NY Barfly

New Jersey Gets Its First Craft Distillery

2013-05-22T10:47:40-07:00

Jersey drinker are all about light beer (there’s no better way to rock out to Bon Jovi), but we’re still surprised to learn that the state hasn’t had a working distillery since prohibition. The craft spirits craze has infected urban areas like New York City, but it turns out that no one had applied for a license to operate a distillery since the bootleg era, even though it was technically legal and a path for a license existed. Well, that was until the founds of Jersey Artisan Distillery came along - they are up and running now in the pursuit of a Garden State rum label, and promise that other spirits are next if financing comes through. The Star Ledger has an in depth look at the new venture, and it’s worth a look for both spirit lovers and for anyone who is gutsy enough to take their hand at craft distilling. Check out the article here.

Best Idea Ever Alert: Witness the Canned Negroni

2013-05-21T06:59:00-07:00

When you are out and about as much as we are (we sometimes take Monday off - we’re not that crazy), the drinks start to blur together. Well, when we woke up from our post-MCC-Gala slumber, it only took a few seconds to remember the most inventive ditty we had the night before. Campari was dishing out these adorable canned negronis at their booth, which was strategically located right inside the entrance of the annual bash.

We chatted up the folks at the booth, who told us these cans were specially made only for the shindig. But how are we supposed to stuff our pockets / backpacks / purses full of them for summer day drinking of all sorts. Hmm - we can try to recreate this one at home, but maybe they should just bring these puppies to the market instead.

GoogaMooga Was a Bust, But You Can Still Have the Cocktails

2013-05-20T08:46:00-07:00

The second-annual GoogaMooga festival was going so well this weekend, until it wasn’t. You’ve probably heard that the Sunday edition of the bacchanal was called off due to inclement weather, and even though refunds are being issued and apologies are being sent out, city boozers are still upset that they didn’t get to sneak into the VIP area and drink their share.

Well, you can still have one of the drinks that was served when things were sunny during the Saturday portion of the festival. We scored the recipe for the One More Chance, a drink being poured in the spirits section, if you want to mix one up and think of what could have been. We think this is an aptly named option, as one more chance is probably all New Yorkers are going to give the festival to make it work.

One More Chance

Ingredients:

1 ¼ ounce George Dickel Rye

¼ ounce Gran Classico bitters

¼ ounce maple syrup

¾ ounce lemon juice

Preparation:

1. Combine all ingredients into a mixing tin

2. Strain contents into a rocks glass filled with crushed ice.

3. Garnish with 1 orange half wheel

So, How Was The Gala This Year?

2013-05-20T06:54:00-07:00

You know that’s the question on everyone’s mind on the flip-side of the Manhattan Cocktail Classic weekend. Once again, the biggest event of the year for NYC boozers took over the main branch of the New York Public Library, and once again it sparked some debates in spirits circles. Did the organizers exclude too many prominent brands in favor of newbies? Was there the right mix between industry and consumer at the event, which in past incarnations captured both sides of the extreme? Well, to find out you’ll just have to read this post, penned by your’s truly for Zagat. And lets be honest - good, bad, or in the middle, we’re still excited to go back next year.

Greenwich Project is Easily the Best of the Bunch

2013-05-16T09:09:03-07:00

Last night we made our way over to The Greenwich Project, a recently-launched cocktail bar and restaurant from the team behind two other NYC haunts. We're not gonna lie: we took our sweet time scheduling a visit because we weren't in love with The Mulberry Project and The Vinatta Project, the owner's other NYC venues. Mulberry was fun when it first opened and we love the backyard garden, but the space is a squeeze, plain and simple. Vinatta is fine for a quick nip, but its heart-of-the-Meatpacking-District is less than ideal and we haven't been back for a while.

Well, we wish we hit up the latest venture earlier because folk's, it's a winner. It takes the exciting elements of the other two venues - a chic crowd, a solid lineup of custom-made cocktails, and a stylish space and gets rid of the badness: there is plenty of elbow room and nary a douchebag in sight this far East. The white space is clean and inviting without being clinical and the bartenders know their stuff. We asked for a "Negroni-ish thing" and were given a delicious concoction of Lillet, campari, gin and champagne. Also, any bar that offers a Last Word as part of their cocktail selection is A-OK in our book.

We'll be back to try the food. In the meantime, if you want a new place to get your drink on, The Greenwich Project is open at 47 West 8th Street.

