A Southwest-inspired cocktail lounge on the second floor of the historic Freehand New York in the Flatiron district, Bar Calico aims to be a go-to spot for locals and visitors alike.

The inclusive, candle-lit lounge is inspired by artist Georgia O’Keeffe, the mother of American modernism, and how apropos that it was built in 1930; the same decade she created her most well-known works of art. The interior of Bar Calico is chic yet inviting, a reflection of O’Keeffe’s creativity.

The cocktail program’s emphasis is on refreshing yet ‘arid’ drinks and is citrus and liquor focused. Added sugars and simple syrups are not utilized, as Head Bartender Trevor Langer explains that “any sweetness needed to balance flavors is found in the spirit or liqueur that does the heavy lifting.” The inspiration for the cocktails on the menu is the unique flavors and qualities of the American Southwest. “Our team is serving up creative takes on desert-inspired cocktails in an unpretentious manner. Like O’Keeffe, the spirit-forward cocktail program is full of juxtaposition: strong and delicate: elevated and feisty.”

Langer explains that balance is the key to executing well-rounded beverages and leveling up your cocktail game. “At the highest level, flavor balance is spread across the palate so that the drinker can experience the full spectrum with each sip. Tartness hits the front of your palate, so you get that first; sweetness/fruitiness and alcohol heat hit the large middle part of the palate; then bitterness hits the back and lingers with you after each sip. Making cocktails that flow across each part of the palate independently while also having a cohesive flavor profile is the sign you have leveled up.”

Quality is more important than ever, he says, now that people are returning to the bar scene, and bartenders need to maintain their composure under pressure. “Prioritization, multi-tasking, and patience in the midst of mania are composite skills that make a great bartender when it’s Saturday night and the bar is going full tilt.” Langer predicts that cocktail bars will soon shift gears from utilizing obscure ingredients to create the most unique, “far-out” drinks to keeping things simpler and “doing more with less.”