Don't tell me you've had enough of NYC's inaugural cocktail week already. We're just over a week in, which hopefully means we're all just getting started on our drink orders. Not familiar with this boozy fortnight? Until June 29, you can hit up some of the best city drinking dens for a very happy hour indeed. These fine establishments — we're talkin' Clover Club, Red Rooster, and Pranna — have created a special cocktail week menu, just for you and that impending buzz. From this menu, you can select two cocktails and an appetizer to the sweet tune of $20.11. No strings attached. With 17 cocktail week spots to choose from, it's a little like being a kid in a candy store. So where to start first? Here are our five picks for masterful mixology, tasty tapas, and a great ambiance to boot. Bottom's up.

  1. Pegu Club (77 W. Houston St., 212-473-7348) Under the tutelage of head bartender Audrey Saunders, you're guaranteed a seriously good cocktail. Prior to her tenure at Pegu Club, Saunders managed the Carlyle Hotel's legendary Bemelmans Bar. In case you're not sure what liquor to start with, whiskey and gin concoctions are done exquisitely well here.

  2. Macao Trading Co. (311 Church St., 212-431-8750) Head bartenders Jason Kosmas and Dushan Zaric have created a fabulous selection of exotic cocktails to complement the Eurasian cuisine. If names like Drunken Dragon's Milk, a green-tea vodka blended with coconut purée, Chinese five-spice bitters, and Thai basil, give you any indication of what you're getting yourself into, I'd suggest you make this a happy hour priority.

  3. Rye (247 S. 1st St., 718-218-8047) This Williamsburg gem packs a powerful drink punch, especially with bartender Sother Teague at the helm. It's such a cool and cozy environment to grab a drink in, and sometimes that's exactly what you need — chill energy to go with that stiff cocktail.

  4. Employees Only (510 Hudson St., 212-242-3021) For a 1920s speakeasy vibe, beeline for the west side immediately. Employees Only is "put on" by the same mixology masters behind Macao Trading Co., which only implies very, very good things. Seating can be scarce, but the bartenders are fun, serious about their craft, and make the crowd seem a little less daunting.

  5. Ward III (111 Reade St., 212-240-9194) Aside from the visually remarkable space, the bar is where it's at. Head bartenders Michael Neff and Kenneth McCoy are armed with their weapon of choice, muddling sticks, so you'll find yourself drinking something with spice, spirits, bitters, or all of the above. It's definitely more than worthy of a cocktail week pit stop.

Source: Macao Trading Co.