Sugar Monk

New York

Regional honoree for Best U.S. Bar Team at the 2022 Spirited Awards. Awarded 1 Pin by The Pinnacle Guide in 2025.

Sugar Monk, around the corner from the Apollo Theater in Harlem, pays tribute to the neighborhood's historic speakeasies. Mixologist and distiller Ektoras Binikos, from Ikaria in Greece, and Montreal-born photographer and designer Simon Jutras founded it, and they make its amari, liqueurs, bitters and infusions in their own Brooklyn micro-distillery under the Atheras Spirits name. Forager Tama Matsuoka Wong supplies wild plants, roots and flowers for the drinks. The candle-lit room has teal velvet, marble and brass, seats about 30 with no standing, and is entered by a door buzzer. Max Bessesen's trio plays live jazz every Tuesday. The Pinnacle Guide gives it 1 Pin.