New York has cocktail bars, speakeasies and enough $25 martinis to make anyone reconsider their drinking habits. Now, CTK — short for Cocktail Test Kitchen — is bringing a different kind of bar experiment to Hell’s Kitchen, where freezer-cold martinis, pizza bagels and cocktails still in development are part of the fun.
Located at 359 West 54th Street, CTK officially opened on October 21, 2026, with a concept that treats the bar as both a neighborhood hangout and a real-world laboratory for drink innovation. Think less white-coat science experiment, more ice-cold cocktail with a side of crispy nostalgia.
Freezer Martinis for $15? Say Less.
CTK’s opening menu features five freezer martinis, priced at $15 each. The lineup includes classic gin and vodka martinis, an espresso martini featuring coffee, coconut and cacao, a Vesper with cardamom, and a Martinez made with pineapple-washed gin.
Keeping martinis in the freezer means serving them exceptionally cold, with the spirit-forward character cocktail lovers expect. It’s a simple idea with a strong argument: sometimes the best innovation is making a classic even better.
The bar also serves house-made hard seltzers, canned to order for $12, alongside Miller High Life for $8.
Pizza Bagels Meet Cocktail-Culture Cool
The food menu keeps things playful. CTK serves pizza bagels in plain, pepperoni and supreme varieties, with six for $24 or twelve for $38. Tater tots bravas, pigs in a blanket, baked brie, olives and charcuterie round out the snacks.
Feeling extravagant? Kaviari Kristal caviar arrives with spiced tots and chips, because apparently even the humble potato deserves a luxury moment.
A Bar That Doubles as a Cocktail Lab
Behind CTK are beverage-industry veterans Patrick Wert, Brad Nugent and James Kaspari, whose consulting work focuses on developing drinks programs for restaurants. At CTK, customers can try cocktails while the team gathers feedback and refines recipes for potential use elsewhere.
The compact bar also doubles as a content studio for beverage professionals outside service hours.
Find CTK at 359 West 54th Street in Hell’s Kitchen. With freezer martinis, nostalgic snacks and a genuinely experimental approach, this little cocktail laboratory is giving Midtown a fresh reason to raise a glass.
