NY Barfly

Score Free Wine (and Chestnuts) at Trattoria Dopo Teatro

If you’re going to head up to Midtown to see a show – or do some bar hopping – neighborhood restaurant Trattoria Dopo Teatro is giving you a reason to drop by. From November 15 to 21, the eatery will celebrate L’Estate di San Martino by giving guests some on-the-house chestnuts and a gratis glass of wine if they drop by between 5 and 8 PM and cozy up to the bar. If you’re not familiar, L’Estate is essentially Indian Summer. As the legend goes, St. Martin tore off his cloak and gave it to a beggar, and the lord responded with two weeks of mild weather. Any legend that involves free wine is clearly one we can get behind. If you want to drop by and sip a glass of vino Novello, the trattoria is located at 125 West 44th Street.

The Holiday Spirits Bazaar Returns November 17

One thing we always look forward to at this time of year is the Holiday Spirits Bazzar, a boozy bacchanal that is returning to NYC for the third year in a row on November 17. The shindig features tastes from artisanal spirit brands like Whistle Pig straight rye and local purveyor Greenhook Ginsmiths. It will be held at Astor Center, the nexus of all things liquid in NYC, and tickets are a bargain for this type of event at $45 a head.

There are two sessions where you can get your drink on – those wanting to booze it up during the day can stop by from 1 to 4 PM, while nighttime imbibers can sip from 7 to 10 (if you want our humble opinion, the night session is where it’s at). A few bites will be served to soak up all that booze, including cheese and meats from Stinky Bklyn. If you want to go get in the holiday spirit by drinking too many spirits (wokka wokka), you can get tickets and info here.

Taster’s Club Whiskey of the Month Launches in NYC

Brown spirits lovers in San Francisco are some lucky ducks – they can have a different bottle of Scotch or Bourbon shipped to their house every night as a member of the Taster’s Club. Their whiskey of the month has a few options – there’s a Scotch monthly for $75 a pop and a Bourbon of the month option that features some of the finest labels that the US has to offer for $65. Real ballers can opt for the Scotch Gold or the Bourbon Gold, which are $205 and $185 respectively. They don’t release a list of labels in advance, which means that it’s like Christmas every time the UPS guy comes to your house. Learn about the club and join here.

Big Buck Hunter Tournament Qualifying Round Happening Now!

You've wasted countless boozy hours playing Big Buck Hunter at your local bar - now it's time to make something happen from all that experience. And we're talking $50,000 worth of something. The Big Buck World Championship is happening on November 9 and 10 at the Altman Building - players will use those neon guns in the hunt for the $15,000 grand prize, a $5,000 award in the ladies tournament, or plenty of other prizes at different levels.

If you want a spot at the arcade, you have to compete in the online regional qualifying tournament, which is happening now through October 7. You can do so right at your local bar - the 12 highest scoring players in each region (North, South, East and West) will advance to the NYC showdown. Since the main event is happening in our home city this year, we want local players to represent and take the purse. You can learn more about Big Buck Hunter here and see how you stack up against the current area leaders here. 

Pauly D Will Sign Liquor Bottles on Long Island This Week

Pauly D might have been made famous by The Jersey Shore, but this week he’ll be in Long Island to sign bottles of his new Remix Cocktails. Freak. Out. The Long Island Wine And Spirits Merchants in Commack is sure to be mobbed when the tanned reality star / DJ shows up for a little shameless self promotion – he’ll be in the house from 5 to 7 PM (of course you have to be 21 to stop by and show a supportive fist pump).

In case you forgot, the new line of spirits are being billed as a “pre-game cocktail” and come in flavors like Yeah Yumberry and Oye Mojito. If this is up your alley, apply that spray tan and head over to 1171 Jericho Turnpike.

Hurricane Club Launches Tiki After Hours

NYC’s late-night scene just got a little more tiki. The Hurricane Club has announced a special weekly luau dubbed Tiki After Hours, a weekend shindig that should liven up the after dinner scene at the tropically-inclined joint. We’ve always been a fan of the libations coming out of this swanky eatery’s central bar, so we’ll definitely be dropping by to sip a drink straight out of the coconut.

The promotion will feature live tropical performances, off-the-menu group drinks, a tiki-hut shot bar and music by DJ Cash. If you want to don a lei and drop by, you can do so on Thursday nights from 11 PM to 2 AM through the rest of the summer. The party continues into fall, when Friday and Saturday night tiki soirees launch on September 7 and 8 from 11 PM to 3 AM.

If you want to drop by, The Hurricane Club is located at Park Avenue and 26th Street.

Get Your Bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue Engraved at Grand Central

Father’s Day is coming up (June 17, lushes – mark those calendars!) and the more annoying you were to your old man, the better the booze you buy him should be. Yep, a lot of bottles of Johnnie Walker Blue are going to be exchanging hands, that’s for sure. If you are going to hook your pop up with the fancy stuff, you can get your bottle engraved for free at Grand Central Terminal this Thursday (not that you really need to save money if you’re buying this stuff, but we won’t argue with a gratis hook up).

But, what to say? Well, if you’re not really the expressionistic type, the folks at the kiosk are bringing in Dan Gerstein, the founder of Gotham Ghostwriters, to help you coin that perfect turn of phrase. They’ll be in the Graybar Passage from 11 AM to 7 PM – be sure to bring your bottle because they won’t be selling any at the station.

Get Some Free Cocktails and a Hair Trim This Wednesday

Free drink alert! This Wednesday, Gentleman Jack is going to be hosting a one-day-only pop up at an East Village Bar where you can score some free drinks and a little grooming to boot (because a true gentleman always looks dapper). The shindig is open to the public, all you have to do to get in on this free drink action is RSVP at their website below. If you do manage to get a slot, you’ll be hooked up with two drink tickets and grooming that includes nail buffing and hair and beard trims for the gents in the crowd. The party runs from 3 to 8 PM – if you want to get hooked up, log on and have at it here: www.GentlemanJackBarbershop.com. 

Start Your Monday With a Magnum

Got a case of the Mondays? Well, we know something that will make you feel better – a Magnum of champagne. Or wine. Or booze. You can pretty much take your pick at STK Midtown, as the new location of the hot-spot has a party dubbed Magnum Mondays to kick off the week from 7 PM to 1 AM. The cheeky subtitle of the party is “because size matters” – har de har har. To keep things lively, the folks at the restaurant are bringing in DJs, dancers and other live performances each week – tonight’s lineup includes DJ Sinatra, a NY based spinner who’s played at gigs in far flung locales like Brazil, Paris and Milan.

If you want to start your week off right, STK Midtown is located at 1114 Sixth Avenue.

Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic Coming to Liberty State Park

The Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic is one of the snazziest events of the summer and this year it’s changing digs. Usually held on Governors Island, this year the Champagne-fueled event is moving to Liberty State Park. The move was caused by construction at Governors Island, where the shindig has been held since 2008.

The party will be slightly smaller this year and, due to the space constraints, attendees will have to pay $25 per ticket. The good news is that the fee includes ferry service back and forth to Manhattan. The Champagne maker is giving fans of the event a chance to win free tickets on their Facebook page, which you can follow here. The party goes down on June 2, get more information on the classic’s website here: http://www.vcpoloclassic.com/