NY Barfly

Salon.com Launches Online Wine Store

Now you can score some vino with your liberal politics (and we all know that Dems are some of the biggest lushes out there). Left-leaning Salon.com has just announced that it will be selling wine in partnership with The Wine Spies, a online retailer that looks for boutique labels with good values. Every day, a different bottle will be unveiled on the website (http://www.salon.com/thewinespies/) at a discount, and guests will get 24 hours to decide if they want to make a purchase or pass. Today's pick is a 2011 Rosato from Swanson Vineyards in Napa. It's priced at $19 and even though we've spent way to much money on holiday gifts, well, we think we can pick up a bottle or four.

Global Warming Exists. But it Can't Stop Ice Bars

Truth: global warming exists. But, if every last glacier in the world ends up melting, there will still be ice bars. Yes, they may be underwater, but destination-worthy spots like Blu in Minnesota's Grand Harbor Lodge will be worth a visit even when it's 120 degrees outside. This ice lodge is back for it's third year and they're taking this warming business head on. Yep, there's a fireplace where you can get cozy in the lounge, which is costructed from 170 blocks of ice (weighing in at 51,000 pounds).

Our favorite part of this bar, which was constructed this week, is the game room. Guests can play the chilliest game of beer pong ever as they hang out in the lounge, which is open every Friday and Saturday through mid-March. The one catch is the dress code. While you may not want to wear your trendiest garb, your warmest scarves, hats and mittens are probably a good idea.

Blue is located at 2826 East Highway 61 in Two Harbors MN. If you can't make it out there this winter, NYC will get its own ice bar in March or April in the Midtown Hilton. Brrrrr.....

Upper West Side’s Andanada 141 Launches Happy Hour Pincho Deal

Drinkers on the Upper West Side have a new happy hour deal to look forward to. Recently opened Andanada 141 is now dishing out a glass of wine and a pincho for $10. The rotating small snack is a plate that is common in Basque Country – it will be served with a glass of Ondarre Reserva, Rioja 2005. To start off, the eatery is preparing a sardine filet on a toasted bread round, filled with chopped vegetables and topped with eggplant caviar. Yum. The $10 deal is available on Monday through Friday from 5 PM to 8 PM, you can stop by the eatery at 141 West 69th Street.

Cocktails For The December Holidays

You’re buying gifts, cooking turkey, dealing with your annoying relatives during the holidays – do you really need to figure out what you should be drinking when the festivities begin? Didn’t think so. Well, good thing we’re here for you – for this week’s article on Tablespoon, we provide easy drink suggestions for the December holidays. Yep, even if you spend your time performing feats of strength around the Festivus pole, we’ve got you covered. See the drinks here, and happy imbibing!

Greenwood Park Beer Garden Offering Specials for Winter Months

News flash: just because it’s chilly outside doesn’t mean you need to give your favorite beer garden a break. Greenwood Park Beer Garden in the South Slope wants folks to know that they will booze you up all week long. There are different specials each night and they can be enjoyed in the beer garden’s indoor space or while gathered around the crackling fireplace. On Sunday and Monday, there are $.50 wings and $12 pitchers of Narragansett Lager. Tuesdays it's two for one on select drafts and well drinks, Wednesday it's $10 for a burger and a beer and Thursday there’s DJs along with a $5 special that will hook you up with a Rolling Rock and a shot (just don’t take too many of those, you still have to work on Friday). Winter Sangria will be served through the season, and hot drinks will provide some extra comfort and warmth.

With deals like this, we think that the holiday season may be the new beer garden season. Greenwood Park is located at 555 Seventh Ave in Brooklyn.

Hotel Discounts for Tales of the Cocktail

While most people aren’t really thinking about July at this time of year, lushes know where they will be. The annual Tales of the Cocktail Festival will take over New Orleans from July 17 to 21. Well, the organizers of the event have scored some really excellent hotel discounts for early bookers. The Hotel Monteleone is the epicenter of the spirited gathering, and a special rate of $145 / night is available now with the code TOC2013. You can also stay at the Royal Sonesta for $149.00 per night using the code TOTC071213. Those rates will leave you plenty of money leftover for seminars, parties and drinks. Suh-weet. Get more information about the fest here. 

508 Brewery Spikes Eggnog With Beer

T raditional eggnog = gross. For those of you who are over the same cocktail year after year, it’s time to hit up the 508 Gastrobrewery. The West Village restaurant is dishing out a drink dubbed Humbug Nog that deviates from the standard concoction. Instead of rum that’s used in the standard recipe, the restaurant mixes vodka and Baileys in with the cream. But, the real Christmas surprise is a draw of the restaurant’s own Mint Stout. 508 is a nanobrewery, and they make their own labels in house, the Mint Stout was brewed specifically for the holidays. The drink will be served through the holidays, we think Santa would approve. 508 is located at 508 Greenwich Street. 'Tis the season! 

What Did Tanqueray Taste Like in the 1960s?

This week, we had the pleasure to stop by Mulberry Street bar to taste a bit of history. Tanqueray was in the house to pop open a bottle of their namesake spirit from the 1960s, with brand ambassador Angus Winchester pouring martinis alongside a green-dress-clad Rachel Ford (who told us that her outfit was her "Tanqueray 10" inspired dress, since it was so sleek). It's always fun to taste a booze that's older than we are, in this case over 20 years. So, what did folks in the '60s taste when they were in the mood for a nip of gin?

Well, uh, it tasted like Tanqueray. The old school bottle was still cast in the signature green glass, and the familiar notes of juniper and pine were rife in our glass. Winchester went over details on how the brand keeps their spirit so consistent - there's a juniper review process that involves so much sniffing that the employees at the distillery probably can't smell much else. In any case, the event told us that normal Tanqueray drinkers aren't missing much of anything if they can't get their hand on a vintage bottle, as a normal pour of the spirit seems to be a bit of a Time Machine on its own.

Mezcal and Jazz at Evelyn Drinkery This Monday

On Monday, one of our favorite new bars of the year is giving you a reason to drop by. Evelyn Drinkery, a watering hole on Avenue C that takes inspiration from the late 1800's, is offering a fun night of Mezcal and jazz. For those of you who plan to hide inside all weekend to protect yourself from a deluge of santas set to hit the city for Santacon, this offers a great and boozy way to reclaim your week.

Fidencio founder Arik Torren, will be in house to offer you a guided tour of his mezcal from 6 to 7 PM, you can RSVP for the gratis sips by emailing him at arik@fidenciomezcal.com. Then, starting at 8, the bar will host some live jazz from duo Chris Norton and Pete Maness, which is the perfect pairing for some of the vintage-inspired cocktails. You can get info on other happenings at Evelyn - including a post-ball-drop New Year's Eve party with drink specials, here. If you want to drop by, the lounge is located at 171 Avenue C.

Drink at the Dipsology Holiday Party Tonight

Attention lushes – are you looking for something to do this evening (that involves drinking, natch)? Or, maybe you can’t decide whether you want to hit Pouring Ribbons, The Shanty or Evelyn Drinkery. Well, all three of the establishments will be in the house at the Dipsology Holiday party, which is happening tonight at Real Proof Labs on Mercer Street. The $65 ticket gets you admission to a room full of fellow imbibers (you’ll clearly have a lot to talk about, and no one will judge you for slurring those words), drinks from the three bars and there will be bites from Salume, the sandwich shop that is famous for their booze-infused paninis. The shindig starts at 7 PM, get tickets here.

If you’re not familiar with Dipsology – it’s a website that tracks liquid culture in NYC. Always fun to have another spirit-obsessive at the party, check them out here.