NY Barfly

Happy Birthday To Count Camillo Negroni

We’ve been drinking a ton of Negronis lately – while the cocktail hasn’t surpassed our beloved gin martini with olives, it’s a close second. Campari is one of those liquors that separates the cool kids from the novices – if someone is drinking a beverage spiked with the stuff, you know that they are someone worth knowing. Well, we have to wish the creator of this tasty beverage a belated birthday. Campri was in town for the Manhattan Cocktail Classic the other week, and they threw a big par-tay at the New York Distilling Co. in honor of the count, a high flying aristocrat who created the drink back in the early 1900s.

We think that he would have been properly impressed with the main event of the evening (beside the drinks, that is) – the organizers wheeled out a cake, and out popped a stylish lady that sang happy birthday. Pretty darn swanky – we think we’ll go order one right now to keep the celebration going.

Maya Closes Down To Spruce Up, Make Room for Tequila Bar

Tequila fans, you should take note of what’s going on at Richard Sandoval’s Upper East Side Mexican joint Maya, 'cause there is going to be a lot more hooch flowing once it reopens after a renovation. The restaurant has been in business for 15 years, so it’s no surprise that it needs a little face lift. The good news for drinkers is that Sandoval will make more room for drinkers with Tequileria Maya, a new bar next door to the eatery that will focus on the agave spirit.

The watering hole will not only have 100 labels on hand to get you tequila-fied, there will be 15 house-infused varieties of the hooch. You can also enjoy small plates, and if you want to buy your tequila by the bottle, they will store it for you in a special area, so you can knock it back anytime you want to drop in.

Stay tuned for the changes – Maya is located at 1191 First Avenue.

Score Whisky Deals on Whisky Monday

We’re not sure how Caledonia Scottish Pub on the Upper East Side has escaped our radar for so long, but we know where we’ll be camping out on Monday now that we’ve heard about their special deal dubbed “Whisky Mondays.” The promotion gets you 25% off their entire selection of Scottish Single Malts and Blends, which is pretty cool since they have a massive selection.

While on Monday you’ll be able to get tipsy for cheap, on June 25 you’ll be able to do it for free. The bar holds regular whisky tasting events, and the next one will feature pours from Ardberg/Glenmorangie. David Blackmore will be on hand to steer the ship and presumably smack your hand away from the bottle if you try to steal too many sips. Check out their website for more info.

If you want to stop by, Caledonia Scottish Pub is located at 1609 Second Avenue.

New York Bars Score Nominations for Spirited Awards

One of the best parts of the annual Tales of the Cocktail get together in New Orleans is the Spirited Awards, a collection of prizes that are handed out to the top bars and mixologists throughout the country. Until the James Beard Foundation awarded their first-ever award for the Outstanding Bar Program, this was the main game in town as far as recognizing contributions and innovations in the spirits world.

Tales just released the 10 finalists for the Best American Cocktail Bar and there were a number of NYC haunts on the list. Clover Club (pictured), Dutch Kills and Mayahuel will be vying for the top honors, taking on other notable haunts like Bourbon and Branch from San Francisco and The Drawing Room from Chicago. This is one category to watch – check out the full list of finalists below.

• Anvil Bar & Refuge – Houston, Texas
• Bourbon & Branch – San Francisco, California
• The Drawing Room – Chicago, Illinois
• Dutch Kills – Long Island, New York
• Clover Club – Brooklyn, New York
• Columbia Room – Washington, District of Columbia
• Harvard & Stone – Los Angeles, California
• La Descarga – Los Angeles, California
• Mayahuel – Manhattan, New York
• The Varnish – Los Angeles, California

The Best Airlines for Drinking

Does anyone sober actually like to fly? Once that plane starts to bounce around at 30,000 feet, the only thing that soothes our nerves is an alcoholic beverage. That's in addition to the four we had in the lounge before boarding, to soothe our nerves during takeoff.

