When it comes to delicious ways to quench a summer thirst, look to the four major drink groups: cold-brew coffee, milkshakes, juices/smoothies and cocktails—the chillier the better. Here's where to keep your cup full and frosty at Rockefeller Center.
Iced Coffee
Bouchon Bakery offers cold-brew Equator coffee that's lovely for relaxing at a sidewalk table or a bench along the Channel Gardens, and iced black and green tea are available as well. The esteemed Blue Bottle in the Concourse serves two kinds of iced coffee, including a chicory-laced New Orleans style that you can also pick up by carton, while the Summer Garden pours an organic cold brew to linger over by the Prometheus fountain. Check out even more choices here.
Shakes & Frappes
Let's talk milkshakes. Ben & Jerry's has its own classic, whipped cream-topped combos, like the Coffee Toffee Bar, Strawberry Cheesecake and Mint Cookie shakes, and also gives you the option to blend two flavors of your choice. Also in the Concourse, Jacques Torres blends an out-of-this-world frozen hot chocolate, which can also be spiced for the Wicked version. Above ground, Bill's blends vanilla, chocolate and strawberry shakes to go with your burger, plus house flavors like Campfire (made with toasted marshmallow), while La Maison du Chocolat, where there's cafe seating, pleases with frappés made with its own Guayaquil chocolate ice cream or sorbet.
Juices & Smoothies
With the farmers market up and running, scout out the vendors from Wednesday to Friday—often you'll find cold ciders and refreshers like mint iced tea at the ready. In the concourse, Juice Press is your spot for a rainbow of expertly blended smoothies, from Banana Shake to the zingy Pink Punk, while Nanoosh pours hit-the-spot lemonade and Pret a Manger serves cold-pressed watermelon juice and other fruity coolers.
Beer, Wine and Cocktails
Choices abound in this category, from the craft brews and spiked shakes at Bill's and Del Frisco's Grille, to rosé at Morrell Wine Bar and the Rainbow Room's Rosé Bar Pop-Up (on Friday, July 28). And while it may be tough to decide between a caipirinha on the terrace of Bar SixtyFive or a frosé at an umbrella-topped table at the Summer Garden, you don't really need to choose—there's still plenty of summer left to visit every place on the list!
