NY Barfly

New Happy Hour at Abboccato Ristorante. Swell.

What better way to end the week with a good old fashioned happy hour. Well, we have a new one for you to check out, since going to those same old watering holes is, well, boring (and you are anything but, right killer?) Abboccato, located smack dab in the middle of Midtown, is offering daily special from 3 to 5 PM. Yeah, you’ll have to sneak out early to score these deals – but it sounds like a great excuse for a late afternoon meeting to us (also, tourists in the area who may not have pre-5PM commitments). Cocktails will be $7, beer will be $5 and Italian wines by the glass will set you back $6. We’re leaning towards a libation named The Sicilian Kiss, a mix of Thatcher’s blood orange liqueur, tequila, Grand Marnier and Sicilian blood orange. A selection of small plates will also be served – think meatballs, risotto fritters and ricotta ravoli. If you want to head over and get in on this deal, Abboccato is located at 136 West 55^th St.

Vote For New York's Best Bartender!

The folks over at Metromix are at it again – they’ve brought back their annual Best Bartender competition for the second year running. For this go-round, they’ve expanded the field – there are 19 finalists for you to sift through to figure out who your favorite is (that’s a lot of cocktails to try if you’re going to drop by each of their bars). There’s some serious talent going on here – with bartenders from drink dens as varied as Brushstroke and The Beagle trying to take the title. You can sift through the nominees here and vote in the poll here. May the best bartender win!

Save Cash and Drink With BoozBucks

Another day, another discount site. The latest to enter the fray is dubbed BoozBucks. Instead of a daily email a la Groupon, this site lets you log on and see the selection of bars that are currently hosting deals. You have to pre-pay for the coupon, which will score you a set discount when you visit the bar to drink it up. For example, if you pay $12, you get $40 worth of Boozbucks at Pop Pub. That means you can take $40 off your bill when you pay $60 or more.

So, is that a good deal? Let’s say you ring up a $60 tab. You’ve paid $12 for the coupon and $20 for your hooch after the discount – totally $32. So, that’s about 50% off, not too shabby. The selection of venues taking part in the special is a little shoddy right now, but in addition to Pop Pub solid choice The Hog Pit makes an appearance. If you want to get in on the discount action, check out the website here.

Make the 7-11 Into Your Home Bar

Everyone and their sister is down on Wall Street protesting the state of the economy and things don’t seem to be getting much better. With all of that fun business, you are probably still hesitant to spend your hard-earned cash on fancy cocktail gear for your home bar. Don’t worry, you can still mix up some choice libations on the cheap with ingredients that you’d find in your local 7-11 (though, you probably should skip pairing your drink with those stale hot dogs on the warmer). Check out this article on Tablespoon about how to mix up everything from pomegranate martinis to after-dinner drinks using only what you find at your local convenience store.

Drink of the Week: Ofrenda's The Afterlife

It’s not just Halloween that’s on the horizon, the Day of the Dead also approaches (cue evil laugh). This Latin American celebration commemorates the lives of friends and relatives who have passed with skeleton-like makeup, colorful costumes and (most importantly) tequila. A few bars around town are dishing out special cocktails that are meant to celebrate the holiday, but we particularly like the one at Ofrenda.

Dubbed The Afterlife, the drink features Espolon Tequila (one of our personal favorites), which fits with the theme year round with the skeleton-bedecked bottles. The drink finds a delicate balance between spicy and sweet, and bartender Jorge Guzman points out that the combo echoes the dark and light moments people experience during their experience on earth.

Check out the recipe below, and if you’d like to drop by Ofrenda, the restaurant is located at 113 Seventh Avenue South.

1.5 ounces Espolon Tequila Reposado

.5 ounces Frangelico

.5 ounces Lemon Juice

1 ounce Chile Piquin-Cinnamon Syrup

2 dashes Wormwood Bitters

Directions: Shake ingredients together and strain into a rocks glass over ice. Garnish with a lemon twist. Drink, preferably through the mouth hole of a skull mask.

