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Sugar Monk
  • HOME
  • ABOUT US
  • MENU
  • GALLERY
  • ATHERAS SPIRITS
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  • PRIVATE EVENTS
  • GIFT CARDS
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Press

American Way THE PLATINUM LIST 2020 WINNER American Airlines

American Way THE PLATINUM LIST 2020 WINNER American Airlines

American Way THE PLATINUM LIST 2020 WINNER American Airlines

Winner of the American Airline's Platinum List Awards 2020 in the World's Best Intimate Bars category

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NYT

American Way THE PLATINUM LIST 2020 WINNER American Airlines

American Way THE PLATINUM LIST 2020 WINNER American Airlines

"With a seductive speakeasy vibe and a name nodding to Thelonious Monk, this plush lounge is a new addition to the Harlem nightlife scene."

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NYCGO

American Way THE PLATINUM LIST 2020 WINNER American Airlines

am NEWYORK

"Harlem's historic speakeasies helped inspire this new uptown lounge. The swank spot comes from somewhat unexpected founders; Ektoras Binikos, a visual artist and mixologist, and Simon Jutras, a photographer and interior designer."

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am NEWYORK

WHAT SHOULD WE DO

am NEWYORK

"Sugar Monk is bringing the vibe of the Harlem Renaissance to life with their speakeasy-inspired mixology bar in Central Harlem."

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THE INFATUATION

WHAT SHOULD WE DO

WHAT SHOULD WE DO

"but if you're looking for an impressive spot where you can have a conversation this place is worth it."

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WHAT SHOULD WE DO

WHAT SHOULD WE DO

WHAT SHOULD WE DO

"This cocktail lounge in Harlem's restaurant row is a feast for the senses"

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THE CURIOUS UPTOWNER

THE CURIOUS UPTOWNER

THE CURIOUS UPTOWNER

"Sugar Monk-a new Harlem bar where the cocktails are almost too beautiful to drink"

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THE NATIONAL HERALD

THE CURIOUS UPTOWNER

THE CURIOUS UPTOWNER

"Sugar Monk Lounge, 2292 Frederick Douglas Boulevard in Manhattan, is one of those things that make life in New York worth living. It is a speakeasy bar inspired entirely by the Harlem Renaissance era, a place that adores art and where the alchemy of drinks is triumphant."

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AMSTERDAM NEWS

THE CURIOUS UPTOWNER

AMSTERDAM NEWS

"Now, while this 30+ seat space was full, there was no standing. That is by design in order to maintain their guests' comfort and an enjoyable decibel level in the space."

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PURSUITIST

PURSUITIST

AMSTERDAM NEWS

"This chic Harlem lounge has been creating a stir with stunning interiors, beautiful cocktails and a vibe that takes you back to a time where glamour and sophistication were key."

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CYTIES

PURSUITIST

CYTIES

A palpable passion for art, design, and surprising ingredients separates Sugar Monk from the pack of new NYC speakeasies, carrying forth the creative legacy of a neighborhood known for its rich cultural history. 

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VOGUE

PURSUITIST

CYTIES

The Best Food and Drink Pop-Ups at New York Fashion Week

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More Press

THE MIX

THE MIX

THE MIX

 

 

Everything Matters at Sugar Monk

 

The Duo Behind New York's Hardest-to-Define Cocktail Bar.

By Robert Simonson


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RESY

THE MIX

THE MIX

 


The Resy Guide to New York’s Best Bars and Restaurants with Live Music

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PUNCH

THE MIX

DAILY BEAST

 

MASTER THE CLASSICS

 

Mastering the Hanky Panky

Story: Kara Newman

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DAILY BEAST

THE INFATUATION

DAILY BEAST

 

The co-founder of Sugar Monk in New York, tackles our speed round of questions.

Noah Rothbaum

Half Full Editor

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EATER NEW YORK

THE INFATUATION

THE INFATUATION

 

 

18 Solid Happy Hour Deals in NYC

Food and drink specials around the city for a reminder of the Before Times

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THE INFATUATION

THE INFATUATION

THE INFATUATION

 

 

Where To Get A G&T And Give Back In NYC

  • 25 spots to get a Botanist & Tonic and support the Independent Restaurant Coalition.

