NY Barfly

Kazaam! Courvoisier Partners With Shaq for Comedy Tour

2012-02-24T06:24:00-08:00

Recently launched brand C by Courvoisier has wasted no time bringing in the celebs to help the brand, and in this case they're bringing in a triple threat. Shaq is a former basketball player, a former movie star genie, and a current producer of the "All-Star Comedy Jam" a touring troup of comedians who are gonna yuck it up across the country. The spirit has partnered with the all star jam to be liberally poured during the tour (as well as the after parties along the way), and we can imagine O'Neal knocking a few of these back himself. Yeah, the whole thing may seem a little random, but, if anything at least a few sips will make the jokes on the tour that much funnier.

Brooklyn's Hill Cafe Launches Burger And A Beer Deal

2012-02-23T07:15:44-08:00

We don't get out to Brooklyn as much as we should, but if there is one thing that encourages us to get our butts to the borough it's the deals - there is mucho to offer in the wallet friendly department, that's for sure. If we were to head out there on a Tuesday night, we'd drop by Hill Cafe to check out their burger and a beer deal, which is gearing up to launch on Tuesday, March 6. The promotion will run from 6 to 8 PM and you'll be able to scarf the patty and kick back a brewski for only $15. Which should leave you enough money leftover for, well, another beer.

If you're jonesing for this deal and in the Clinton Hill area, Hill Cafe is located at 17 Putnam Ave.

Lin-Sanity Comes to The Village Pourhouse

2012-02-23T06:46:00-08:00

Um, maybe you didn't hear, but there is this basketball player named Lin, and people are going CRAZY over him. He plays for the Knicks, and if you've followed that team's recent history, you know that Big Apple basketball fans could use something to be happy about after years of abysmal results. Well, NYC drinkers now have something to be excited about as well - The Village Pourhouse has announced a two for one drink special during all Knicks games.

The drink served is called the Ty Ku LINtoxicated Bomb - it's essentially a sake bomb made with Ty Ku liquor. The beverages will surely help you cheer that team on, and if you aren't so into B-ball well, it will help you fake it. And at $5 a pop, they're already super cheap - chug chug chug!

Dad's Hat Proves White Whiskey is Hot

2012-02-22T07:35:00-08:00

Move over barrel aging - there is a new trend in the world of spirits. The new spirit du jour that is popping up around town is white whiskey. The stuff is pretty much moonshine (and one of the brands actually goes by that name) - it's what whiskey looks like before it's put into the barrels that give the sauce its signature brown hue. The latest release to hit the market is dubbed Dad's Hat Pennsylvania White Rye - it's distilled at 100 proof (editor's note: yowza) and poured into the bottles without touching a barrel.

PA is no stranger to rye, it's been making the spirit for upwards of 200 years, so this craft label has some good pedigree. In the days before Prohibition, the state produced upwards of six million barrels of hooch annually. The launch of this label will surely be one step in reattaining that former glory.

Manhattan Cocktail Classic Tickets on Sale March 15

2012-02-22T06:19:00-08:00

Is it really almost that time again? It seems like just yesterday that we got our tux on and went over to the New York Public Library for the cocktail event of the year. Well, better send your fancy threads to the cleaner, because tickets for this year's cocktail classic go on sale March 15. Yeah, it's a little advance planning, but you should put that date in your calendar, because passes to all of the best events are sure to sell out super quick, as they have in previous years. And, if you want to get super on it, the tickets are on sale at noon sharp that day.

There have been some new additions to the schedule this year. In addition to the must-attend gala, there are seminars around town and a new party dubbed The Classic Night Out, which is essentially a booze-fueled block party in the Meatpacking District. Tickets to the gala are $150 a pop, but considering that 40,000 drinks were served last year, that's a bargain. Tickets to the block party are $100. You can learn more about the MCC and purchase tickets when they come on sale on the festival's website here: www.manhattancocktailclassic.com.

Zum Schneider Dishes out Lent Beer

2012-02-21T07:53:00-08:00

Everyone knows how to kick off lent Mardi-Gras style, but going crazy with booze and beads isn’t the only game in town. East Village bar Zum Schneider has been playing host to a Karneval festival for the past few days, and as part of the ongoing shindig they are serving up Hofbräuhaus Traunstein's special Lent beer. As with many beer labels, if monks are behind it, you know it must be good. This stuff was traditionally brewed in monastaries in the end of December, and lagered for six to eight weeks. The brew contains a higher alcohol level than the average label, as it had to be preserved through the 40 day fast. So, this stuff will get you tipsy on Fat Tuesday – not too shabby.

Oh, and that fasting business is out the window these days, it’s not like Zum is going to turn off the taps once Lent starts, so you get to have all the fun with none of the pain. Suh-weet.

