NY Barfly

Theater Bar Opens / Westway Approved

-Albert Trummer’s long delayed Theater Bar is finally open in Tribeca! We think the perfect way to celebrate is getting on the space’s stage and making an ass of yourself.

-It's good news for those who like to hang out in former strip clubs, the Westway finally won approval from the Community Board after promising that the leftover stripper poles are just for decoration.

-Bar 119, a dive bar that dished out many a cheap beverage to drinkers near Union Square, has closed. It’s getting so hard to find a proper shithole these days. Sigh.

Westway in Trouble / M. Wells Gets Cocktails

-There’s trouble over at the soon-to-open club Westway, where neighbors are trying to stop the former strip joint from being awarded a liquor license. Note to residents: stop being so lame.

-Long Island City restaurant M. Wells just unveiled a new cocktail list. Huzzah!

-With March Madness happening and baseball season coming, it’s that time of year when you spend a lot of time in sports bars. So, here are some of the best wings to stuff your face with.

Momofuku Beverage Director Out / A Drink With Green Foam

-Colin Alevras, beverage director of David Chang’s Momofuku empire, left the group last weekend. Don’t worry – they still have pork buns.

-Sam Talbot’s Imperial No. Nine has a drink with some green stuff floating in it. Don’t worry, this is the good kind of green stuff.

-Cocktail lovers rejoice! Death & Co. is back in business after closing for a few days to deal with liquor license issues. Just in time for St. Patrick’s Day! (uh, kidding – the only green thing they serve is chartreuse).

Boozy Desserts / Cheese and Wine

-Feel like skipping dessert? You won’t when you see Eater’s picks for 10 boozy confections. If you’re really in the mood for a treat, ask them to pour an extra shot onto your pie.

-Cheese and wine are two of the most important food groups – so you should be glad to hear that The Little Cheese Pub in Chelsea just got their vino license. To celebrate? We’re thinking cheese.

-Here’s a lesson on how to stir cocktails. Because, um, you clearly can’t figure that one out yourself.

Hotel Chantelle Opens Basement / Rum House Does Bloody Marys

-Downtown Diaries has word that the basement lounge in the new LES bar Hotel Chantelle is open. The buzz is good about the spot – which is about the 600^th basement bar to open in the past few months.

-Zagat reports that Rum House is up and running with a new Bloody Mary menu, served on the weekend. Midtown drinkers had one thing to say about that – “huzzah!”

-Grub Street has word that The Randolph is planning to launch a music venue. But, they don’t have a liquor license at the new space?! Not sure how that one is going to work.

Brooklyn vs. Breuckelen Gin / Brooklyn Brewery Expands

-Frank Bruni takes a look at the raging Brooklyn vs. Breuckelen Gin debate. We think they need to just settle it with old-school Brooklyn techniques (i.e. fisticuffs).

-Hooray – the Brooklyn Brewery finished expanding! Just what we need in life – more beer.

-Painkiller just launched a new cocktail list. Oh wait, that’s what we need in life – the choice between 102 new tiki drinks.

Where Are The Hipsters? / Emilio Estevez Makes Wine

-If a bar with great cocktails chugs along in Brooklyn and no hipsters show up, does it make a sound?

-Emilio Estevez is getting into the wine-making business. We hope he releases a brat-pack themed label (a wine that doesn’t care that it’s not too tasty).

-Lower alcohol cocktails are becoming a thing, for those who don’t want to get too boozed-up, or (more likely) for those who need to rehydrate after a few stiff ones

Aged Beer is Yummy / Greenhouse is For Sale

-Yep, aged beer is a thing. You can have three Stellas while you wait for the good stuff to finish aging. 

-Greenhouse may be on the market, as the owner wants to move to Vegas. Where will all the eco-friendly club fans go if it closes (hmmm – maybe back to Jersey?).

-There’s a new wine bar in the Limelight Marketplace – Eurotrash rejoice!

The Rusty Knot Bus Returns / Is Continental Racist?

-Want to hit the Rusty Knot without having to worry about the bothersome business of taking the subway? Well, on Monday nights, you can head to the bar via a party bus that will pick up in Williamsburg or the East Village. Yes, they serve beer on the bus.

-The City is investigating East Village bar The Continental, which has been accused of having a racist door policy because the owner doesn’t allow anyone with “baggy, saggy jeans” inside. Well, we can say that we’ve been there numerous times, and there have been people of all races drinking to the point of passing out on each visit.

-The Rum House, Midtown’s new classy drink den, is open! Who wants to listen to piano music as they get tipsy on Manhattans? Correct answer = everyone.

More Trend Predictions / A Cocktail Shitshow

-The Dizzy Fizz takes a crack at predicting some cocktail trends for 2011. Cocktails on tap seems to be a consensus trend choice – can we get a draft line for our apartment?

-Riff Raff’s, a club below tiki-restaurant The Hurricane Club, is pouring a drink called the “Shitshow”. We don’t even know what to say about that one.

-Woo-hoo! The Brooklyn Brewery just got bigger – the space expects to double its output in the next three years. We think a toast is in order – raise your mugs!