Death and Co

I don't normally review bars but K and I just had such bafflingly beautiful cocktails at Death and Co (6th between first and ave a).  The entire place is themed like a funeral parlor complete with austere entrance, with a menu full of about 12 pages worth of original drinks, sorted by primary liquor.  

K & I both opted for selections from the whiskey page.  She had La Dolce Vita (right), a strong drink centered around a chamomile-infused rye, complemented by St. Germain, Campari, and Elderflower liquor.  It grew on both of us as the ginormous ice-cube began to dilute.  I'm a sucker for all things smokey (scotch, bbq, lox, and lapsang suchong), so I went for the Laphroaig-based Paul's Word (left) spiked with lime juice and Green Chartreuse.  It was, despite the strong single-malt structure, a bit lightweight for me, but it was oh so interesting to taste the peaty backdrop of Laphroaig cut through the sweet.  And our bartender Thomas: this is a man worth befriending, folks.  He worked his tail off, even going so far as to taste (with a little pipette) my Paul's Word and decide it wasn't to his liking.  He spilled it out and started from scratch.  Wow.

So, if you're looking to contemplate your mortality while you imbibe some highly original cocktails with uber-top-shelf spirits, I definitely recommend Death and Co.