Zum Schneider is located at 107 Avenue C.

Spring44 Bringing Honey Vodka To NYC

2012-02-21T06:04:00-08:00

The reason why that infamous honey badger doesn't give a shit? Well, we're not a biologist, but it probably has to do with all that vodka he drinks. His hooch of choice has got to be Spring44 Honey Vodka, a craft brand that is making a sweet splash in NYC with its recent launch. The label is made right here in the USA - it's distilled using artesian spring water from the Rocky Mountains - and the stuff is super pure. That goes into a mix of US grown wheat, corn and rye, which is distilled five times for a super smooth finish. In addition to the honey label, the spirits company also has a normal variety of vodka along with a juniper-spiked option dubbed Spring44 Gin. Look for this stuff to pop up at bars around the city, and beware of the honey badger, he can be quite mean after a cocktail or two.

Make a Cocktail, Tell a Story, Win a Trip

2012-02-17T06:42:01-08:00

They always say that bartenders have to be good storytellers to do their job properly – after all, drink making is only part of the job when you have a bunch of thirsty patrons at the bar wanting to be entertained. Caorunn Gin is searching for mixologists who can shake up a mean one while also projecting their personality to those in the stools. The winner will get a pretty sweet prize – they’ll be able to compete at the Tales of the Cocktail competition in New Orleans this summer to see is the best storytelling tender.

To enter, bartenders have to concoct a drink that’s a “modern classic”, and mix it up while telling its story and entertaining the audience on a video. Four finalists will be chosen to compete in person at tales, and a group of spirits experts and writers will judge and award the glory to one victor. The US winner will head to Scotland to compete against bartenders from other countries. You can take a look at the rules and submission guidelines on their website: www.caorunngin.com/storytellersusa Get those good stories ready!

Time Out NY Unleashes Epic Beer Issue

2012-02-16T06:07:28-08:00

What time is it? It's beer-thirty, if the lushes over at Time Out New York are the ones minding the clock. The editors over there have put together just about the most epic chronicle of NYC suds that we've seen this side of, well, our credit card bill. There's a list of the best new brew bars in town, a peek at the new breed of beer stores (aka ones you can drink in), a list of beer cocktails that will muddle some fresh ingredients into the mix and a guide to labels that are brewed right here in the Big Apple. Just writing about the current issue is making us mighty thirsty. Time Out, we raise our pint glass to you for this one. You can look at the full issue here.

Smirnoff Launches Screwdriver and Tropical Fruit Flavors

2012-02-15T08:09:00-08:00

Who actually drinks screwdrivers these days? Someone out there, clearly, because Smirnoff just announced the launch of a screwdriver-flavored beverage dubbed Smirnoff Signature Screwdriver. The malt beverage rings in at 5.8% ABV, which is significantly lower than the actual cocktail, so you can knock a few back without falling over.

The company is also rolling out Smirnoff Ice Tropical Fruit, which is even less boozy at 4.5%. Both of them are being touted as a summer drink, but we don’t see any point in waiting – the folks that usually drink Twisted Tea are surely ready to get all up in this.

Free Drink Samples at Virgil's? Yes, Please.

2012-02-15T06:18:00-08:00

Here’s an idea: bars should give out free samples of their drinks! They are always handing out little paper cups full of cardboard-like ice cream outside of Tasti D-Lite, so why can’t they do the same at bars? Well, at least one watering hole is experimenting with this approach. This Monday, we hear that Virgil’s in Midtown was doling out samples of a new cocktail dubbed The Love Bug from 4 to 7 PM, and it turns out that they are going to dish out little sips again on Monday the 27^th. On that day, the Midtown ‘cue will dish out two cocktails made with Absolut Wild Tea, a label the spirit brand recently rolled out. The libations featured will be the Absolut Peach Tea and the Absolut Raspberry Tea. Just like Snapple, you should sip both of them and decide which one you like the best. Yeah, it might require a few tastes to make an accurate decision – we’re not going to judge you.

Virgil’s is located at 152 West 44^th St.

Epic Booze Event: Good Spirits Hits Town on Feb 28

2012-02-14T07:30:00-08:00

Edible Manhattan Magazine should be called Drinkable Manhattan on February 28, 'cause that’s when their awesome Good Spirits tasting event hits town. From 6 to 9 PM, some awesome mixologists will be in the house, whipping up libations to pair with grub from hot restaurants like Rubirosa, Back Forty and Northern Spy Food Co. The tickets are $45 and include all the food and booze you can handle. We like this one because of its scrappiness – walk around tastings can be pretty interchangeable at times, but with the lineup that this one is promising, it should be pretty choice, and not just because you’re sure to get tipsy. You can get more information and buy tickets here.