The One Movie You Have to See This Summer

2013-05-15T07:32:00-07:00

If you read this blog, there is only one flick you have to see during summer movie season. Forget all of the blockbusters, sequels, prequels and rom com trash, we’re talking about Hey, Bartender, a documentary that follows two top-notch, modern day bar men through the ups and downs of their careers. The filmmakers follow Steve Schneider of Employees Only (if you’ve been on the scene at all, you’ve probably clinked glasses with him) and Steve “Carpi” Carpentieri as they try to make it in the biz.

There are plenty of big names that will provide insight and commentary throughout the flick, ranging from Dale DeGrof, Julie Reiner and Sasha Petraske. If there every was a movie that calls for smuggling a flask in, it’s this one. The flick hits theaters on June 7, follow along on its Facebook page for more info.

Manhattan Cocktail Classic Gala This Friday! (and Yes There Are Tickets)

2013-05-13T08:21:00-07:00

News flash: tickets are still available for the most epic event of the year. The Manhattan Cocktail Classic is set to take over the New York Public Library this Friday evening, in all of its jazz-age, boozy glory. If you don't have anything to do, we'll put it bluntly: DO THIS. Sure, the tickets that are leftover are $295 VIP entrance, but we be you've spent $300 on less epic adventures. It's your last chance to live it up until 2014, so get those tickets here.

Five Things We Learned About Drinking in Texas

2013-05-13T07:16:00-07:00

Hey kids – sorry for the peace out last week, we were in sunny Texas doing what we do best: drinking too much. We spent a week riding the state and came back with some key bites of wisdom that we thought we’d share with y’all (that’s Texas slang for “our gentle readers”). Here are the top five things we learned in the Lone Star State, and we look forward to forgetting them soon now that we’re back to the grind of drinking and blogging in NYC. We wouldn’t have it any other way:

1. Shiner Bock is like Budweiser but better. Well, it doesn’t taste better, but you can pretend that it’s classier because it’s local, cheap, everyone drinks it and it gives you a chance to identify yourself as a northerner (“Wow- I like this –why don’t they serve it at more places in New York City?”).

2. It is perfectly acceptable to drink a pint glass full of ice and whiskey at noon on a weekday. This sort of thing happens in NYC, but it’s usually served in a coupe.
3. If you’re gonna wait in line for three hours for some kick-ass barbecue, there is nothing wrong with bringing a cooler full of beer to pass the time (and if you forget yours, it’s way easy to make friends with your neighbors and share).

4. Sure, there are things other than whiskey to drink. If you order them you best be about to cross the state line.

5. Last call in Austin is at 2:00 AM. We thought it was lame – but apparently everyone else does. Make friends with the random people outside, and you’re likely to get a quick invite to a house party. Just avoid the girls who are hobbling around the street with only one shoe. They are trouble.

Red Bull Cocktail Challenge

2013-05-03T06:10:00-07:00

Can you make a series drink with Red Bull? Actually, it turns out you can. Zagat (along with your's truly) tasked three bartenders at Sable in Chicago to come up with a classic cocktail that incorporates the energy drink, and the results may surprise you (well, not all of them, but anything is better than nothing here). check out the challenge in the video above or click here to see it on Youtube.

Boozy Bubble Tea and Other Spring Drinks

2013-05-01T08:22:40-07:00

Witness the best parts of spring: garden parties, cocktail picnics and alfresco drinking galore. Just like you need some new threads for your spring wardrobe, you should be ready with some new cocktail recipes to make those soirees seems fresh. For this week’s article on Tablespoon, we gathered a series of recipes that are as bright and sunny as the season, including one take on bubble tea that adds a boozy kick. Check out the suggestions here.

Jefferson’s Is Making Barrel-Aged Cocktails Easy

2013-04-30T08:12:00-07:00

Barrel-aged cocktails are popular in high-end cocktail bars, but now there’s no reason that lower-key haunts can’t get in on the boozy game. Jefferson’s Bourbon just announced a 5 liter barrel-aged cocktail program. Bars can order their very own custom wooden barrel along with a six bottle case of the hooch. Then, it’s time to mix up your cocktail of choice and set it and forget it. At least for a few weeks, after which the 167 ounces of liquid inside that puppy will help you really forget.

Burger and Beer Bash at Hudson Common Tonight

2013-04-30T06:38:00-07:00

The early portion of the week is just better with burgers and beer. Our friends over at BoozeMenus.com are promoting a little shindig tonight at Hudson Common where you can get hooked up with Burger and Beer pairing deals. The event starts at 7 PM and features options like a Frito Burger with Righteous Ale and a California Burger with Bengali Tiger. Tunes will be provided courtesy of Lily Vanilli – you can get more deets about the bash here.