Top cocktail master to the stars opens luxury rooftop club in NYC

NYC cocktail culture just took off.

In a city where the few rooftop bars are a dime a dozen, one of the country’s foremost mixologists — who declared he once served the late Patrick Swayze “the best Cosmo” he’d ever had — is bringing his craft award-winning Big Apple’s new most civilized piece of high-end real estate.

Located on the 39th floor of the year-old Virgin Hotel in Manhattan’s NoMad neighborhood, The Post got a sneak peek of cocktail king Charles Joly’s Riff Raff club, which opened its doors Thursday — days after the bartender served the cast of Hulu’s “The Bear” at Governors Ball in Los Angeles.

But while Joly and crew are aiming for high class all the way when it comes to drinks and atmosphere, everyone is welcome, the elite shakerati member explained.

“I don’t want the experience to feel too precious or edgy,” the pro insisted to The Post.

“The goal is to have something for everyone, whether it’s adventurous drinkers or people who normally drink a regular vodka,” he said.

That’s not to say cocktail nerds won’t be impressed.

The bar boasts an extensive Liquid Library of vintage spirits, some dating back to the early 1900s. This includes a 1947 Cognac Napoléon and 1960s and 1970s-era expressions of Green Chartreuse, all with sourced from Joly himself, who has a penchant for old spirits and glasses, which he will use in the bar.

There’s also the Affumicato Negroni: a chicory-apple smoky Negroni. The $23 drink is served inside a box designed by Joly as part of his Fortessa collection.

The Chicagoan has made a name for himself as a force in the American cocktail scene over the years.

A James Beard-winning beverage director for his hometown film The Aviary, Joly stands as the only American winner of Diageo’s World Class global cocktail competition.

He has collaborated alongside iconic chefs like Eric Ripert and Anthony Bourdain and even has his own glass company (Crafthouse by Fortessa).

And the South Side native’s talents have taken him far — in addition to his tenure at the Emmys, he’s also the official mixologist for the Academy Awards every year.

“You do get star struck on occasion,” he admits, when it comes to the fancy gigs he’s been drinking at—everything from the Kentucky Derby to the Grammys to private events for Oprah Winfrey and Jimmy Kimmel.

“Two years ago, I was setting up under the bar and when I got up, my first guest was Quentin Tarantino. It took me by surprise. I said, ‘Oh s–t, what are we drinking today?'”

But whether or not A-listers flock to Riff Raff is important, Joly said.

“There’s a common thread that a bar is always a bar, whether it’s big events or a small brick-and-mortar place,” he explained.

Though sometimes the two collide, like early in his career in Chicago.

“Patrick Swayze was in town and he came to our eight-seat bar one night with his wife,” Joly recalls of the beloved late actor.

“Patrick was just as cool as you’d think he would be. He actually ordered a Cosmopolitan, and I was like ‘OK! I’m going to make the best Cosmo this guy’s ever had.’”

Riff Raff Club is just the latest high-profile opening in a burgeoning cocktail scene in the tony neighborhood nestled between Madison Square Park and the mayhem of Herald Square.

“There’s been a real boom here,” says Joly, alluding to trendy destinations including the Bronze Dome, Rooftop in South Park, NoMad Tea Parlor, Little Ned and Tusk Bar. The imminent reopening of the Experimental Cocktail Club also happened this week. “You can go on an amazing crawl now in the neighborhood in any direction.”

The club, centered around an island bar, offers sweeping views of the cityscape and the nearby Empire State Building.

When it comes to its endlessly curated menu, it’s a cocktail lover’s dream for delicious classic recipes as well as more esoteric spins.

They include the Bukowski cocktail named after the austere author and featuring Malört, Drambuie, basil and honey. “He was flying last night,” he said, noting that Malört is loved back home in Chicago. “Not bad for a bitter wormwood soul.”