Bar Crawls Buzz New York

Erin Go Bragh with St. Patrick's Day Cocktails

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 10:42:00 -0400

These lucky cocktails, compiled by Joonbug contributor Amanda Mactas, will put you in the Irish spirit in no time. Some traditional, and others more unique and sophisticated, these Irish-inspired libations will have you dancing the Irish jig before you can say Erin Go Bragh!

Shamrock Sour (Recipe by Julie Reiner)

2 Parts Basil Hayden’s Bourbon
½ Part Green Chartreuse
½ Part Lemon Juice
½ Part Grapefruit Juice
½ Part Agave Syrup*
¼ Part Egg White

Combine ingredients in a mixing tin and shake without ice to blend. Add ice and shake. Strain over ice in a double rocks glass. Garnish with mint sprig & lemon wheel. *Combine equal parts of water with agave syrup.

The Irish Ward (Courtesy of Tullamore Dew)

1 ½ oz. Tullamore Dew
½ oz. grenadine
½ oz. fresh lemon juice
½ oz. fresh orange juice

Combine ingredients and shake well. Strain over fresh ice in a rocks glass. Garnish with a lime wheel.

Emerald Spritzer (Courtesy of Pucker Vodka)

1 ½ parts Pucker Sour Apple Sass Vodka
1 part Lemon Juice
1 part Simple Syrup
1 part Unsweetened Green Tea
10 Mint Leaves, Ripped

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker. Shake, strain, and pour into a Collins glass.

Irish Coffee (Courtesy Fado Irish Pub and Restaurant)

1 oz. Jameson Irish Whiskey
5 oz. freshly brewed coffee
2 tspns light brown sugar

Add whiskey to glass mug, fill with coffee. Top it off with two tablespoons of whipped heavy cream and a garnish of light brown sugar.

Leprechaun Smore (Courtesy of Benjamin Steakhouse)

1 ½ oz. Bailey's Irish Cream
½ oz. Crème de Cocoa (white)
½ oz. Crème de Menthe

Shake Bailey’s, Crème de Cocoa and Crème de Menthe, and pour into a snifter glass. Garnish with 3 coffee beans, and enjoy!

Red Haired Irish Girl (Courtesy of The Melting Pot)

1 oz. Jameson Irish Whiskey
1 oz. Amaretto
½ lemon - squeezed
2 muddled maraschino cherries

Shake, serve in a rocks glass garnished with a lemon twist wrapped around a maraschino cherry.

Luck O’ The Tavern (Courtesy of Diamond Mills Hotel & Tavern)

1 ½ oz. of Green Chartreuse
¾ oz. of Irish Whiskey
¾ oz. of Sparkling Wine

Combine Chartreuse, whiskey and ice in shaker. Shake until well blended. Pour mixture into a sherry glass. Top with sparkling wine and garnish with a flamed twist of lime.

NYC St. Paddy's Day Bar Crawl Round-Up

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 11:44:00 -0500

St. Patrick's Day is right around the corner, meaning it's time to stock up on plenty of green clothing, beers, and hopefully the luck will just follow. Since St. Paddy's is the ultimate drinking holiday, we've rounded up some of the best bar crawls happening in the city -- even the non-Irish may participate!

St. Paddy's Kick-Off Party: For just five bucks, you can attend the St. Patrick's Day Kick-Off Party, taking place at Midtown favorite, Public House. The party will take place on March 15th from 5pm until 4am. All sorts of debauchery will ensue.You can purchase your tickets here.

Top O' The Mornin' Party: Begin your day with some morning shots at McFaddens Saloon on March 16th. For just $25 you can enjoy an open bar from 8am-12pm and breakfast (green eggs and ham, anyone?). Kick the party up a notch with their optional $35 ticket, which entitles you to not only the open bar 'n' breakfast, but the organized bar crawl from 11am-4am. You will receive a wristband, cup, and bar crawl map. You can purchase tickets here.

