually explain their philosophy for that season. It helps you navigate the 50+ choices.
- Try the Classics First: If you’ve never been, order an Oaxaca Old Fashioned or a Conference. It gives you a baseline for what they do best.
- Be Adventurous: After your first round, tell the bartender what you liked and let them "freestyle" a bit. They have hundreds of recipes in their heads that aren't on the printed menu.
Death and Company New York City isn't just a bar anymore; it's a piece of New York history. It survived the 2008 crash, it survived the 2020 lockdowns, and it's still there, tucked away on 6th Street. It’s a reminder that even in a city that changes every five seconds, quality and obsession still win.
If you want to understand why New York is the cocktail capital of the world, you start here. Just be prepared to wait. It’s worth it.