NY Barfly

Happy Holidays, Lushes!

It’s that special time of year again – the time when we take a few days off for a week full of holiday parties and binge drinking. We’ll be back on after the New Year, with a fancy new design (excitement!) and some excellent drink suggestions (as always).

We don’t need Santa to bring us anything this year, because we already have readers like you (awwww). Actually, scratch that. Santa, can you please bring us a few bags of cash.

Thanks for imbibing with us over the year, and we look forward to clinking glasses with you in 2011!

Cheers,
NYBarfly

Davey and Drunky Celebrate the Holidays

 

Gin Up for Winter With Seasonal Labels

 

Beer companies have been releasing special labels for winter (think Sam Adams), but spirits brands are just starting to catch up in this game. After a successful push for their summer label, Beefeater Gin has hit the market with a winter edition. Master Distiller Desmond Payne has thrown some flavors inspired by the blustery weather into the mix – think hints of cinnamon, nutmeg, pine and orange peel to complement the botanicals that you’ll usually find in the label. It’s only available on a limited basis, so we’re thinking it’s a good way to spice up (get it!?) your punch at a holiday party.

Oh, and pouring it into some hot apple cider = yes, please.

New Trend: Suspended Bartenders

 

We’ve all seen bartenders wearing suspenders, but how about libation makers  suspended from the ceiling? A few of these dangling drink slingers were spotted at The Holiday Spirits Bazaar, a recent bash put together by fellow blogger The Dizzy Fizz. Is this going to be the hot new trend of 2011? Um, no. But, it still totally kicks ass in our book. Check out a recap of the party here, and do let us know if you come across any other peeps shaking it up from the ceiling.

Bacardi Cocktail Smackdown Winners Announced

Kudos to the three New York bartenders who recently cleaned up at the Bacardi Legacy of the Cocktail Competition – and by “kudos” we mean “shots of rum.” Roberto Fuentevilla (Painkiller), Tomas Delos Reyes (Standard Hotel) and Bryan Matthys (Compose) are the lucky ducks who will get to move on to the US finals in Miami come February (whoop!).

These drink slingers were whittled down from 23, who were all tasked to create cocktails that showcased the rum’s heritage while still being cutting edge and refreshing. Also – each drink had to use seven ingredients, so this mixology wasn’t for the faint of heart.

Now the three finalists have another month or two to hone their skills. Gentlemen, if you need someone to taste your cocktails, please don’t hesitate to give us a call.

Must Try Holiday Drinks / Ron Jeremy Gets a Rum

-Eater has a list of the ten must-try holiday cocktails around town. If you are going to leave something out for Santa, he wants these, not your stinkin’ cookies.

-Yes, Ron Jeremy is getting his own brand of rum, known as Ron De Jeremy Rum. Cue jokes about the end of the world.

-The two Loreleys just launched happy hours. Who wants to put their face in a massive mug of beer? (Correct answer = all of us).

Gear Up for a Dewar's Photo Contest

Scotch lovers – time to get out those cameras (just be sure to use the neck strap, as you don’t want to drop them after consuming all that Scotch). To celebrate a new packaging design, the spirits brand wants you to submit your photos of their spiffed up bottle. If your pic attracts enough online votes, you can win a sweet prize package featuring a Nikon D90 along with a spankin’ new MacBook Pro – if you’re a PC, well, you’ll just have to make the conversion if you win. Entries will be accepted from January until 5^th and on the 11^th the voting period begins. That lasts through February 16th, at which point the winner and two runners up will be named.

You can submit online at this website. What’s that? You need a little inspiration? Well, we like our inspiration with two rocks, but taking it straight-up works as well.

Drink Away the Shortest Day of the Year

Is it really already the solstice? It seems just yesterday that we were depressed by the prospect of every day getting a little bit shorter (less time to drink!). Well, starting on the 21^st, every day will get a little bit longer – so you’ll be able to drink it up right into spring.

Our favorite Midtown East beer bar The Stag’s Head is putting together a little shindig to celebrate the solstice. Six great breweries will be on hand this Tuesday, and David Lindsay from Harpoon will be on hand to answer all of your questions about beer. Sadly, he will not take queries on the potential effectiveness of your New Year’s resolutions (unless you are one of the few people who resolve to drink more).

The shindig starts at 6PM and The Stag’s Head is located at 252 East 51^st Street.

Winona Ryder vs. Mel Gibson (aka drunky vs. drunker)

Yes, we know that this is kind of the pot calling the kettle black (and by pot, we mean drunk actress), but Winona Ryder is in this month’s GQ with a horrifying story about Mel Gibson. Check it out:

"I remember, like, fifteen years ago, I was at one of those big Hollywood parties. And he was really drunk," she recalls to the magazine. I was with my friend, who's gay. He made a really horrible gay joke. And somehow it came up that I was Jewish. He said something about 'oven dodgers,' but I didn't get it.

"I'd never heard that before," Ryder continues. It was just this weird, weird moment. I was like, 'He's anti-Semitic and he's homophobic.' No one believed me!"

Winona – we believe you! And Mel, we love a good surly drunk – but ‘oven dodgers’ crosses the line in our book. Well, we actually have to find our book because we tipsily left it at a bar, but you know what we mean!

Drink of the Week: Nucky's Punch

What do you serve your guests when you’re celebrating the season finale of a show themed around prohibition? Moonshine! Duh. To celebrate the finale of Boardwalk Empire, the Soho House turned to the new corn whiskey Moonshine. This clear spirit worked perfectly with the show's theme, even though it’s all legal these days (yes, some of the thrill is gone). The spirit was mixed into a punch named after a character on the show, and the cast was on hand to watch the episode and kick some back. If you think the show is a hit, you should have seen how fast the hooch flew out of the bowl.

 

Nucky's Punch (mix ingredients to taste, get punchy!)

Original Moonshine
Champagne
Lemon juice

Raspberry liqueur
Demerara Simple Syrup
Water
Fresh raspberries