Official St. Paddy's Day Bar Crawl: Why crawl once when you can crawl thrice? Opt for a three day pass ($20), which will snag you entry to the Kick-Off Party on the 15th and bar crawls on the 16th and 17th. Not enough Irish loving for you? Then get the All Access Pass ($30), which includes all of the above, plus access to Paddy Fest on the 16th. You can purchase your tickets here.

Williamsburg Official St. Paddy's Day Bar Crawl: For those not willing to venture into the heart of Manhattan, don't worry, we've got you covered in good ol' Billyburg. Like it's Manhattan counterpart, Williamsburg will also be throwing a St. Paddy's Kick-Off Party on the 15th for just $5. Additionally, a three day bar crawl pass costs only $15 and includes a wristband, cup and bar crawl map. Everybody's getting lucky now. You can purchase tickets here.

Astoria Official St. Paddy's Day Bar Crawl: We didn't forget about you, Queens! Similar to the Brooklyn crawl, this Astoria shamrock fest will comm ence with a $5 kick-off party on the 15th, followed by two more days of drinking around the area. $15 gets you a three day pass to all the crawls and the kick-off party. What more could anyone want? You can purchase tickets here.

Cool Facts About Cinco de Mayo

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 17:21:00 -0400

Cinco de Mayo is one of the biggest celebrations of the year for a lot of people. Like Mardi Gras, it’s a day known for drinking, dancing, and having a good time. It’s a holiday that isn’t wrapped up in religious tradition or centered around family. No one has to wear a suit or tie or get ready for some really awkward encounters with distant relatives. Cinco de Mayo isn’t about drinking to relieve tension--it’s a celebration that’s become about partying pretty hard. Few people know much about Cinco de Mayo before hitting the town, though. Thankfully, we’ve put together a few to school anyone not in the know.

First off, Cinco de Mayo isn’t an Independence Day. Mexico’s Independence Day lands all the way over on September 16th. Though it sounds similar to the Fourth of July, Independence Day for the U.S., it’s nowhere near the same celebration. You’re partying to the tune of a battle won against the well-armed French armies under Napoleon. In 1862, the underdogs, the under-manned Mexican army, defended their land from the French. This battle, the Batalla de Puebla, came to symbolize unity, strength, and bravery in the face of oppression.

It’s also bigger in the U.S. than it is in Mexico! Cinco de Mayo is among some of the smaller holidays in Mexico, despite being huge in the U.S. One of the reasons is because the victory that took place on Cinco de Mayo also marked the very last time that a foreign power has attacked or intended to conquer any part of North America on its own soil. Another big factor is that if Mexico had not been victorious in the Batalla de Puebla, France would have aided the South during the Civil War, changing U.S. history entirely.

Just because Cinco de Mayo is small in Mexico, however, doesn’t mean they don’t have awesome celebrations! On the contrary, there are about 365 festivals, celebrations, and holidays in Mexico. That’s a celebration for every single day. Not all of them are big blowouts, but that’s plenty more to be excited about than there is in a lot of other countries.

While you may want to stick with the safer margarita, tequila is the more accurate Cinco de Mayo drink. Margaritas didn’t come around until the 1930s, well after the Batalla de Puebla and were almost certainly invented by a tourist. The margarita’s origin is cloudy, but stories tend to credit about four different women for its invention well after Cinco de Mayo’s birth.

Speaking of the holiday’s birth, your grandparents and maybe even your parents might not remember partying down on the Fifth of May. It’s not because times were different or somehow less prone to debauchery and partying. It’s because Cinco de Mayo didn’t gain popularity until the 60s and 70s. Students in California noticed that there was no celebration like St. Patrick's Day or Chinese New Year for Mexican citizens, so Chicano students came together to celebrate Cinco de Mayo and the holiday took off from there!

Now that you've had a refresher course, you're ready for a little Cinco de Mayo action. Well, you're ready for some small talk at the bar before the party really starts. As always, drink safely, and have a good one, from all of us at Joonbug!

