NY Barfly

America's 100 Best Beer Bars from Draft Magazine

Draft Magazine, we salute you. The editors of our favorite beer-soaked periodical took on an immeasurable task – they decided to catalog the 100 best beer bars across the country. The list spans everything from dives to fancy-schmancy craft brew purveyors – it must have been quite the assignment to wet their whistle at all of these establishments. Of course, NYC has a few local watering holes on the list, ranging from NYBarfly favorite Rattle ‘N Hum to Brooklyn’s Beer Table and Spuyten Duyvil. The entire epic list is worth a look-see, especially if you’re planning to do some traveling. Picking a bar to visit in a new city was never easier.

Craft Beers For The Super Bowl

Ok football fans, we get that the sport is one of America’s pastimes, but does drinking shitty beer have to be as well? We didn’t think so. There’s no reason why you can’t knock back a few craft beers instead of those mass-market labels that always advertise during the game. Our favorite beer writer, Joshua Bernstein, took to Food Republic last week to go over some of his favorite picks for football-friendly brews that deliver in the flavor department.

Giants fans reach for a Sixpoint Sweet Action or Brooklyn Sorachi Ace instead of something more lowbrow? Even if your team doesn’t win the game, you can still be a winner in the beer department (yeah, it’s not really much consolation, but at least you’ll be drunk).

Cocktail Trends for 2012

Yep, 2012 is already a few weeks in, but with February around the corner many of you are just finishing up your January detoxes and gearing up to hit the bar once again (note to those people: drink up!). Well, last week we took a stab at predicting some cocktail trends that you’re bound to see popping up at your favorite watering holes in the next 11 months - all for our latest on Tablespoon. From barrel-aged cocktails to sherry drinks to artisanal bitters, here are a few things that will make drinking more interesting (and justify more drinking) for the year to come.

New York Bar Bans Boston Brews for Super Bowl

It’s Super Bowl week, and this year the NY Giants are pitted against the New England Patriots – go Big Blue! NYC is abuzz with excitement about the big game, and naturally, most of the glee can be found in beer soaked bars. If you’re going to pre-game it at one local pub, may we suggest Foley’s in Midtown. This pub has demonstrated true team spirit – they’ve banned the sale of Boston-based Sam Adams beers during the game, as they don’t want to support a label that comes from enemy territory.

Foley’s also has a bet going with Boston – the bartenders rooting for the losing team will have to head to the opposing city and tend bar wearing the winners’ jersey. Ouch. Well, Boston bartenders, we look forward to seeing you down here.

New York Gets a New Distillery - Hooray!

Good news everyone – the stork has arrived and a baby distillery has been born in the Empire State. Rejoice! Dutch’s Spirits is a new craft distillery that’s located on the grounds of a former bootlegging operation – so they’ve got the history, and they’ve certainly got the booze. Apparently, the mobster Dutch Schultz used to run the old haunt, and we think he’d be proud of the Dutch’s Spirits Sugar Wash Moonshine – one of the distillers first products. They’ve also got some bitters – Dutch’s Colonial Cocktail Bitters and Dutch’s Spirits Peach Brandy to round out the inaugural line, sounds pretty swell to us.

We’re always excited to hear about a new hyper-local liquor maker that will make us hyper drunk. This one is located upstate in Pine Plains, NY, and you can check out their website here.

The Seven Best Celebrity Owned Liquor Brands

Celebrities. Are. Everywhere. But, do you really want to escape from pop culture? Nah, we didn’t think so. If celebrity-owned liquor brands are good for anything, it’s a laugh. And, this is one joke that will get you tipsy. For our latest on Tablespoon, we checked out seven brands owned by celebs ranging from a famous hockey player to a porn star to Bethenny Frankel (and no, we’re not talking about the same person for those last two). Check out the full list here – visiting the liquor store is just like walking on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (C-list edition).

Sam Adams Launches Alpine Spring Label

Samuel Adams Brewers are all about the special seasonal labels – and most of them are tasty stuff. That’s why we’re excited to hear about the debut of Sam Adams Alpine Spring. The brewmasters have come up with an unfiltered wheat lager that contains crisp, citrus flavor notes that make it perfect as the weather starts to get warm.

The brew is made from hops that come direct from the foothills of the Alps – if this label is anything, it’s legit. It’s 5.5 percent ABV, bright amber in color and has a medium body with a slight, unfiltered haze. It’s being released for the first time this month, and will be available in six packs for the reasonable price of $7.99.

Grey Goose Previews Cherry Noir at Sundance Film Festival

The Sundance Film festival is underway, and vodka maker Grey Goose is on site hosting a special lounge dubbed the Grey Goose Blue Door, where the spirit maker lets media and celebs hang out and try the new flavor that they are gearing up to debut: Grey Goose Cherry Noir. The Cherry Noir was mixed into a cocktail dubbed The Red Carpet, which sounds like a perfect mixer for upcoming Oscar parties. You can take a look at the recipe below, and keep an eye out for the Cherry Noir on shelves at a liquor store near you.

GREY GOOSE Vodka Cherry Noir Red Carpet

1.5 oz. Cherry Noir

.75 oz. Benedictine

1.5 oz. lemon juice

.75 oz. simple syrup

Dash of bitters

25-Year Old UES Eatery Petaluma Spices Up Drink List

What’s an easy way to bring some new life to your restaurant without doing a complete renovation or canning your chef? Get a new drinks list! That’s just what 25-year-old UES restaurant Petaluma did with the launch of a new selection of libations for 2012. The neighborhood joint dishes out a menu of classic Italian fare, and now they’ve got not-so-classic spirits on their list like Absolut Berri Acai and Jim Beam’s Red Stag liquor. Some of the drinks also incorporate custom blends of tea from the Teaologist, meaning you can definitely justify drinks before 5 PM. Cause it’s tea time, right? Check out a copy of the drink list below, and stop by the restaurant at 1356 First Ave near 73rd Street.

Absolut Rolls Out Miami Label, Snowbirds Rejoice

What does New York need in the dead of winter? A little sip of Miami, yo….Well, call the debut of Absolut’s latest city-inspired bottle perfect timing then. Absolut Miami joins other limited editions like Brooklyn and San Francisco on the shelves of the liquor store. If there is one thing that city knows well beyond its bikinis, it’s nightlife. The label received a SoBe-worthy launch party the other week – and plenty of revelers came out to celebrate the new spirit – which combines hints of orange blossom and passion fruit for a blend that’s sure to provide a little warmth this winter (not to mention get the party started). The bottle is bedecked with pink flamingoes and palm trees, natch, and you can keep an eye out for it at your local liquor store.

If you want a drink to mix up with the hooch, check out the cocktail recipe below:

ABSOLUT MIAMI South Beach Breeze

2 parts ABSOLUT MIAMI

1.5 Parts Fresh Orange Juice

1.5 Parts Fresh Pineapple Juice

Build over ice in a highball glass and stir. Garnish with a pineapple spear and lime wedge.