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THE INFATUATION

THE INFATUATION

THE INFATUATION

 

" This Harlem cocktail lounge offers mixed drinks with ingredients like Arabian jasmine, absinthe foam, and bergamot bitters, and while you won’t be upset with anything on the menu, the fact that you’re reading this guide suggests you already know what you want to drink. Fortunately, they make an excellent Sidecar as well." 

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MARKET WATCH

THE INFATUATION

THE INFATUATION

 

 

 

Old School Classics

Brandy and Cognac remain cocktail staples.

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More Press

BLOOMBERG Pursuits: The 16 Best New Spirits of 2021

THE MIX with Robert Simonson: The 50 Most Iconic Cocktails in New York

THE MIX with Robert Simonson: The 50 Most Iconic Cocktails in New York

 

Sugar Monk Amari Akhenaten 

 This New York-based Amari maker weaves rich tapestries of flavor, colored by esoteric herbs, spices, and other organic additives in its inventive renditions of the classic Italian herbal liqueur. Akhenaten incorporates more than 40 of them—tree bark, cumin, cedar, eucalyptus, basil and myrrh, to name but a few. Although bartenders could have a field day working the roasty, minty tonalities present here into high-minded cocktails, they’re compelling enough to approach neat or atop a solitary cube of ice. A bonus: 25% of all proceeds from this bottling go to the Harlem School of the Arts at the Herb Alpert Center.

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THE MIX with Robert Simonson: The 50 Most Iconic Cocktails in New York

THE MIX with Robert Simonson: The 50 Most Iconic Cocktails in New York

THE MIX with Robert Simonson: The 50 Most Iconic Cocktails in New York

 

 

Queen of the Desert at Sugar Monk 

 

  • You don’t have to ask what the most popular drink is at this stylish Harlem bar. Because this green Tequila drink is on every table.

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SEVEN FIFTY DAILY: What Beverage Pros are Doing Differently in 2022

THE MIX with Robert Simonson: The 50 Most Iconic Cocktails in New York

SEVEN FIFTY DAILY: What Beverage Pros are Doing Differently in 2022

 

 

Ektoras Binikos, Co-Founder of Sugar Monk, New York City

 

Expanding into New Realms

 

We all know the cliché: When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Well, life dropped some big fat lemons on Ektoras Binikos in 2020. His Harlem cocktail lounge, Sugar Monk, had been open less than a year when the pandemic swept into New York City and put a lock on his doors...

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PUNCH: A Cocktail Project, But Make is Easy

THRILLIST: The Best Bar Snacks in New York

SEVEN FIFTY DAILY: What Beverage Pros are Doing Differently in 2022

 

Carmelite Water, an herbal infusion featuring aromatic lemon balm, was created in the 14th century by Carmelite nuns for King Charles V of France. At Harlem’s Sugar Monk, proprietor Ektoras Binikos spritzes the fragrant elixir in cocktail glasses, creating an effect similar to an absinthe rinse....

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THRILLIST: The Best Bar Snacks in New York

THRILLIST: The Best Bar Snacks in New York

THRILLIST: The Best Bar Snacks in New York

 

 

 

Up in Harlem, dimly lit two-year-old cocktail lounge Sugar Monk is ready to offer guests six bar stools and a Mediterranean-inspired snack menu. Co-owner and head mixologist Ektoras Binikos hails from Greece, and a number of the bar’s dishes––such as the hummus, moussaka, and harissa-laced, marinated octopus––are old family recipes. Pair any of the aforementioned with globally flavored cocktails like the The Runnable Stag, which blends 12-year Scotch, Suze, Salers, star anise, and orange bitters.

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More Press

PUNCH: No Ordinary Kind of Bitters

PUNCH: No Ordinary Kind of Bitters

PUNCH: No Ordinary Kind of Bitters

 

Binikos of Sugar Monk, who endured a three-month waitlist for the bitters, says they have “an almost bouillon-like quality,” and subtle flavors of fish sauce, soy, mushrooms and yeast, noting, “They won’t work at all in a drink with a sweet profile.” He uses them in the Criss-Cross—a baroque stirred drink made with Svöl Dill Aquavit clarified gazpacho, oloroso sherry and few drops of squid ink—as well as the forthcoming Oh, Lady Be Good! made with black truffle- and olive oil-washed Arbikie gin and Brennivín aquavit infused with Icelandic moss.