Cinco de Drinko: The Ultimate Bar Crawl!

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 10:18:00 -0400

America being the multi-cultural melting pot of diversity and tolerance that it is, ensures that just about any international holiday is cause for celebration. Want to get wild and hit the bubbly for Bastille Day (July 14^th)—done! Or perhaps, you prefer to get explicit and do some “ouzo-bombs” in honor of Greek Independence Day (March 25^th). Whatever the occasion, America is the undisputed facilitator of revelry—especially in concerns to our dear neighbors in Mexico!

Though undoubtedly muddled in the memory banks of countless Americans, the actual history of Cinco de Mayo has taken a backseat to the margaritas, tequila, and salsa specials inherently associated with it. Though what better way to commemorate the unlikely Mexican victory over the French (circa 1862) than with some good old fashioned debauchery?

Any victory is cause for celebration, and thus, we cue the sombreros, Latin tunes, and overall misappropriation of Mexican culture! America’s homage to this victory has essentially culminated in a one-day booze spree of raucous proportions. With Cinco de Mayo falling on a Saturday this year, the natural progression is to extend this Latin-themed bacchanal into a “Cinco de Mayo Weekend!"

Enter “Cinco de Drinko,” which proposes to achieve new heights of ossification in honor of this illustrious holiday. This ambitious endeavor spans two days, includes 11 venues, touts some ridonkulous drink specials, and somehow manages to incorporate the Kentucky Derby in the mix. The hoopla essentially breaks down into three different events:

• “Cinco de Mayo Kick Off Party”: Friday, May 4^th heralds the kick off of this hooch-fueled, salsa-dancing, tequila-bathing fiasco! Occurring from 5pm-4am at Tammany Hall, this bash features signature drink specials, Latin-themed chaos, and a guaranteed hangover for the 5^th! Tix for this bash run $10 (for the individual event), or $20 (included in the All-Access Ticket).

•”Kentucky Derby Party”: The racing of horses is serious business for gambling addicts and PETA advocates alike; therefore, one can not ignore the “Kentucky Derby” (one third of the racing Triple Crown)! To commemorate the occasion, Public House is hosting its own viewing party from 5pm-4am on May 5^th—chock full of sexual drink offerings, slathering horses, and diminutive jockeys! Coinciding with the ongoing madness of Cinco de Mayo, tix for this event go for $10 (for the individual event), or $20 (included in the All-Access Ticket).

•”Cinco de Drinko”: The Crown Jewel of the lot! This epic booze-crawl commences at 12 noon on May 5^th, with registration occurring at Tammany Hall, Highland Park, and The Hill until 6pm. Touting righteous drink specials, an impressive array of 11 participating venues, and occurring all day (12pm-9pm), this booze-fueled sojourn is sure to impart the essentials of Cinco de Mayo: tequila, cerveza, and mayhem! Tix for the crawl start at $10, while the “All-Access Pass” (which includes all 3 events) goes for $20.

Whether you intend to rage maniacal for one event, or beast it through all three (via the All-Access Pass), the end result will undoubtedly include: various states of mass intoxication, a pervading stench of tequila, and a cornucopia of sombreros!

Check here for all the goods on the crawl, and while you’re at it, don’t forget to take a gander at my survival guide—guaranteed to see you through the tempest of hooch and mariachis!

Here’s a full list of participating venues (with corresponding drink specials) in the “Cinco de Drinko” Crawl.

