Henry, A Liquor Bar

The new "liquor bar" at the Hudson Hotel - no, I have no idea either why they felt the need to clarify - is presumably named after the hotel's namesake. It has given its former Library Bar a slight makeover, left the glowing floor in place, but added impossibly trendy furniture. Loud dance music - or live jazz, depending on the evening - blares across the spacious room. The exposed-brick walls, low tables, and flattering lighting make for an attractive, flirty space and isn't that what you want from a certain kind of hip hotel bar?

The cocktail menu is short but innovative, featuring many house-made infusions and other ingredients, some from the bar's own rotary evaporator. The beverage program, from London barman Ryan Chetiyawardana, highlights local ingredients and combines flavours in unusual ways: my Gold-Fashioned, an inspired combination of añejo tequila and applejack, accented by a garnish of rhubarb and candied bacon, wins points for vision and creativity. The Waggledance, a honeyed Manhattan with tea-infused vermouth, is an unusual spin. I could do without the slightly silly house rules ("Our dress code? Preserve the sexy."), and prices are what you'd expect for a hotel bar, but this is a good place for a pleasantly different cocktail in Midtown West.