5 Great Sodas in NYC

An egg cream from Brooklyn Farmacy

Now that the days of dropping five bucks on a jumbo, movie theater Coke will be going the way of smoking in bars, New Yorkers might want to consider a carbonation contingency plan. Despite Mayor Bloomberg's approved soda ban, plenty of NYC restaurants are crafting their own sodas in-house. Although they might not have the Yellow 5 punch of an original Mountain Dew, most of them do have super fresh, often seasonal, and generally better-for-you ingredients.

[See More: 5 Best West Village Wine Bars | The 10 Best Draft-Beer Bars]

Here are five NYC spots putting their own spin on soda:

ABC Kitchen
Local? Check. Organic? Check. The ability to lust over an expensive cashmere throw after lunch? Check. ABC Kitchen, Jean-Georges Vongerichten's ode to fresh-from-the-greenmarket fare, is home to a menu of sophisticated, in-season dishes and a bar that follows suit. While the offerings change often (we weren't kidding about seasonality), a recent favorite is the Cherry Citrus Soda. The drink is like a tangy, grown-up, bubbly Hawaiian Punch. 35 East 18th Street, 212-475-5829

Mallory Stuchin

Back Forty West
When Savoy, the charming neighborhood favorite, shuttered for good, its longtime Soho fans feared that their days of farm-to-table everything were over. Fortunately, Peter Hoffman turned the spot into Back Forty West. Although not exactly billed as soda, the house-made lemonade is a tart blast of fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, and sparkling water. The drink isn't always on the menu, but the bar is usually happy to make a fresh one on the spot. Grab side-by-side seats in the downstairs dining room as you sip and people-watch the afternoon away. 70 Prince Street, 212-219-8570

via Pok Pok Som

Pok Pok Ny
As Andy Ricker's Thai spot continues to gain momentum, so does its drinks menu. Pok Pok Ny serves sodas doused with house-made vinegars: apple, honey, tamarind, and pomegranate. Although you might cringe at the thought of drinking something so sour, when diluted correctly, the vinegars are sweet with a mild, vinegary finish. If buying a bottle to drink at home, mix your beverage as they do at the restaurant: four ounces of soda water to one ounce of vinegar. An ounce of Bourbon wouldn't hurt either. 127 Columbia Street, Brooklyn, 718-923-9322