Win a Wine-Soaked Trip To Chile

Wines of Chile wants to take you to their home country – which is especially exciting seeing that our winter is coming up, so you can jet down just while their summer is starting. They just announced a new contest dubbed Only in Chile that will score one lucky winner a customized journey in the country. All you have to do is take a photo on each of five themes: For the Love of Chile, Wine & Stars, Urban Wine Retreat, Harvest Holiday, Horses & Huasos. Then, you head to the Wines of Chile Facebook page and upload the pics on the contest tab. Entries will be taken up until November 4, at which point the top six photo galleries will be chosen. Then, it’s all about getting out the vote – it’s time to call in favors from all of those derelict friends that you lent beer money to, because the top vote getter will win the trip.

The good news is that the number of entries looks a little light right now - making it that much easier to vault your way into the top six and move to the next round. Need some inspiration? We’re thinking a bottle or two of vino might be a good way to start. You can get more info and upload your photos here.

Original Sin Launches Heirloom Apple Cider

In case you haven’t noticed, cider is hot. Tertulia in the West Village is pouring the stuff straight out of the barrel, and a notable brand is rolling out two options. The apple-based beverage proves an excellent option when you’re not quite feeling wine or beer, and it lets you feel more in touch with Fall without having to partake in the silly business of apple picking that so many city dwellers use to feel “connected” to the season. Original Sin is launching two new cider labels that will help you get in touch with the drink’s roots.

The first – Newtown Pippin Hard Cider – is made from the Newtown Pippin apple. First discovered in Queens, this fruit was a favorite of Washington and Jefferson (yep, we’re talking the presidents here people). The other artisanal label that the brand is launching is dubbed Cherry Tree Hard Cider, and that one is made with heirloom apples that are mixed with tart cherries. Both varieties are available in 750 ml bottles and will retail for $11.99, which is quite the bargain (and, it sure beats getting mud on your shoes at the orchard).

Class Up Those Crappy Old Cocktails And Win

Competition alert! Martin Miller’s Gin is asking you to do something unthinkable: mix a drink that you’d NEVER order. Yep, we’re talking about drecky beverages like the Long Island Iced Tea and Sex on the Beach. But, your cocktail snob friends won’t get too upset, because there’s a twist. The gin brand is actually holding a competition to see who can best improve these gross “classics.” All you have to do is head to the company’s Facebook page and submit a recipe that includes the gin. The five cocktails with the most likes will then get tasted by a panel, who will choose a winner. The most-improved libation will be featured in an episode of Raising the Bar – fame and glory, you can’t really go wrong with that. You can check out the Facebook page and get more info on the contest here.

Free Snacks at Bars Around Town

We love happy hour because of the drink specials, but we really, really love happy hours that give away free food. We heart them so much we think we’d marry them. That’s legal in New York now, right?

Known as aperitivos, these grub deals are sprouting up at high end eateries around town. The latest haunt to sport such a deal is Gemma, located in the Bowery Hotel (pictured). This restaurant will serve bites like speck-wrapped asparagus and spicy octopus from 4 to 7 PM daily. Score!

Also dishing out the free grub is Centro Vinoteca in the West Village. Not only will they hook you up with mini BLTs and truffle-laden deviled eggs, they serve $8 drinks during their weekday aperitivo, which is available from 4 to 7 PM.

This all goes with a main goal of ours: to never pay full price for anything again!

Southern Comfort Launches Tabasco-Infused Fiery Pepper Label

How about some SoCo with a kick? The spirits brand just announced the launch of Fiery Pepper – a new label that fuses Southern Comfort with Tabasco. The two brands are actually both from Louisiana – and we all know that it gets hot down south. This should make for an interesting cocktail ingredient – SoCo has such a distinct flavor, and we’re excited to see how it balances with the heat. The 70-proof bottle is being rolled out to liquor stores – the suggested retail is $16.99.