Bar
Unclaimed profileHolywater
New York, NY · $$
Inebrious
Beverage Program Score
The editorial take
Holywater positions itself around proper cocktails and New Orleans-influenced drinking, with a menu spanning springy, party time, tried & true, and classics groupings. Named drinks include Obituary, The Redhead, Yours Truly, Smoked Sazerac, and Mezcal Hurricane, priced $15 to $22. Wine ranges from $16 by-the-glass pours to a $750 Pauillac, beer covers easy-drinking options and a beer-and-shot, and a Spirit Free section lists three non-alcoholic cocktails at $15 each. Neat + Rocks pours bourbon, mezcal, and tequila.
- What should I order?
- Start with the Holywater — 5-year aged Guyanese rum, Cognac, lemon, grapefruit, Angostura bitters, and fire — or the Smoked Sazerac with rye, cognac, Angostura, Peychaud's, absinthe, orange, and smoke. For a lower-proof route, the Spirit Free Shipwright combines Pathfinder, grapefruit, earl grey, mint, and seltzer at $15.
- Who will enjoy this place?
- Drinkers who want a cocktail list with both classics and party-time groupings, and who appreciate a wine list that moves from $16 by-the-glass pours to Grand Cru Classé bottles. The Neat + Rocks section suits those who prefer bourbon, mezcal, or tequila without a mixed drink.
- When should I go?
- A Holiday Cocktails $10 All Night Long event is listed for December 24, 2025, for those who want a seasonal drink occasion.
- What should I expect to spend?
- Cocktails run $15 to $22, with party-time shots at $3, $5, and $9. Wine by the glass is $16 to $17, with Pretty Good Wine bottles at $64 to $68 and Bubbles from $18 by the glass to $375 for Dom Perignon 2015. Beer is $8 to $17, Spirit Free drinks are $15, and Neat + Rocks pours are $25 to $35.
- What makes the beverage program distinctive?
- The cocktail list is organized into springy, party time, tried & true, and classics groupings, and the venue describes itself as a hidden oyster and cocktail den with New Orleans and influences. The wine list pairs everyday by-the-glass options with a Bottles We Love section reaching Château Lynch-Bages Pauillac 2009 at $750.
Beverage categories
We only score what a venue sets out to do. Categories a venue doesn't attempt are left unscored rather than penalized.
Cocktails
A broad, named cocktail list organized into springy, party time, tried & true, and classics groupings, with drinks like Obituary, The Redhead, Yours Truly, Holywater, Smoked Sazerac, and Mezcal Hurricane. The venue positions itself around proper cocktails and New Orleans-influenced drinking.
Menu strengths
- — Named drinks span four distinct groupings, from party-time shots to classics.
- — New Orleans and influences shape the list, with drinks like the Smoked Sazerac and Mezcal Hurricane.
- — Reviewers describe the cocktails as well-made and impressive.
Standout selections
- — Holywater — 5-year aged Guyanese rum, Cognac, lemon, grapefruit, Angostura bitters, fire; $21.
- — Smoked Sazerac — rye, cognac, Angostura, Peychaud's, absinthe, orange, smoke; $22.
- — Obituary — gin, dry vermouth, absinthe, lemon; $19.
- — The Redhead — aperitivo, sherry, cherry liqueur, lemon, blanc de blancs; $17.
Pricing: $15–$22; party-time shots $3–$9
Wine
A wine list spanning white, orange, rosé, and red by glass and bottle, with a Pretty Good Wine section, a Bottles We Love section reaching Château Lynch-Bages Pauillac 2009 at $750, and a Bubbles section including Dom Perignon 2015.
Menu strengths
- — Covers white, orange, rosé, and red by both glass and bottle.
- — Bottles We Love moves from Châteauneuf-du-Pape to Grand Cru Classé Margaux and Pauillac.
- — Bubbles range from Paul Louis Blanc de Blancs by the glass to Dom Perignon 2015.
Standout selections
- — Antoine Jobard Meursault 2017 — white, Chardonnay, Côte d'Or; $395.
- — Château Lynch-Bages Pauillac 2009 — red, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cab Franc; Grand Cru Classé; $750.
- — Kiki & Juan Utiel-Requena 2023 — orange, Macabeu, Sauvignon Blanc; $17 / $68.
- — Bieler Père & Fils Bandol 2024 — rosé, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, Grenache; $17 / $68.
Pricing: By-the-glass $16–$17; Pretty Good Wine bottles $64–$68; Bottles We Love $150–$750; Bubbles $18 by the glass to $375
Beer
A beer section split into Boat Beer, Beer & Shot, and Fancy Beer. Boat Beer covers High Life, Sunday Beer, or Carib; Beer & Shot pairs a boat beer with Teeling Irish Whiskey; Fancy Beer includes Tröegs Sunshine Pilsner and Maine Beer Company Lunch I.P.A.
Menu strengths
- — Three distinct beer formats: easy-drinking Boat Beer, a beer-and-shot, and Fancy Beer.
- — Fancy Beer brings in Tröegs Independent Brewing and Maine Beer Company.
- — Beer & Shot pairs a boat beer with Teeling Irish Whiskey.
Standout selections
- — Lunch I.P.A. — Maine Beer Company, 16.9 oz; $16.
- — Sunshine Pilsner — Tröegs Independent Brewing; $12.; Beer & Shot — a boat beer and a shot of Teeling Irish Whiskey; $17.
Pricing: Boat Beer $8; Beer & Shot $17; Fancy Beer $12–$16
Nonalcoholic
A Spirit Free section with three non-alcoholic cocktails: Easy Tiger, Golden Hour, and Shipwright, each priced at $15. The drinks use ingredients like Aplos Ease, Lyre's Amaretti, Ritual Rum, and Pathfinder.
Menu strengths
- — Three dedicated non-alcoholic cocktails, each with a distinct build.
- — Uses recognizable non-alcoholic spirits and aperitifs, including Lyre's and Ritual.
Standout selections
- — Easy Tiger — Aplos Ease, yuzu, lemon, shiso, nori, seltzer; $15.
- — Golden Hour — Lyre's Amaretti, Ritual Rum, pineapple, orange; $15.
- — Shipwright — Pathfinder, grapefruit, earl grey, mint, seltzer; $15.
Pricing: $15 each
Spirits
A Neat + Rocks section with bourbon, mezcal, and tequila pours. It lists Jefferson's Ocean Aged at Sea Bourbon, Hillrock Shea Pinot Noir Finish Bourbon, Del Maguey Chichicapa Mezcal, and three Jalisco tequilas from Cascahuín, Don Fulano, and ArteNOM.
Menu strengths
- — Covers bourbon, mezcal, and tequila in a dedicated Neat + Rocks section.
- — Includes a bourbon and a Kentucky bourbon.; Three Jalisco tequila expressions span blanco, reposado, and añejo.
Standout selections
- — Del Maguey Chichicapa Mezcal — Oaxaca mezcal; $32.
- — ArteNOM 1146 Añejo Tequila — Jalisco tequila; $34.
- — Hillrock Shea Pinot Noir Finish Bourbon — bourbon; $35.
- — Cascahuín Tahona Blanco Tequila — Jalisco tequila; $34.
Pricing: Neat + Rocks pours $25–$35
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