Or so they say. Well, maybe, maybe not, but regardless, we wanted to give you some options for food and drink-related events on Valentine's Day. more ›

If you're like a third of the people we know right now (ourselves included), you've got a cold. Although the medical community encourages increasing one's fluid intake when the plague sets in, it's unlikely that boozy drinks are on the list of approved beverages. Regardless, we've been craving warm, cozy drinks all week. more ›

With street-side Christmas trees going for more each year and the average apartment size decreasing, we propose the adoption of a new holiday standard: Enjoy your Christmas Tree in a highball glass. To wit: Clear Creek Distillery’s Eau de Vie of Douglas Fir, 375 milliliters of pine flavored brandy, found at Red Hook booze and esoteric spirits emporium LeNell’s. This small, $45 bottle is cheaper and has a lesser environmental impact than deforestation, and will definitely last longer than most trees (at least if used sparingly). Made in Oregon from the actual buds of Douglas Fir trees, the Eau de Vie has a faint green color that’s not surprisingly “all natural.” Sample cocktail: Substitute some Douglas Fir brandy for half the amount of rum called for in a traditional mojito recipe. Keep the mint and the lime, and call it a Tannenbaum. Start a new household tradition today, but enjoy responsibly – this tree could burn your liver down. more ›

This isn’t goodbye. Well, actually it kind of is. I’m moving to London for a year to work on depleting their wine and beer supplies. Over the past three and a half years I’ve been lucky to gain thousands of new drinking buddies, including you. We’ve shared countless bottles of wine, glasses of scotch and enough cocktails to inebriate the lower half of Manhattan and parts of Queens. And then, of course, there were the... more ›

There are many things that get us in the holiday spirit. But none of them work as nicely as stiff cocktail. Being that Thanksgiving is the official kick-start to festive season, it seems only right to welcome it with a beverage that will put some color in our cheeks and some jolly in our step. So while we have the Pinot Noir all ready to go with our turkey, here are some cranberry cocktails to... more ›

Brooklyn Assemblyman Felix Ortiz (D, 51st District) wants to ban alcohol ads on buses and subways. The ads provide just $3 to $5 million of the $100 million in revenue the Metropolitan Transportation Authority gets from ad sales and the MTA has not taken a position on the proposed legislation. The state’s Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services did express support for the legislation calling it "consistent with our strategy of preventing alcoholism across the state." more ›

As a kid, apple juice was a daily enjoyment. As an adult, it’s been relegated to the few short weeks where the air gets a little cooler and the layers of clothes a little thicker. And soon enough memories of apple picking start to float in our heads. The craving hit us early Friday morning. We stopped off at the Green Market in Union Square on the way to work and picked up a little jug of freshly pressed cider. After all, we had to give into our seasonal indulgence. more ›

We’re not going to spend this space waxing poetic about the farewell to summer and how sad we all are to say goodbye. Folks tend to be so negative on Labor Day – it’s not like the summer immediately ends on the 4th of September. But if this “impending doomsday to summer” is enough to get people to party like they mean it, then we fully support the cause. more ›

When a cocktail is delicious and easy to make, it’s worth talking about. Often times we get overly ambitious with our mixology skills and the results can be drinks that are undrinkable, even for professional lushes like us. Perhaps that’s why we fell in love with the Honey Bee. This cocktail is light and refreshing with just a subtle hint of sweetness and involves nothing more than a shaker and a few easy to find ingredients. We just had to knock on our neighbor’s door to borrow the honey. Thanks 6C. more ›

FUNDRAISER: It's the 3rd Annual Summer, Sex and Spirits cocktail and shopping extravaganza. Planned Parenthood of New York City (PPNYC), in conjunction with Brooklyn Indie Market join forces for the fundraiser, "an evening of mixing and mingling with retail therapy!" There will be $4 drink specials, 1/2 price sangria pitchers, a deejay and a giveaway...we're also guessing everyone will walk away with at least one free condom. more ›

It’s hard to live in the shadow -- the one overlooked, or at best, an afterthought. But this is the burden that Armagnac has had to bear -- the forgotten little sister to Cognac. But what has been a difficult life for this troubled spirit has resulted in great values and hidden treasures for those who have been wise enough to look past the spotlight. more ›

