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Created by Brandon McGraw Updated On: November 27, 2012
From Eater NY. http://ny.eater.com/archives/2012/11/new_yorks_oldest_bars.php
Focus on New York City's oldest cocktail bars. This list does not include bars that offer exclusively beer.
American Restaurant · Financial District · 37 tips and reviews
Brandon McGraw: Established 1794, the killer whiskey list at this South Street Seaport old-timer can lead to some really good cocktails, though it's currently still closed after Sandy. - From Eater NY
326 Spring St (btwn Greenwich & West), New York, NY
Pub · Hudson Square · 150 tips and reviews
Brandon McGraw: In a building that dates from 1817, the Ear Inn started serving beer and spirits in the mid-19th century, operating without a name until new owners christened it the Ear Inn in 1977. - From Eater NY
Brandon McGraw: PJ Hanley's opened on Court Street in Brooklyn way back in 1874, being taken over by John Hanley in 1956. Hanley's niece and her sister-in-law currently run the bar. - From Eater NY
Brandon McGraw: PJ Clarke's building on 3rd Ave was built in 1868, becoming a bar in 1884. It became a destination for the rich & famous, including Elizabeth Taylor, Jackie Kennedy, & Nat King Cole. - From Eater NY
Brandon McGraw: Dating back to 1880, the White Horse Tavern was a center of bohemian culture in the '50s and '60s, as a favorite of Dylan Thomas, Jack Kerouac, James Baldwin, and others. - From Eater NY
Whisky Bar · Financial District · 195 tips and reviews
Brandon McGraw: A whole lot of beer gets poured at Fraunces Tavern, established in 1762, but it's also a gathering spot for several cocktail and whiskey clubs. - From Eater NY
Brandon McGraw: O Henry was a regular at this Union Sq drinking hole. It opened in 1864, though drinking likely happened in the location before that, becoming Healy's in 1899 & Pete's Tavern later on. - From Eater NY
Brandon McGraw: Originally opened in 1868, the Landmark Tavern kept pouring drinks through Prohibition by turning its third floor into a speakeasy. - From Eater NY
45 E 18th St (btwn Broadway & Park Ave S), New York, NY
Bar · Flatiron District · 182 tips and reviews
Brandon McGraw: The Old Town Bar has been serving drinks near Union Square since 1892. It also purports to have the city's oldest dumbwaiter and 102-year-old urinals in the men's room. - From Eater NY
627 9th Ave (btwn W 44th & W 45th St), New York, NY
Dive Bar · Hell's Kitchen · 275 tips and reviews
Brandon McGraw: A notorious Hell's Kitchen dive Rudy's opened back in 1933, purchased by a former Merchant Marine. It's been a destination for some of wackier celebrities, like Anthony Bourdain. - From Eater NY
176 1/2 Mulberry St (btwn Broome St & Grand St), New York, NY
Bar · Little Italy · 44 tips and reviews
Brandon McGraw: This Little Italy bar and restaurant has been open since 1908, starting as a dive and going a little classier more recently. - From Eater NY