Eeek! It’s been over a month since we visited friends in Brooklyn to celebrate their wedding, but a late review is better than no review at all, right? Our weekend in NYC this fall was a whirlwind, but we did try to maximize our dining plans while still staying on budget.

We had real bagels at Murray’s in Chelsea — which we miss already — and fantastic french toast and Eggs Benedict for brunch at Jane’s in Greenwich Village. (Fantastic may be an understatement. We may go as far as best.) We stopped by trendy Shake Shack near Times Square and we got some quality time in with the bride and groom at The Meatball Shop in Williamsburg on the day after the big day.

But the Fellow came to NYC with a “must-do”: a visit to one of the city’s cocktail Meccas.

It was late on a Sunday night — our last evening in town — when we finally found the time, but thankfully New York never sleeps. After a busy night and a hearty meal at Meatball Shop, we hopped on a subway to the Lower East Side and found the dark door of Death & Co. This bar has been well documented as one of the world’s best for years, even picking up the #3 spot on a recent survey conducted by Drinks International. Luckily, since it was inching on 2am on a Sunday, the place was only about half full, and we got a seat immediately. From what we’ve come to understand, that is pretty rare.

It took us a few minutes of awkwardly standing out front to get this picture in the dark.

We settled into a quiet corner booth and took our time digesting the extensive (and pretty) menu. At a spot like this, you defer to the house. Fresh squeezed, homemade, inventive and expertly crafted… there’s almost no way to go wrong.

Fancy chandelier above our seat!

When we finally decided, the server took our order. The Fellow is a fan of “brown, bitter and stirred,” and was intrigued by the curious mix of single malt Scotch and cream sherry in the Bella Cohen. The Lady, on a recent aquavit kick, picked an adventurous lowball using the curious Scandinavian spirit. But our server broke her heart and 86’ed it; the bar was out of the particular brand of aquavit needed.

Death & Co.’s a classy joint, though. You don’t get to be tops without an informed staff, so the tears were quickly wiped away when the server suggested a similar drink — Midnight Sun — with aquavit, cardamom and grapefruit. How can you turn that down? Yes please!

The Midnight Sun (left) and the Bella Cohen (right).

These two drinks were silky smooth, delicious and just what we expected from a world-class bar like this. Sipping these fine drinks in the lovely little space, we reflected on the trip and our friends and the fun time we had enjoyed. Our wallets and our sleepy selves could only sustain one round, but they proved to be just the right nightcap to our trip. We can’t wait for our next trip there so we can indulge a bit more and dig deeper into their menu. And for anyone else heading that way: don’t hesitate to put this place on your list.