All you secret lovers of bargain basement vodka brands like Popov and Majorkska can now rejoice, for some of your secret shame has been lifted: Your drink of choice (doesn’t matter which one, really, as long as it’s cheap) is now the “it” drink of choice. The Times reported Sunday that dubious vodkas—ones that might have a butane-heavy nose, for example, or a lush isopropyly bouquet—are outselling expensive liquor, and how. “The lower-end stuff is definitely flying out the door,” says a rep from Sherry-Lehmann, and a liquor store in Montclair N.J., last week sold out of Majorska (from $2.89), while Grey Goose fumbled. This has happened despite the overwhelming popularity and timeliness of a Chesley Sullenberger-inspired cocktail called "The Sully”: two shots of Goose with "a splash of water." The Times also shouts out the long-suffering and lower priced Smirnoff, which won a Times-conducted taste test in 2005, beating the 2004 Slate-anointed brand Chopin. Suggested food pairing for Popov? Join the economy minded, newly formed Society for the Appreciation of the Lowly Tinned Sardine. more ›

Calling Law & Order: Parent Company Embezzlement Team, because the former treasurer for NBC Universal was arrested yesterday. The feds say Victor Jung stole $800,0000 from his employer, using it on trips, a Hamptons summer home, and private planes. And how did he do this? He created a dummy corporation, NBCU Media Productions, and funneled the money in there. more ›

This past weekend marked the opening of the new Tasting Room in the old M&R Bar space on Elizabeth just south of Houston. The bar is open for business to all comers, but it was mostly friends & family, and the food will be at least 10 days behind the booze. Speaking of old spaces, with this opening, the previous Tasting Room space on First Street is now closed until late summer when it will re-emerge as an all day spot open for coffee, baked goods, wine, and small plates. more ›

Leah Allen is not from a town in Texas. She doesn't speak Hebrew either but her new bar, Abilene, is a paean to both. The word, in Hebrew, means grass, and on there are waves of the same on walls, under beautifully understated lighting. A native New Yorker and Carroll Gardens resident, Abilene is her first bar in Brooklyn but she's no novice- she opened Lolita in 1999. We had a drink with Leah and her husband who renovated the space, formerly the Red Room, together. Unlike Lolita, this place is never going to hold a reading series- this one is all about how comfortable people can be with board games and no one that is ever going to shush you, ever. Tuesday the bar hosted an Anti-Valentine's Day party and may bring in djs; the space is similar to the old Halcyon and we could see it working. more ›

During this week we were reminded of a few things: New York bars don't close for anyone's holidays, apples and honey go very well with Manhattans, and we should probably pick up some kosher wine in case family drops by. After moving recently, we realized we must have had this idea every year since, oh, 5761, because there were a half dozen not-exactly-empty bottles of Manischewitz. We've never even had good luck adding it to sangria - it's a problem. more ›

Tonight's fundraiser is at Select, 49 West 24th Street, starting at 7PM. Tickets are $15, and there's complimentary cocktails from Grey Goose Vodka, Dewars 12, and Korbel champagne 7-9PM. Here's more information.
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Gothamist has been going out more lately, and we've been debating various acceptable cocktails. Jake was fond of the Cosmopolitan, but Jen's withering opinion ruined it for him. Jen likes vodka straight up or with soda at times, but that can be Bad Idea Jeans. Finally, Gothamist settled on the screwdriver, as it's a little sweet, a little tart, and strong. more ›