NY Barfly

The Best New Bar in New York

Ladies and Gentlemen – last weekend, we discovered the best new bar in New York. If you’re wondering where that might be, here’s a hint: while you’re drinking, you’ll probably encounter more than one person wearing a venetian carnival mask. That’s right – we’re talking about the bar that’s pouring drinks at Sleep No More – the EPIC theater piece by British theater troupe Punchdrunk that takes place over the six stories of Chelsea’s McKittrick Hotel. If you haven’t seen the show – you’ll want to run right over.

As you are ushered into the immersive theater experience, you’re reminded that the on-site bar is open throughout the course of the show. Draped in red velvet and staffed by a dapper gentleman that is called Maximillian, the room is straight out of an episode of Twin Peaks. Yep – that’s a good thing. As the show winds down, patrons gather in the lounge and enjoy some cocktails and the tunes from an old-timey band. If this haunt was a regular drink spot, we’d be there every night. Sadly – it’s not – so buy yourself some tickets and head over before this place disappears as quickly as it came. Here’s the website.

Spike Your Cocktails With Aloe

Let’s call this botanical ingredients day. If the basil vodka we looked at before wasn’t up your alley, perhaps you’d be down for some Aloe instead? Alo Drink is made with real aloe vera pulp – while you can certainly drink it on its own, we’re keen to see how this plant-based beverage stacks up when mixed with some hooch (clearly, that’s what God intended when he invented the aloe plant). Each bottle of this stuff contains 25% aloe vera pulp and juice – which should go well in a margarita or with some vodka on the rocks. Though we doubt that you’ve been imbibing a lot of aloe drinks these days, this sure beats having to squeeze the plant’s juice into your glass. Get more info here.

Imbibe Magazine Turns Five

Awww – Imbibe Magazine, our favorite periodical about all things booze – is turning five this month. That may not be legal drinking age quite yet, but to celebrate they’ve rounded up a snapshot of the last five years in all things liquid. If you were around five years ago – you know that this encapsulates A LOT of change (bourbon wasn’t even that popular back then – imagine!) – speaking of bourbon there are now over 5 million barrels of it aging in Kentucky, which is the highest inventory since 1982. To learn about more fun stats like this, and to say happy birthday, check out the magazine’s website here.

How About Some Romanian Wine?

When you think of Romania – wine is probably the last thing on your list (behind gypsies, vampires and orphans). Well – the folks in the country know a thing or two about wine production. In fact, they have been producing vino in one form or another since 2,000 B.C. – that’s a pretty good track record, if you ask us. A group of vineyards, responsible for nearly 15,000 acres of vines, has banded together and will try to drum up more interest in Romania labels over the next few years. The region is known for standard varietals – think Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. There are also a few more interesting choices coming out of the vineyards - Feteasca Neagra is a red wine known for its intense ruby color and strong personality. Strong personality? Sounds like most of the Romanians we know. . .

Vine Talk: Behind the Scenes

The folks over at Public Television are readying our favorite new show. Ok, so we’ve never actually seen an episode of Vine Talk with Stanley Tucci before, but how can you go wrong with episodes that feature notable celebs and food personalities tasting wine on camera and chatting about the vino? The show is getting ready for an April debut, and they sent over this “behind the scenes” video which details them putting everything together. That’s funny – they seem pretty sober to us. Although, the executive producer is shown carrying around a glass of red – he seems like our type of guy. You can learn more about Vine Talk here.

 

Absinthe, A Documentary

Because when you’re not drinking absinthe, you know you want to be watching a documentary about it. We just got word about Absinthe, The Documentary. The film promises to trace the Green Fairy’s arc – from its birth in Switzerland through the rise of the spirit's use in the cafes of Paris to the recent revival. In fact, why not have a little party where you get soused on wormwood and have to struggle to remember the movie when you wake up the next day?

You can check out the film’s website here. It’s an hour and 10 minutes long, and can be watched on Amazon.com’s movie watcher for $3.99. Come on, that's cheaper than a shot of the stuff!

Why We Like Ke$ha (Yes, That Ke$ha)

Is it fashionable to like Ke$ha? No – absolutely not – the singer has a dollar sign in her name, for god’s sake! But, we can’t help feel a certain fondness when we hear things like the answer she gave when asked if she was lying about brushing her teeth with a bottle of Jack (via Huff Post).

"Absolutely not!" she insisted. "Jack Daniels is an anti-bacterial and it's way better than morning breath. Let me put it this way, if you wake up naked in a bathtub and you have the choice between rinsing out with Jack Daniels or trying to make out with some dude with morning breath, I would recommend picking up the Jack."

Vine Talk, A New Show Starring Stanley Tucci, To Debut in Spring

Winos, get excited! Stanley Tucci is bringing a new show about vino to public TV this spring. OK, the only thing that really qualifies the actor to host a show like this is the fact that he starred in Big Night and Julie & Julia, but did we mention they will be talking about wine! Each episode will focus on a specific wine-growing region, with info about the provenance and guest panels that include folks like Patricia Clarkson and Daniel Boulud (yes, we’d like to see the two of them get drunk together). Take a look at a preview montage in the above video and get your corkscrew ready for the spring debut – we’ll pass on air date deets when we have them!

Hail Mary, It's 2Pac: The Musical!

Every once in a while, a cultural event comes along that makes us reconsider our view that the only interesting thing to do in life is drink. Ladies and gentlemen, behold one such event: 2Pac – The Musical!

Using Tupac’s most popular songs, this jukebox musical parody tells the story of two mall food-court employees and their yearning desire to head to California.

Sounds kind of like Mamma Mia! with a lot more rapping (and hopefully a good smattering of bitches and guns).

The show is going on at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre on 26^th street and reservations can be made here. The next show is on Friday, Jan 22^nd at 8PM and the one after that is on the 29^th.

Luckily, they serve cheap drinks at the theater. That makes two interesting things to do!

A Toast to Henry Hudson (he's, like, the Dude).

This year marks the 400^th Anniversary of Henry Hudson’s first exploration of the Hudson River and New York Harbor. Why should you care? Drinks!

The Museum of the City of New York is playing host to an exhibit called Amsterdam/New Amsterdam: The Worlds of Henry Hudson. As you may remember, the museum also hosts a speakeasy on their patio. This Wed., the 26^th, (today!) marks the spot's last speakeasy of the summer. Head over, get a little tipsy, and see the exhibit. You can learn about Henry Hudson’s voyage across the Atlantic as you take your own voyage into drunkenness. If you can’t make the speakeasy, the exhibit is open until the end of September. You’ll just have to get a little tipsy on the street before you go, much like the original Indians who lived on Manhattan.

If “learning about history” is not really your thing, cocktail bar PDT is serving a libation to honor the Hudson Anniversary. Their Henry Hudson was created by Jim Meehan and Gerry Corcoran, and will be served throughout the month of September. We posted the recipe below so you can do a little exploring on your own (i.e. chart the course to your liquor store and find those ingredients).

Hudson’s voyage will be celebrated with events through the end of the month, you can get more info here: www.henryhudson400.com. Still wondering why Hudson is the Dude? Just think, what if Manhattan were first discovered by the Italians? Then this whole place would be like the Island we call Staten.

Henry Hudson

1.5 oz. Bols Genever

1 oz. Channing Daughters Scuttlehole Chardonnay (no oak)

.5 oz. Simple Syrup

.5 oz. Lemon Juice

.25 oz. Van Oosten Batavia Arrack

Add everything to a mixing glass, then add ice

Stir and strain into a chilled old fashioned glass filled with one large cube

Garnish with freshly grated nutmeg