Courtesy of Burger & Barrel

The Fall Back Jack

While a good defense can win games, a great contingency plan is equally important to have on-hand.

Bring the same approach to your drinking strategy this weekend -- because the beer will run out eventually-- and rely on the Fall Back Jack. The cocktail, created by the team at Burger & Barrel, combines cinnamon, an orange slice, and brandied cherries with Gosling's rum, Apple Jack, and apple cider. The resulting drink tastes like an American riff on a classic Dark and Stormy, with lingering flavors of sweetness and spice.

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Courtesy of Havana Central

There's no way around it: It's just. Too. Damn. Cold.

Sure, you could slurp down soup with the masses, but we'd rather take a trip someone warm, even if it's only in our minds. This week, we're drinking the super rum punch at Havana Central, an energetically kitschy homage that's more reminiscent of Desi Arnaz's Cuba than Castro's. The drink is as festive (and pink!) as it sounds, with Amaretto, Creme de Cassis, pineapple juice, and a tiny umbrella. Embrace the sweet cocktail and forget about the weather -- even if it's just for an hour or two.

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Courtesy of Hill Country

We're feeling patriotic this week. Chalk it up to pre-inauguration fever or FLOTUS's bangin' new look (sorry).

In an attempt to recognize our territorial inclinations while still getting in on the weekend's Americana action, we sought help from the Southern charmers at Hill Country Barbecue Market.

The barbecue specialists are now serving a cocktail that satisfies our cross-country interests. Head to the Flatiron restaurant and order their presidential version of the classic Manhattan, made with Kentucky-based Jefferson's Rye, sweet vermouth, and Dutch Colonial bitters. Just like many politicians, this beverage is strong, smooth, and has the ability to seriously sneak up on you. Drink up -- for four more years.

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Courtesy of Maison Premier

Hey, Francophiles. Put down the Camus -- or turn off the Les Mis soundtrack -- and head to Maison Premiere. The Paris by way of Williamsburg cafe boasts a list of 30 different varietals of oysters and about half a dozen Absinthe cocktails.

Don't want to lose an evening to the green monster? Order the Sur Lie Swizzle instead. The Muscadet-based drink is finished with Applejack, lemon juice, and cinnamon syrup, leaving it tart and slightly spicy. À votre santé!

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Andrew Werner for Betel

The vendors on Broadway are selling oversized 2013 sunglasses. Bring on the sequins and make some questionable decisions, it's time for New Year's Eve.

If celebrating in sparkles is not your idea of a good time, consider washing your cares away with something bubbly instead (it's tradition!). Today's recipe for the cava-based Hanoi Ginger, comes from Betel Bar and Kitchen in the West Village. The drink is zingy but smooth, like a spiked lemon ginger tea, and would make for an easy entrance into the night's heavier cocktails. So drink up and save your resolutions for next year.

[See More Daily Shots: Blonde Manhattan from Lilium | Mezcal Cocktail for the Mayan Apocalypse from PDT]

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Courtesy of Lilium

This cocktail is having more fun.

Lady Gaga, Scarlett Johansson, Veronica Lake, Danny Bowien. Recognizable names? Sure. Blond New Yorkers? You bet. (Looks like you're one of us now, Danny.)

Lighten up your drink order this holiday with the Blonde Manhattan from Lilium in Union Square. Being served as a tribute to the 79th anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition, the cocktail combines corn whiskey, sweet vermouth, orange bitters, and cointreau.

[See More Daily Shots: Mezcal Cocktail for the Mayan Apocalypse from PDT | Old Fashioned from The Bedford]

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Courtesy of PDT

The world may be gone later this month, but this drink will still be at PDT.

As much as it petrifies us to write this sentence, the Mayan apocalypse is slated to destroy the universe on December 21. Bummer? Definitely. Why not drink away your fears with a Mezcal cocktail created specifically for the world's implosion by PDT's managing partner and mixologist extraordinaire, Jim Meehan. This smooth drink is made with small-batch Sambra mezcal and finished off with lime, agave and bit of oregano. So cross your fingers, pray for tomorrow, and drink up.

[See More Daily Shots: Old Fashioned from The Bedford | The Sweet Wilbur from The Smith Lincoln Center | The Apple Cider Sidecar from Whiskey Park]

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The Bedford

Thanksgiving is all but a memory and Christmas looms large. The weather is cold and the days are short. It is time for a stiff drink.

Fortunately, The Bedford, the homey American restaurant and speakeasy in Williamsburg, offers a cocktail menu designed to raise spirits and warm souls. And in these final days of fall, a classic Old Fashioned sounds like the perfect way to drink in the next season.

[See More Daily Shots: The Sweet Wilbur from The Smith Lincoln Center | The Apple Cider Sidecar from Whiskey Park]

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Courtesy of The Smith

Like the East Village's answer to Cheers, The Smith is a cozy refuge where, even if the staff doesn't know your name, they'll pretend to. Now Upper West Siders can seek the same gut warming serenity at the restaurant's Lincoln Center location, which opened earlier this month. If you's rather find comfort in a glass than on your plate, try the restaurant's recipe for The Sweet Wilbur, a musky combination of apple cider, bourbon and bacon bitters.

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Courtesy of Whiskey Park

As the wind picks up and coats are pulled tightly around the frames of frigid New Yorkers, a warm bar with dark corners and stiff drinks can feel downright decadent. Embrace such luxury at Whiskey Park, in the Trump Parc, where patrons sink into hulkingly elegant brown leather seats and whisper to dates across candlelit tables. The mood is crisp but sensual. Watch it weave itself through their cocktail menu and taste it in today's Daily Shot recipe for The Apple Cider Sidecar.

[See More Daily Shots: The Reverend from Seersucker | Cautionary Toast From Jacques 1534]

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