Meet Dram Central, Brandy Library's New Spirits Oasis In Midtown Manhattan

When Brandy Library opened in lower Manhattan back in 2004, owner Flavien Desoblin realized he had a location problem. The bar, an elegant shrine to whisky in New York’s Tribeca neighborhood, was far away from Midtown, where many of its customers worked. Even back then, Desoblin thought about creating a more centrally located whisky oasis—a place where the whisky-minded could spend time after a day at the office. That long-awaited idea has now come to fruition with Dram Central Spirits Lounge, Desoblin’s newest and most ambitious project yet.

Located at 14 E 44th Street, just a few blocks from Grand Central Station, Dram Central opened in August with a vibe that will be instantly familiar to anyone who’s visited Brandy Library or Copper & Oak (a bar also owned by Desoblin, also in lower Manhattan). Copper accents, dark wood, and warm, orange-hued backlighting set the space aglow, and shelves of bottles—mostly whisky, but also high-end tequilas, mezcals, cognacs, and more—line the walls, much as they do at both Brandy Library and Copper & Oak. But Dram Central has more to offer, including a full kitchen, multiple private event spaces, and, of course, a great deal more whisky and other spirits.

The Dram Central space is twice the size of Brandy Library, so Desoblin had plenty of empty shelf space to fill. The whisky list alone fills 200 pages, spanning the major whisky countries as well as others like New Zealand and Denmark. The main focus, though, is on single malt scotch and American whiskey, and that’s where you’ll find the most precious bottles. “If we look at single malts, there are about 50 different Ardbeg expressions, and just about every single Octomore release since the first one,” Desoblin says. He calls out a few more single malt highlights—every Dalwhinnie Distiller’s Edition ever made, all of the Lagavulin Distiller’s Editions, vintage-dated Glenmorangie going back to 1975, and an impressive selection of Springbank and Hazelburn—and also points to Dram Central’s varied array of single grain scotch whiskies.

Bourbon lovers will also find plenty to like at Dram Central; Desoblin has amassed just about every limited edition of Four Roses, from Marriage Collection to Secretariat 40^th Anniversary to single barrel selects, all of the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection whiskeys, every Old Forester Birthday bottling, and scores of Pappy, Michter’s, and Russell’s Reserve releases, among countless others. There are also numerous ryes, American single malts, wheat whiskeys, and more, from both historic and craft American distillers. Irish and Canadian whiskies are also plentiful, and they’re joined by sizable French and Japanese contingents, as well as Indian and other world whiskies. In all, more than 1,000 unique whiskies are available, priced anywhere from $20 to $1,900 (for Black Bowmore 1964) for a 1-ounce pour.

While Brandy Library and Copper & Oak both have limited selections of other spirits, Dram Central takes things much further. As with the whiskies, these aren’t just any spirits. “We’re looking for the special ones—in tequila, that means we’re staying away from what’s really commercial, because there are so many other beautiful tequilas out there,” he explains. “Same thing for mezcal, we’re looking for the small production bottles, the one-offs, the unique pechugas, the different villages and odd and rare agaves.” The agave spirits list fills 20 pages, with tequila and mezcal rounded out by sotol, pechuga, and raicilla pours. High-end cognacs, armagnacs, calvados, and brandies are plentiful too, as are rums from around the world. A bespoke cocktail list and flights complete the drinks menu. Not to worry if it sounds like an overwhelming array of choices: The staff, as at Desoblin’s other venues, is well-versed in the menu and can provide a helping hand during the selection process.

Dram Central also has something new for Desoblin: a full-service restaurant. Scotch eggs, steak tartare, tequila ceviche, and wedge salads are among the featured starters, while the main courses are meat-centric and spirits-accented—there’s filet mignon with a cognac peppercorn sauce, pepper-crusted duck magret made with a Grand Marnier reduction, and pan-seared chicken breast served with Speyside scotch sauce, to name a few examples. In the future, Desoblin sees ample opportunity for bourbon dinners, tequila pairing tastings, and similar things, with the lounge’s second floor exclusively available for private events.

When Desoblin opened Brandy Library, the world of fine spirits looked a little different. “It was all about single malt scotch [in 2004],” he says. “Then in 2008, it was all about bourbon. But in the last seven or eight years, it’s opened up to tequila and mezcal and armagnac and more, and now we’ve got them all in one place. That’s the most exciting thing for me—because it means at long last, people are taking hard liquor more as a fine spirit than as just hard liquor. And being right here—where people work and then make their way home—makes the most sense.” Of course, Dram Central’s Midtown location makes it easily accessible to whisky-loving tourists visiting landmarks like Grand Central, Times Square, Bryant Park, or similar. The lounge is open from 3 p.m. to 1 a.m. Tuesday through Saturday; reservations aren’t required, but can be made here.