NY Barfly

Libation Vacations: Win a Trip To Portugal’s Wine Country

So you want to take a trip to Europe this year, but you’re flat broke because you’ve spent all your money on wine. Well, there’s still hope! The folks tasked with promoting the Wines of Portugal have put together a sweet contest that will let the winner “learn about wine” (aka get sauced) for five days as they travel around the country and tour vineyards. There will be tastings, winery visits and plenty of meals – the whole thing has us drooling (though, the fact that we’re always up for a glass of Portuguese vino might have something to do with that as well).

You have until September 25 to enter – all you have to do is log onto their Facebook page and answer questions. There are two chances each week, so get going!

Presidential Beer: Do Obama’s Brew Choices Affect Your Vote?

Anyone who follows politics (or watches Veep) knows that presidential choices are carefully planned and highly scrutinized, even when it comes to food and beverage. So when Obama made a stop at the bar during a recent visit to Ohio, The Daily Meal didn’t hesitate to jump right in and delve into his beer choice. He ordered a Miller Light – maybe a little boring but certainly a safe, domestic choice. He’s also been known to drink a Budweiser here and there – he’d never go with a Stella or internationally-brewed label, lest he be accused of being unpatriotic.

Even though he’s supporting the good old U.S. of A., The Daily Meal was able to find some people who think he should have gone farther. Great Lakes Brewing Company located nearby the Ohio bar, said the Commander in Chief should have stuck with the little guy – opting for a craft brew over one of the larger labels. Yeah, that would have been nice – but this is a two party system, folks. Did you know that Mitt Romney doesn’t even drink? We know who we’re voting for come fall.

Timbaland Getting Into Spirits Game With LeSutra

Fergie, The Situation and Enrique Iglesias all have successful spirit labels and now super producer Timbaland is getting into the game with the launch of LeSutra, a new sparkling liquor that is gearing up to launch on Labor Day. The musician is one of the brand's four owners, and he'll be tearing it up during the holiday weekend at the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach to celebrate the new line of booze, which will be available in blueberry, strawberry, grape and peach. The stuff is kind of a cross between vodka and champagne - it can be sipped on its own in a flute or a rocks glass, or used to add some bubbles and fruity notes to a cocktail. It's 15% alcohol so while it's slightly more boozy than a normal glass of bubbly, it won't leave anyone falling at the club (or at the Miami-style daytime pool party). We think it's targeted more toward the ladies, but we'll certainly give it a whirl once it drops in the marketplace.

If you want to head to Miami for the launch parties, you can win a weekend for two down there to tear it up. Check out LeSutra's Facebook page for details. Oh, and in case you were wondering the spirit does take its name from the Kama Sutra, so you know it will be one hell of a shindig.

Beer Truck Tragedy, Crazy Expensive Tequila

We've noticed some bonkers booze news over the past few days, with one story that will make you cry and another that will make you feel completely financially inadequate (and shed some tears for a different reason). First up, we are sorry to tell you that 77,000 pounds of cool and refreshing beer was lost when a Budweiser truck overturned on the highway in Maryland. There were no reports of any injuries, but we'll pour one out for all the brew that was soaked up by the hot and unforgiving asphalt.

In some news that will make you say "whaaa?" while thinking of those credit card balances, the makers of the world's most expensive bottle of tequila are trying to sell the thing. The price tag? Oh, only 3.5 million dollars (commence crying). The spirit is encased in a jewel-encrusted bottle that is clad in over 4,000 diamonds. If you do buy this one, be sure not to get too tipsy that you forget about the diamonds and put it out with the recycling.

Bear in a Bikini For Labor Day From Mike's Hard Lemonade

And Mike's Hard Lemonade officially wins the award for weirdest contest prize, which is quite a feat in the world of booze. They just announced a sweepstakes dubbed the "Labor Day with a Bear in a Bikini" giveaway because, as they put it "yellow bikinis on bears are the antithesis of working on Labor Day." Duh. The winner of the contest will get to head down to South Beach, where they'll get a bikini-clad bear for 24 hours. The bear will serve as "butler, confidante and wing woman" on this all expenses paid trip, which includes a beachside cabana and lots and lots of hard lemonade (natch).

