The 48 Record Bar spring cocktail menu is live now, and it arrives with a noticeably lighter feel than the warm, spirit-driven winter cocktail menu that preceded it. The Old City listening bar, perched above Sassafras on South 2nd Street, has debuted eleven new cocktails — nine full-ABV and two non-alcoholic — built to move with the season while keeping the depth and intention the room has earned.
Owner Donal McCoy described the approach as leaning into simplicity without sacrificing complexity. The goal was for the menu to feel light, bright, and approachable while still delivering the depth guests expect from 48 Record Bar. For spring, the team leaned into light fizz, summer fruits, and some sea air — then included a few moodier, spirit-forward offerings to carry guests from early evening into late-night listening sessions.
What’s on the 48 Record Bar Spring Cocktail Menu
The lighter end of the list is built for a warm evening. The Agua de Hierbas ($15) runs Haku Vodka through Génépy and an agua fresca with spicy syrup — herbal, bright, and slow-burning. The Celesoda ($15) pairs Roku Gin with Cocchi Americano and celery soda for something crisp and savory. Jackie Brown’s Punch ($16) leans tropical with Mount Gay Eclipse Rum, demerara, pineapple gastrique, lime, and Angostura Bitters. The Summer Crush ($16) keeps it clean with Haku Vodka, R&W Peach, agave syrup, cranberry, and lemon.
The Mango Sticky Rice ($17) stands out early on the menu — a coconut tahini-washed Rittenhouse Rye with mango and toasted rice cordial and Peychaud’s Bitters, a construction that earns the name. The cordial brings a nutty sweetness that plays off the rye’s spice in a way that makes the drink more interesting with every sip. The Café 48 ($17) layers El Jimador Reposado with Caffè Borghetti Espresso, Licor 43, and Café du Monde Concentrate — dense, evening-forward, and built for the second half of the night.
Spirit-Forward Offerings on the 48 Record Bar Spring Cocktail Menu
The moodier end of the 48 Record Bar spring cocktail menu delivers on the late-night side of McCoy’s promise. The Adios Pajarito ($18) is the most complex build on the list — hibiscus-infused Catedral Mezcal, Campari, almond orgeat, pineapple juice, and lime, stacking smoke, bitterness, and tropical sweetness in the same glass. The King’s Stand ($17) goes full booze-forward: Smith & Cross Rum, Campari, Cocchi Vermouth di Torino, Tempus Fugit Crème de Banane, and white crème de cacao.
The TGC Too ($17) rounds out the spirit-forward side with Nolet Gin, green curry paste, coconut water, palm sugar, and sweet basil air — a savory outlier that rewards the adventurous drinker and pairs naturally with the bar’s more global vinyl selections. It’s the kind of drink that makes more sense the further into a set you get.
Sipping Without the ABV
Two non-alcoholic options round out the menu and hold their own against the full list. The Plainclothed ($13) blends Lapsang Souchong and chamomile honey with grapefruit and lime juice — smoky, citrusy, and distinctly adult. The Toasted Ginger Highball ($12) keeps it cleaner: toasted rice syrup, ginger press, and lemon juice, refreshing with enough structure to warrant slow sipping alongside whatever’s on the turntable. Both are available as part of the full 48 Record Bar spring cocktail menu now.
The seasonal menu runs parallel to the programming at 48 — from Creative Director Joey Sweeney’s daily vinyl selections to the Tuesday Nite Music Club, the bar’s monthly resident artist series spotlighting local talent and building community among music lovers across the city. The room’s hi-fi setup and intimate scale mean what’s in the glass gets the same attention as what’s on the turntable.
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