NY Barfly

Word of the Year / Fancy-Schmancy Cocktails

-According to Eater, the nightlife word of 2010 was “hipster”.

-Eater also takes a look back at “The Year in Irresponsible Drinking.” Has anyone actually tried that high-proof beer that’s served in a dead squirrel?

-Is there such a thing as a cocktail that’s too fancy? Perhaps the writer of this piece would like to go back to 2003 where the most elaborate drink was a Cosmo?

Must Try Holiday Drinks / Ron Jeremy Gets a Rum

-Eater has a list of the ten must-try holiday cocktails around town. If you are going to leave something out for Santa, he wants these, not your stinkin’ cookies.

-Yes, Ron Jeremy is getting his own brand of rum, known as Ron De Jeremy Rum. Cue jokes about the end of the world.

-The two Loreleys just launched happy hours. Who wants to put their face in a massive mug of beer? (Correct answer = all of us).

Calories in Epic Tasting Menus / Mars Bar to Close

-In case you were wondering, 8+ course tasting menus have epic amounts of calories. Check out this piece by yours truly (and start planning your workout program now).

-Greg Seider of The Summit Bar is planning a new restaurant, Prima Strada, for the spring. Cocktail time! Wait, it’s always cocktail time – but you know what we mean.

-A development plan in the East Village might temporarily shutter Mars Bar, one of the last true dives left in town. But think of the vagrants!

New Year's Eve Plans / Drink at The Drink

-Looking for New Year’s Eve Plans? Le Bain at The Standard Hotel has a pretty sweet deal (only $30 a ticket!), that is if you don’t want to pay $4,500 for a table at The Boom Boom Room.

-Cue the pirate jokes, new nautical-themed bar The Drink opened this weekend on Manhattan Avenue in Brooklyn. Buy us a drink, matey?

-Also open? Studio XXI in the former Citrine space. Who wants a Vodka Redbull?!

The Darby Menu / Vintage West Opens

-Yesterday, we gave you a look-see at The Darby. Well, Blackbook has the full dinner menu! Yes, it’s a little pricey, but keep in mind you’re paying for the entertainment (and the general sense of coolness) as well.

-We remember dancing to The Smiths at Luke and Leroy. Well, that space has a new tenant called Vintage West. Expect plenty of boogieing and servers in corsets. Oh, darn – you wanted to wear a corset. Guess you’ll have to find something else!

-Also opening soon is Beauty & Essex, from the folks behind Stanton Social. You can wear your corset there!

Artichoke Opens in The Village / The Meatball Shop Hits The 'Burg

-Looking for a snack after bar hopping in the West Village? Artichoke Pizza is open on MacDougal Street until 5 AM. How about a slice (or, knowing how you eat when you’ve had too much to drink, how about three?).

-Speaking of tipsy eats, The Meatball Shop is coming to Williamsburg! We know you can’t wait to see how many morsels you can fit into your mouth at once.

-We know you’ve been in rehab for that bowling addiction. Well, it’s hopeless, because Bowlmor just opened 50 new lanes in Midtown. Just give up now.

Rye Shortage / Ridiculous Theme Restos

- First bitters, now Rye! Grub Street has a look at the spirits shortage that is making cocktail lovers everywhere weep like spoiled little children.

- After the recent shenanigans Charlie Sheen pulled at Daniel, Zagat chronicled the top five most outrageous celeb freakouts. Did your favorite hot mess of a famous person make the list?

- Speaking of hot messes, be sure to check out Eater’s list of the top 10 most notorious theme restos in the city. Yes Bubba Gump, we mean you.

All You Can Drink Four Loko / The Darby Beckons

-Leave it to Eddie Huang to go where no restaurant owner would dare to go. The Xiao Ye chef and owner is offering unlimited Four Loko – yes, that’s the caffeine spiked malt beverage that’s been sending college kids to the hospital – for $15 on Thursdays.

-In a New York Diet, Dave Wondrich shows us that yes, it is OK to drink pretty much all the time.

-The Darby is now scheduled to open on December 1^st. Put us in the category of those who can’t wait!

District 36 Delayed / The Windsor Debuts

-Eater has word that new midtown club District 36 is delayed– they had to cancel some events for Halloween because they don’t have a Certificate of Occupancy. The owners promise that the spot will be “worth the wait” – just like what this club’s patrons will say when they’re stuck in traffic at the Lincoln Tunnel.

-Grub Street takes a look at The Windsor, a new upscale sports bar in the space that formerly housed Charles. There is truffle grilled cheese on the menu – yes please.

-Dans Le Noir, a ‘dining in the pitch dark’ concept restaurant is hoping to open in March. To practice, we’ve been eating with our eyes closed.

Secret Bar Passageways / Long Live Freddy's

-Grub Street has a look at the secret passageway in the basement of Albert Trummer’s soon-to-open Theater. If you know the keypad code that will unlock a door, you can head back into the VIP space. And no, the password is not begging “I’ll so buy you drinks if you let me in.”

-Hooray! Brooklyn dive bar Freddy’s found a new location, after they were displaced by the Atlantic Yards project. We think a derelict parade is in order to celebrate, don’t you?

-A handy list of the worst beers in the world. Sorry, Olde English, no one is fooled because you put an “e” on the end of the word old.