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VINEPAIR

PUNCH: No Ordinary Kind of Bitters

PUNCH: No Ordinary Kind of Bitters

 

 

The Most Interesting Spirits Coming out of Scotland Is a Strawberry Vodka

 

 Ektoras Binikos, co-founder of Sugar Monk in New York’s Harlem, is a big fan, too.  “It’s really pretty spectacular,” says Binikos, at whose bar you’re more likely to find cocktails made with esoteric mezcal or gin along with house made Amari — not flavored vodka. Yet Binikos finds Arbikie Strawberry Vodka elegant, full of subtleties and finesse, “a hint of grass, stone fruit, and wild strawberries, of course, but without being strawberry Jammy.” He likes to serve it chilled with a wild strawberry garnish.

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IMBIBE: Give the Gift of Cocktails and More from your Favorite Bars this Holiday Season

IMBIBE: Give the Gift of Cocktails and More from your Favorite Bars this Holiday Season

IMBIBE: Give the Gift of Cocktails and More from your Favorite Bars this Holiday Season

 

In Harlem in New York, Sugar Monk recently debuted a line of house-made Amari. 

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TIME OUT NEW YORK: The Roaring 20's: From Harlem and Beyond

IMBIBE: Give the Gift of Cocktails and More from your Favorite Bars this Holiday Season

IMBIBE: Give the Gift of Cocktails and More from your Favorite Bars this Holiday Season

 

 

 

Every Monday evening, you can enjoy Prohibition-era cocktails and live jazz channeling the spirit and energy of the Harlem Renaissance at Sugar Monk. You'll have your pick of Prohibition and Pre-Prohibition cocktails (Sidecar, Clover Club, Bijou, French 75, The Boothby, The Bee's Knees, Hanky Pankey and others) to sip on while Max Bessesen and his trio play on from 8 to 10 pm.

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More Press

VINEPAIR: We Asked 12 Drinks Pros: What's The Best Frozen Cocktail to Make at Home

VINEPAIR: We Asked 12 Drinks Pros: What's The Best Frozen Cocktail to Make at Home

VINEPAIR: We Asked 12 Drinks Pros: What's The Best Frozen Cocktail to Make at Home

 

“My favorite frozen cocktail is the Southside. I blend ice, 2 ounces Tod & Vixen’s Dry Gin 1651 from The Vale Fox Distillery in New York, 1 ounce of fresh lime juice, then instead of simple syrup, I use an elderflower syrup. It’s simple and delicious!” 

— Ektoras Binikos, Beverage Director/Co-Owner, Sugar Monk, NYC

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MEN'S JOURNAL

VINEPAIR: We Asked 12 Drinks Pros: What's The Best Frozen Cocktail to Make at Home

VINEPAIR: We Asked 12 Drinks Pros: What's The Best Frozen Cocktail to Make at Home

 

 

Bartenders Share the Best Top Shelf Vodkas to Drink Straight or in Martinis

 

Overlooking Lunan Bay, Arbikie Highland Estate distillery is on the East Coast of Scotland. The name for Haar vodka comes from the coastal fog that so frequently shrouds the distillery. Made with a Zulu wheat, it’s creamy, complex, and terroir driven.  Ektoras Binikos, co-owner and head mixologist at Sugar Monk in Harlem, NY, loves this vodka because it’s soft and delicate with aromas of pine, thyme, black wet moss, and a bit of vanilla. “It would make a killer martini and pairs very well with smoked salmon, lox, or caviar,” he says. Arbikie also makes a strawberry vodka that might just change your mind about flavored vodkas.

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NY Post

VINEPAIR: We Asked 12 Drinks Pros: What's The Best Frozen Cocktail to Make at Home

NY Post

 

 

Seven Bars Mastering the art of Cocktails to go in NYC

 

While it’s a shame not to enjoy the high-level Harlem drink-making magic inside this cozy, sexy speakeasy, for a few hours a night, you can still enjoy the voodoo of a smoky Marie Laveau (bourbon, amaro, cardamom, orange bitters and a poof of applewood smoke) or one of its other nine bottled cocktails to-go in 12-ounce or 25-ounce sizes ($40-$75). Orders can be placed online Tuesday through Saturday at SugarMonkLounge.com between 3:30 and 7:30 p.m., with final pickup at 8 p.m.

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