Food Republic (who's been killing it in the editorial department, if you haven't been following), just published a handy dandy travel guide that is pretty much a must-read for anyone who like mile-high booze. They've rounded up the 8 best airlines for drinking - and we're not talking those $6 mini-bottles of pinot grigio on Delta. Air France serves complimentary champagne in all of their cabins, Singapore Airlines pours a kick-ass Singapore sling and Virgin Atlantic, the number one airline for boozers, has liquor cabinets stocked with Grey Goose and Aberfeldy single malts. They also have some fun lounges in their terminals, as per the article: "Clubhouse Lounges at LHR and JFK are consistently more enjoyable than the entirety of New York City’s Meatpacking District."

Sounds pretty cool to us. If you're going to be flying away, check out the full list of boozy airlines here.

Introducing "Boobsie", a Scandalous Beer Cozy

Frat boys have been dreaming of this day for a long time coming. Well, finally there is a beer cozy with boobs. In their marketing materials, Boobsie asks "can a beer cozy be sexy," and the answer is apparently yes, as long as you find foam breasts enveloping your beer to be a turn on. The cozy selection comes with saucy sayings printed on the t-shirts worn by "the girls," including one that says "I'm With Twins." Ahhhh - we just can't handle the humor!

The idea was apparently spun off of a Hooters Boobsie, which was used in the restaurant chain's 400 locations. That was such a success that they are now retailing a whole line of these things, which sell for under $10 a pop. If you want to get a firm grip (hey - don't blame us - it says that in their press release!), check out the website here.

Tequila 101: A Boozy Guide

Ahhh, tequila – we used to drink WAY too much of you back in college, and it’s sometimes hard to even think of picking up a bottle of the stuff. But, drinking this agave-based spirit doesn’t have to be a world of hurt. New Mexican makers have been upping the game with labels meant for sipping, and there are plenty of tequila-based cocktails that are way better than the traditional margarita. If you need a primer on all that’s good in Tequila Land, check out our handy guide to the spirit, which was published last week on Tablespoon. Check it out here.

Belvedere Vodka Launches Lemon Tea Flavor

New vodka alert! Belvedere just announced that it is rolling out a new flavor just in time for summer cocktails. Belvedere Lemon Tea is their new label, it’s made with black and green teas, ginger, chamomile, lemongrass, honey and (of course) lemon. This sounds like a new daytime drinking option for us, as we’ve been pouring vodka in our iced tea for pretty much as long as we can remember. Drinks using this stuff are pretty easy to mix up – check out the recipe for a classic half and half punch below.

Belvedere Lemon Tea - Classic Half & Half Punch

1.5L/ 50oz Belvedere Lemon Tea

640ml/ 20oz Lemonade

640ml/ 20oz Premade Iced Tea

320ml/ 10oz Simple syrup

480ml/ 15oz Lemon Juice

Zests of 2 Lemons

Add all ingredients to a pitcher or punch bowl and either chill overnight or add cubed ice and stir. Serve immediately   

PDT Wins James Beard Awards for Outstanding Bar Program

If you’re not familiar with the James Beard Awards, it’s pretty much the highest possible honor that any chef or restaurant can receive. The shindig is usually called the Oscars of the food world, and before this year they haven’t recognized the cocktail making that is an essential part of a top-notch dining experience. Well, that changed with the debut of the new Outstanding Bar Program Award – a category (sponsored by Campari) that was added to the docket this year. The competition was EPIC – with New York’s Pegu Club and PDT going up against Chicago’s Violet Hour and The Aviary and San Francisco’s Bar Agricole (in our book, the SF entry was way too new to be a serious contender).

Jim Meehan and his crew at PDT took the award – boo-yah! They certainly have done more to spread the word of the modern mixology moment so Meehan, we salute you! Oh, and is anyone else surprised that Death and Co. wasn’t nominated? Well, this award should be on the docket going forward, so we are looking forward to an equally exciting competition next year.

Plantation 3 Stars Rum: Island Hopping In A Bottle

White rums are a popular category these days, at least judging by all of the new labels that have been rolling out (including one owned by Enrique Iglesias). The latest to hit the market is dubbed Plantation 3 Stars, which takes its name from the three islands where the spirit is made. It’s the first white-rum from Cognac Ferrand – the company actually selects rums from the islands and transports it to Cognac, where it is aged in the company’s cognac barrels. Sounds pretty tasty to us – this boutique producer is also behind Citadelle Gin so they have a pretty good track record beyond their traditional Cognac. Look for it at a liquor store near you and drink up.