Drink in Focus: NYC Cheesecake at C108
The Old Bailey Street bar has made the dessert into a cocktail blending rich dairy and fresh citrus, topped off with a home-made butter biscuit
The perfect nightcap can be tough to find. After a night of drinking anything from light, fizzy cocktails to intense, spirit-forward concoctions, you ideally want something hearty yet balanced, sweet but still with enough kick. Where better to look than the city that never sleeps?
“Our NYC Cheesecake cocktail is a nostalgic balance of light creaminess and citrusy brightness,” says C108’s bar manager, Prasant Raj Gurung. “The goal was to transform New York’s iconic cheesecake into a drinkable form while maintaining the essence of a classic cocktail.
“It carries a creamy yet zesty aroma, leading into a full-bodied sip that mirrors the texture of real cheesecake. The combination of rich dairy and fresh citrus creates a smooth yet refreshing experience, making it a perfect ending to a great meal.”
Cognac is infused with teas to provide a deep base for the drink. This is blended with cream cheese, caramelised butter, citrus and sugar, before being rested and clarified to create a smooth final product that need only be chilled and served on a rock. To mimic the pie crust and provide a contrast in texture, a home-made butter biscuit is added to “complete the cheesecake experience”.
The beauty of C108’s NYC Cheesecake lies not just in its ability to evoke a classic, decadent dessert, but in how it simultaneously embodies the ethos of the Brandy Alexander – another “beloved classic”, in Gurung’s words, known for its creamy texture and approachable sweetness.
Those familiar with the Brandy Alexander – a mix of cognac, creme de cacao and cream – will know that the cream does not thicken the drink. Rather it counters the strength of the cognac, making the drink light to sip and enjoy, while being hearty enough to end the night.