All you have to do to enter is head to this website and put your hat into the ring by August 11. A winner will be randomly chosen in the middle of the month and after that it's time to get freaky with the bear. Oh - and don't go getting any ideas, the bikini stays on! You don't want those claws to come out, do you?

Bärenjäger Brings Back Bartending Competition

Gentlemen, star your shakers, because Bärenjäger Honey Liqueur is back with their annual cocktail competition. This year they’ve enlisted Iron Chef Geoffrey Zakarian to be the judge – quite a get as the beverage programs at both of his restaurants (The Lambs Club and The National) are awesome. The spirit wants submissions in by August 20. A panel will score them and the top six will move on to a competition on September 10 where Zakarian will join a panel of industry heavyweights in determining the winner. The prize will be a trip for two to Oktoberfest along with $1,000 – cha-ching! Time to dust off that bottle and get to work. Get the rules and figure out how to register here.

Sleep No More Launches Rooftop Bar Dubbed Gallow Green

If you’re a fan of NYBarfly, you probably know that we are huge fans of Sleep No More. Yeah, the show itself is all well and good, but what we really love about the experience is the bar. The red-hued lounge is straight out of a David Lynch movie and the cabaret-style acts always keep us entertained (you don’t have to have a ticket to stop by either, BTW). Well, the folks over at The McKittrick Hotel just announced a new watering hole dubbed Gallow Green. The alfresco space is a reservations-only affair – if you want to drop by and imbibe, you have to book an entry time online (most nights you can start dropping by at 6 PM).

They enforce this rule by charging you $20 when you book your table – the fee is later applied to the bill. Everyone who comes in has to have a resy, so if there are two of you that’s $40 to spend at the bar. We are excited to stop by – let us know if you hear anything good. You can make those reservations here.

Kappa Pisco Coming to NYC

Our favorite spirit lately? Pisco! With the recent opening of Raymi in the Flatiron District, all things South American are hot, and after a visit we were inspired to pick up a bottle for our home bar. Call it perfect timing, because Kappa Pisco is launching this month in the Big Apple – it’s a Chilean label from the folks behind Grand Marnier. The fresh and light spirit is produced in Chile’s Elqui Valley, an area known for its pristine weather and the water from the Andes Mountains. The blue-hued bottle takes its name from the the Kappa Crucis star cluster, which is visible from the valley (star geeks will note that cluster is part of the Southern Cross constellation). Look for the bottle to show up on shelves over the next few weeks at a suggested retail of $34 a pop.

Ward III Guys Bring Serious Cocktails to Hoboken’s Kolo Klub

Even though it’s located right across the river from some of the world’s best bars, Hoboken has kept true to its reputation as a beer town and hasn’t done a lot with the modern mixology movement. Well, that is all changing with the new Kolo Klub, a new speakeasy style lounge that operates on the second floor of Pilsener Haus & Biergarten (sweet – you can get the best of both worlds at this cool new haunt).

The lounge snagged Michael Neff and Kenneth McCoy of Ward III and Rum House to come up with the list of artisanal drinks. These guys are total pros and we’re always impressed when we sip one of their drinks, so you can rest assured that your trip across the river will be worth it. The 4,000 square ft. space will also serve beer and wine – we suggest having one of everything. If you want to head over and get soused, the lounge is located at 1422 Grand Street.

Minnesota Bar Selling Pregnancy Tests in Women’s Bathroom

Folks, despite all of the crazy drunken tales you’ve told in your life, you just can’t make this stuff up. A bar in Minnesota has installed a dispenser that sells pregnancy tests in the ladies room. It’s ostensibly to make sure that you aren’t with child before having glass number seven of Pinot Grigio, but we also think it can be used mid-bender to make sure that there weren’t any happy accidents during the previous night’s blackout zones. The tests are only $3 a pop and they can be purchased with a debit card – at that price you might as well just go ahead and do it for fun. Sadly, the men’s room doesn’t have anything nearly as exciting going on, unless you count urinals. Read about the dispenser here.