Any drink whose roots are founded in appealing to sailors is worth a second look. Pisco, the most widely consumed spirit in Peru, Chile and Boliva, is a brandy that was first made popular by sailors that transported products between the colonies and Spain. This liquor, distilled from grapes, may be a bone of contention between the aforementioned countries – all claiming it to be their national drink; however the one thing we can all agree on is it makes a damn good cocktail. more ›

First off, let us set the record straight. Gotham Bar and Grill and Gothamist are not related. We do not share any parent holding company and there is no sordid history to tell of. The experience that we are about to share is an unbiased tale of a wine geek, just trying to find a quality glass of wine and a comfy stool at the bar. more ›

Fette Sau (German for Fat Pig) rests back from the street off Metropolitan Ave, in an old garage outfitted with what is one of Brooklyn's newest barbecue joints. It is rightly getting loads of press for its food, but what many of them forget to mention is that it's also loaded with one of the most impressive collections of bourbons in the city. We counted 55 different ones the last time we were there, which sounds more like a dare than a list. It isn't all about the different variations of Jim Beam, either. They have New York's only bourbon, Hudson Baby Bourbon, and Four Roses, which just recently came on the New York market. Six bucks can score you a cheaper, rougher style (Rebel Yell!) that will probably suit those ribs better. If you've got extra cash burning a whole in your wallet, go for the $18 Pappy Van Winkle. They are all served in nifty snifers and can come however you like to suck it back. more ›

Summer's around the corner and the party invitations are beginning to roll in. If you want to get invited back to their share on the shore, the key is bringing a great hostess gift (and not puking off the balcony). You don’t need to deplete your bank account to make a good impression; in fact for only $20 bucks we found the perfect gift. more ›

Maybe Snoop Dogg knew a thing or two about how to mix a drink. You may not expect the botanical aromas and flavors in gin to combine seamlessly with fruit juices, but somehow it just works. We know the gin purists out there are pounding their heads against the keyboard right about know. Don’t go on, we will only be bastardizing the gin to a much greater extent from here on, forward. (Don’t worry, we’re the same way about scotch). more ›

April 5: Italian Festa to celebrate the paperback publication of George deStefano's An Offer We Can't Refuse: The Mafia in the Mind of America. A reading and signing, followed by a Sicilian wine tasting, with antipasti served. Free. Hunters Point Wines and Spirits, 47-07 Vernon Boulevard, Long Island City, Queens. more ›

Or is it all in the Alchemy? Flavored vodkas are everywhere these days, so it's rare to find one that stands out above the rest. You just might find that standout in Alchemy, an infused (not flavored) vodka from Agata Podedworny, who proudly touts her Polish heritage through her product. The bottle itself is striking, a sharp, angular and sleek design, with antiqued lettering reminiscent of chemical compounds. Alchemy sticks to traditional distilling processes, using water from ecologically protected land in known as "the green lungs of Poland," and is infused rather than merely flavored. While flavored vodkas are made by adding ingredients during the distillation process, infused vodka is made by introducing ingredients once the vodka has already been distilled. more ›

One of things you quickly learn on this job is that Gothamist readers are pretty damn good at finding typos. The other is that you can’t make everyone happy all the time. But occasionally we’ll scroll through the comment section, passing over the ones filled with pain and anger, and come across a genuine suggestion or concern. Well, it seems that a reader or two believes that we are “encouraging irresponsible drinking!” Yes, that's right, with an exclamation point. We nearly dropped our pint of whiskey when we read it. That’s not the type of message we want to send. Perhaps our wine and spirits posts are “too focused” on alcohol. Well this week we’re going to make a change. Instead of encouraging our readers to drink copious amounts of delicious alcoholic beverages, we will share our favorite recipes for virgin cocktails that are wonderful to share with friends on a Saturday night or serve at your son or daughter’s Bar/Bat Mitzvah. more ›

