The craft cocktail movement informed a generation of bars in NYC and may now have made advancements in the bottle service model, reserved generally for giant clubs blasting house music. Intimate lounge Blue Light opens Saturday serving "Bulk Spirits," their term for serving full bottles—and some smaller pour options—inside glass decanters instead of the liquor bottle itself. As someone who employs a decanter to make a $15 bottle of Evan Williams look classy, I can confirm it does make you feel pretty fancy.
There's no E-Dub here and though you can grab a cocktail for $16, the bottle options are significantly pricier. A 25 ounce bottle of Virgil Kane Bourbon runs $300, with 33 ounce bottles of Jack Daniels and Makers Mark going for $375. Grey Goose—the bottle service gold standard—is also $375 for the 32 ounce bottle. The decanted bottles are served on ceramic trays along with "house-made cordials and premium mixers" in place of the carafes of sugary cranberry juice and OJ.
Located above The Lately—also owned and operated by Den Hospitality and LDV—Blue Light only operates on Fridays and Saturdays, 10 p.m. to 4 a.m., beginning September 9th. A staircase at the back of The Lately leads up to the second floor lounge; look for the physical blue light, which will indicate whether or not you can go upstairs.
357 West 16th Street, 2nd Floor, 212-206-1096; website
Blue Light Menu by Nell Casey on Scribd
