Exclusive | NYC cocktails are more expensive than ever heres what makes NYers willing to shell out $30, $50 and $60 a drink

Kinsey Donner thinks $18 is a “reasonable” price for a drink in the city, but honestly, she’ll really pay anything.“I’ve just accepted that drinks in New York are expensive,” the 28-year-old transplant from Virginia told The Post.

She said it’s become her “new normal” after living in Manhattan for 2½ years.Things in New York — even just living — are worth more because they’re likely to be top-tier, Donner said, “because the expectations in New York are so much higher than anywhere else.”Employees Only — where cocktails range from about $20 to $23 — has become one of her favorite sipping spots in the city, but she’s splurged on a $30 martini at Bemelman’s Bar and doesn’t regret it.“I wanted to try out the bar, they have live jazz — and it’s a known establishment that’s been around forever,” the Kips Bay resident justified.New Yorkers may complain about high prices, but they’re still handing over the cash at the end of the day.As The Post reported in 2004, New Yorkers complained about paying $14 for a margarita at the time — now they’d be more than happy to see any cocktail under $15.

In 2010, the average price of a drink in the city was $10.78, according to Zagat.The Post reported at the time that prices were realistically a few bucks higher, but even so, they’ve never been more expensive than they are now.

At the Baccarat Hotel, the Baccarat Old Fashion and the Baccarat Rouge, both over $50, are the top sellers, staffers told The Post.And people constantly order the Polo Bar Lounge’s $60 martini, which is served on a silver platter with oysters and caviar in the exclusive room.Fifty-year-old Marcelo Gigliani appreciates a good cocktail with good company, so he’ll splurge when he feels it’s right.

“There are moments when it should be really cheap, and then there are moments when I’m willing to pay $20 or $30 for a cocktail in the right situation with the right people in the right environment,” G...