The petite woman that sat in front of the imposing steel door glanced up from her clipboard to ask us if we had a reservation. We were warned that reservations at La Esquina were necessary, so we called earlier that day. She checked our name off the list and pushed the door open just enough for us to squeeze through to the other side. We heard that you had to journey down a dingy staircase through a steamy, bustling kitchen to get to the dinning room and it was no exaggeration. But for a list of tequilas like the one at La Esquina, we would have gone a lot farther. more ›

February 3: James Beard House Cookbook and Culinary Tag Sale more ›

As the Carroll Gardens of yore fades into the Smith and Court Street song and dance it’s ever more difficult to track down an authentic Italian experience in a neighborhood still populated as much by well-heeled Manhattan transplants as it is by Marys on the half-shell. more ›

Absinthe, The Green Devil or as Ernest Hemingway described it – “that opaque, bitter, tongue-numbing, brain-warming, stomach-warming, idea-changing, liquid alchemy” – to this day has an air of mystery and danger surrounding it. Historical anecdotes, urban myths and its illegal status in a host of countries (including the US) make it all the more alluring. Tell us we can’t have something and suddenly we want it. Why is it really illegal here, we wondered? What exactly is it and what were its powers that made the likes of Van Gogh, Picasso and Wilde avid enthusiasts? And where could we get some (for research purposes, of course.)? more ›

It seems there is a great divide among drinkers out there: you’re either creamy or not. For some, the thought of a rich, indulgent after-dinner drink - filled with Kahlua or Bailey’s topped with cream - is a transcending experience, and then there are those who vehemently disagree. We are not saying the naysayer opinion is wrong; we’ve learned that never bodes well in the comment section, but the beauty of being able to masterfully combine dessert and alcohol is more than a treat, it’s a work of art. more ›

This thing’s got bite. Probably not for those weak of heart, but if you like a little heat in your glass, eau de vie has your name written all over it. Eau de vie, or “water of life,” is a unique class of fruit brandies that are crystal clear. But trust us, you don’t want to mistake it for the innocuous liquid after which it’s named. more ›

Sometimes you have to leave the city to realize how impatient we can be. Don’t have your breakfast order at the tip of your tongue? Expect to be passed over. Fumbling for your Metrocard at the turnstile with a train approaching, you’ll get dirty looks. Walking three-abreast at leisurely pace down Lexington Avenue during rush hour might get you stabbed. Our little conveniences of efficiency have led us to expect things quickly. It’s not that we never wait -- the lines in Whole Foods are a testament to our resolve -- it’s just that if we’re willing to put in the time, the reward at the end better be worth it (assuming our ice cream didn’t melt). It’s likely that it is this general impatience that has kept us from steeping our own spirits. However, we’ve been newly converted. After a sip of the Vanilla steeped rum at Town this week, we can unequivocally say it’s worth the wait. more ›

Stop by The Greene Grape and learn how to make this toasty winter warmer from the authors of DRINKOLOGY EATS: A Guide to Bar Food and Cocktail Party Fare. Using a recipe from their new book, James Waller and Ramona Ponce will share their expertise in making this festive drink, and they will be happy to sign a copy of any of their DRINKOLOGY books as well. Friday, December 1st from 5-7pm at 55 Liberty Street in Manhattan; Saturday, December 2nd from 4:30-6:30pm 765 Fulton Street in Brooklyn. Free. more ›

While it may be unseasonably warm today, that is no reason not to complain about the cold weather looming just past November. You know, the kind of cold where your nose and any exposed extremities feel like they are going to freeze off on your walk to work. Well, it’s coming. And this year we’re going to be prepared. We’re stocking our apartment with flannel sheets, thermal-lined pants and our favorite recipes of hot cocktails. more ›

Yes, that’s right, you heard correctly. A Caucasian, a White Russian or whatever else you like to call it. We’ll have one of those.” When the couple sitting to our left placed their drink order, we nearly feel off our stools, After all, we were in an Italian wine bar, and that request seemed almost as unusual as ordering a Pina Colada. But as they slurped down their drinks in record speed, our thoughts of disbelief quickly turned to jealousy. After a bottle or two of acidic red Italian wine, a White Russian seemed like a pleasant change of pace. more ›