Recommendation: Five & Dime’s White Russian for a Mid-Day Break

As far as cocktails go, the white Russian is an easy order. At least, from the patron’s perspective. It’s not necessarily a drink one would toss back after work when in decompression mode, and it’s certainly not something to ask of a busy barkeep late at night, especially if you’re already a few rounds in. Who knows how your stomach might punish you with a surprise layer of dairy?

But on a quiet mid-day, in a reasonably low-key patch of Lower Manhattan, the cocktail list at Five & Dime (8 Park Place) has the perfect antidote to that afternoon slump.

Mark Mohrmann’s mischievous little coffee/cocktail lounge has a number of sweet and potent concoctions just begging one to break away whatever you’re doing — working in an office or sightseeing — for just a bit. (The bar menu is titled “Daily Trouble” after all and has a quote from W.C. Fields on, I mean, c’mon.) Of all the delicious possible selections, you really can’t go wrong with the classic white Russian.

The recipe itself is easy enough to throw in a tumbler: 2.5 ounces of vodka (Five & Dime uses Ravo, made from all natural winter wheat); 1.5 ounces of coffee liqueur; but, instead of using your everyday store-bought, two-ounce jigger of cream, Five & Dime opts for Califia Farms’s unsweetened oat milk; then, they top off the mixture with a made-in-house coffee syrup (0.5 ounces), shake it up and pour over ice.

It’s certainly a beverage worth indulging in if you’ve got a few minutes in between meetings, and it’s not like Five & Dime’s team won’t be there to serve you with a smile. Their hours are 7a to midnight. Happy hour is 4p to 7p.