5PM NYC has published The 5PM Barometer Report for autumn 2026, revealing the real pricing in New York City bars.
New York’s favourite cocktail is the Margarita, with an average price of US$15 across the city
The report drew on 109,975 listed prices from 2,254 bar and restaurant menus across 108 neighbourhoods and all five boroughs.
It found that the citywide median cocktail was priced at US$16, while beer was US$9 and wine US$14.
Only 17% of venues listed a non-alcoholic cocktail, with the average price being US$10.49.
The Margarita is the city’s most widely listed cocktail, featuring on 48% of cocktail menus and costing on average US$15.
This was followed by the Martini, which featured on 41% of menus and cost US$17, and the Spritz (39% and US$16).
The top 10 was rounded out by Espresso Martini (US$17), Old Fashioned (US$17), Negroni (US$17), Sangria (US$14), Mule (US$15), Bloody Mary (US$14) and Mimosa/Bellini (US$13).
Tito’s Handmade Vodka was the most-listed spirit, featuring on 21% of menus and costing an average of US$15 per pour. The Macallan was the most expensive of the top-listed spirits, costing an average of US$24 per pour.
Other regularly listed spirits were Don Julio (US$22), Grey Goose (US$17), Casamigos (US$18), Jameson (US$14), Maker’s Mark (US$15) and Hendrick’s (US$17).
The report also found that certain words carried higher average prices, with cocktails featuring ‘Gold’, ‘Smoked’ or ‘Matcha’ being hiked by US$2. ‘Espresso’, which appears on 33% of cocktail menus, adds US$1.
Conversely, ‘Spicy’ variants achieved no increase in price.
Venue data
Of the venues surveyed, 26% offered a happy hour. The typical discount was 38% on cocktails, 37% on draft beer, and 38% on wine by the glass.
The report also discovered that Google ratings and prices did not necessarily correlate, with the median cocktail price remaining the same for venues above 4.5 stars and those below four stars.
Cocktails at venues rated between 3.5 and 3.8 stars were the most expensive on average (US$17.50), while the cheapest cocktails could be found at venues rated 3.9 or four stars (US$15).
The range of prices varied more dramatically between neighbourhoods than between boroughs. For instance, the most expensive average cocktail price was US$19.50 in NoMad, with the cheapest being US$12 in Bayside.
The five boroughs were no more than US$3 apart on average, with Staten Island offering the cheapest cocktails (US$14) and Manhattan the most expensive (US$17).
“We built 5PM NYC to help people find a good drink at a fair price, and along the way we ended up with the most complete picture of what New York’s bars and restaurants charge,” said Sam Zukin, founder of 5PM NYC. ‘This report shares that picture with everyone, and the barometer puts the same data in the hands of bar owners and operators setting their own prices.”
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