Jan. 23 (Bloomberg) -- The daiquiri needs a better agent.

The martini shot to success under James Bond, Ian Fleming's suave spy. The Cosmopolitan skyrocketed thanks to Carrie Bradshaw, fashionable newspaper columnist in HBO's ``Sex and the City.''

All the daiquiri had was Fredo, the bumbling black sheep of the Corleone family in Francis Ford Coppola's ``Godfather'' trilogy.

Now the daiquiri and other outmoded classics are getting a second chance at two new cocktail-themed venues in Manhattan: Death & Co., a hip East Village lounge, and Fireside, a $3 million restaurant in the Omni Berkshire Place hotel.

A classic daiquiri is rum, lime juice and sugar, shaken with ice and strained. Machine blenders, strawberry concentrate and tiny paper umbrellas are for those like Fredo, who disgraced himself by ordering a banana version. No wonder his own brother had him killed.

Death & Co. proves that you don't have to sip designer vodka to be cool -- the neutral spirit isn't listed anywhere on the cocktail menu.

If you insist, there are a few bottles behind the bar for vodka tonics and other plebeian standards that shouldn't be ordered here.

Instead, try modern riffs on historical drinks: That white- rum daiquiri gets a clever twist with a splash of mezcal -- a smoky, tequila-like liquor.

Young, Jammed

You can thank head bartender Philip Ward for the seasonal, anti-vodka approach that continues to attract libation mavens to Flatiron Lounge and Pegu Club; he mixed drinks at both venues. At Death & Co., expect much younger crowds and longer waits.

Thirsty patrons have lingered more than an hour just to get into this windowless 54-seat spot. At least there's no velvet rope; give your mobile number to the ``door host'' and he'll call when there's room.

There's something refreshing about watching 25-year-olds wait in the cold to try a Oaxaca Old-Fashioned, which replaces bourbon and simple syrup with tequila and agave nectar.

Inside, candles cast a dim glow over gold-flaked plaster walls, a white-marble bar and black-granite tables. Old jazz and swing pump through the sound system.

Cocktail Pairings

Order a few small plates, courtesy of chef Jacques Godin, then call co-owner David Kaplan over to help with the cocktail pairings.

Kaplan employs the same principles used to match wine with food. He recommends sweet drinks for spicy fare such as Kumamoto oysters spiked with yuzu-Dijon mustard, or a light citrus beverage -- possibly a Mig Royale -- to pair with fish dishes, such as cubes of raw tuna topped with caviar.

What's a Mig Royale?

``It's a cross between an Aviation and a French 75,'' said Kaplan, in case you were wondering.

That means: Plymouth gin, maraschino liqueur, Cointreau and fresh lemon juice are shaken over ice, then strained into a cocktail coupe. Finally, the whole shebang is topped with champagne.

Doesn't that make you thirsty?

Drinks for three, which included two cocktails each plus six small plates, cost $182.

Death & Co. is at 433 E. Sixth St., between First Avenue and Avenue A. Information: +1-212-388-0882.

Midtown's Fireside

Fireside is Death & Co. on steroids. Everything is bigger, and occasionally on fire (the menu is shaped like a matchbook), at this $3 million cocktail-happy restaurant.

Here, a martini is 8 ounces, much more than the 5 1/2 at Death & Co. (Drink prices are approximately the same.)

Appetizers, or ``conversation pieces,'' as the menu calls them, are enough for two people. A lamb starter -- set ablaze at the table -- contains four whole chops.

Forty-two-inch flat-screen televisions line one side of the 15-seat lounge, and a floor-to-ceiling fireplace is the centerpiece of the 80-seat dining room. My friend and I were seated, extravagantly, on two separate Chesterfield sofas.

The marketing departments for vodka makers should be scared. Only three of 15 listed drinks contain the spirit.

The cocktail menu has a true rarity: a Hemingway Daiquiri, which was strong and sour -- just as the writer liked it. Grapefruit juice and maraschino liqueur replace sugar. I preferred the sweeter Chef Sammy's Cucumber Gimlet.

Sam DeMarco, late of First and Merge, has created a menu that includes his previous greatest hits, such as crispy oysters, lollipop Buffalo wings and do-it-yourself s'mores over hot charcoals.

A server will tell you not to blow on the coals, unless you want ashes to sully your date. I was remiss in not heeding the counsel.

Dinner for two, which included sparkling water, two drinks each, five ``conversation pieces'' and two desserts, cost $184. Larger ``center plates'' are also available.

Fireside is at the Omni Berkshire Place, 21 E. 52nd St., between Fifth and Madison avenues. Information: +1-212-754-5011; http://www.omnihotels.com.

(Ryan Sutton is a writer for Bloomberg News. The opinions expressed are his own.)

To contact the writer of this story: Ryan Sutton in New York at rsutton1@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: January 23, 2007 00:01 EST