NYC

Tammany Hall Tavern	218 East 53rd St	$3 Dos Equis, $3 Domestic Drafts, $4 Well Margartias & Shots
Highland Park	206 East 34th Street	$3 Canned Beers, $5 Well Drinks, $5 Shots of Tequila
The Hill	416 3rd Avenue	$2 Bud Light Drafts, $4 Margaritas, $4 TequilaSunrise, $5 Tequila Shots
Traffic Bar & Lounge	986 2nd Ave	$2 Coors Light Draft, $5CoronaBottle, $5 Jose Shots
Blarney Stone Bar	710 3rd Ave	$3 Bud Drafts, $3.50 Bud Bottles, $4 Well Drinks, $4 Shots
Babylon Hookah Lounge	208 E. 34th St.	TBA
Opal	251 E 52nd St	TBA
Calico Jack's Cantina	802 2nd Ave	$2 Mexican Drafts, $3 Margaritas, $5 Tequila Shots
Public House	140 E. 41st St.	$3 Bud Draft, $4 Dos Equis, $5 Margaritas, $8 Mint Juleps
Stone Creek	140 E 27th St	$3 Bud Light Drafts, $3 Coronas, $ Tequila Shots, $4 Margaritas
Butterfield 8	5 E 38th St	$3 Coronas, $4 Dos Equis, $4 Margaritas, $4 Tequila Shots

St. Patrick's Day Cupcakes for The DD

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 15:30:00 -0400

Someone will have to be the responsible one this Saint Patrick’s Day. If you're the designated driver this year it doesn’t mean you have to miss out on all the fun. Whether you’re drinking or staying sober this Saturday, we’ve found an Irish-inspired dessert that is sure to be a crowd pleaser. This delectable recipe was found on Sweet Pea's Kitchen.

Guinness and Bailey’s Irish Cream Cupcakes

For the Cupcakes:

1 cup Guinness
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream

For the Ganache Filling:

8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoon butter, room temperature
2 teaspoon Bailey’s Irish cream

For the Bailey’s Buttercream Frosting:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
3-4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
4-8 tablespoons Bailey’s Irish cream

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Line muffin pan with paper liners.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine Guinness and butter. Add the cocoa; whisk until smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

In a large mixing bow, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt; set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the eggs and sour cream until combined.

Add Guinness mixture and beat to combine. Mix in dry ingredients on low speed until incorporated.

Fill the cupcake papers about 2/3 full, making sure that the batter is divided evenly. Bake until an inserted toothpick comes out clean, about 15-17 minutes. Cool completely on wire rack.

To make the ganache filling, place chocolate in heatproof bowl; set aside.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat cream until simmering. Pour over chocolate, let sit for 1 minute, and then stir until smooth.

Add butter and Bailey’s; stir until smooth and combined. Set aside until cool and thick enough to be piped, stirring occasionally.

Once cupcakes have cooled, use a paring knife or apple corer to cut out a small circle in the center of each cupcake. Remove the core and trim, leaving the core just big enough to be used to plug the hole once it is filled.

Transfer ganache filling to a decorating bag fitted with a small round tip (about ¼ inch). Pipe the filling into each hollowed cupcake.

Once the filling is in place, place the trimmed core of the cupcake back into place.

To make the frosting, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter on medium high until light and fluffy.

Add powdered sugar and beat until incorporated. Add Bailey’s a few tablespoons at a time until you reach your desired consistency.

Transfer frosting into a large decorators decorating bag fitted with the 1M decorating tip and approximately 1/4″ above cupcake top at a 90° angle to cupcake surface, pipe a spiral of icing, beginning at the outer edge and working inward.

Green Styles to Sport for March

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 10:40:00 -0500

March is here and St. Patrick's Day is right around the corner. If you are looking in your closet trying to figure out what to wear for the day and see no green, then this article is for you! We have found a few of our favorite green pieces and accessories that are perfect to incorporate into your day of festivities and even into the month! Green is a big color trend right now, from neon to color blocking, it is a great color to wear for the spring and summer months ahead of us.

The subtler greens in Rag & Bone's leggings and this Anthropologie cropped blouse are great ways to incorporate the color green into your wardrobe if you are not into the lime greens that spring and summer are bringing in.

We love the maxi skirt because it is a year-round piece that you can incorporate into any outfit. We love the texture and vibrant green of this J. Crew maxi. It's the perfect piece for color blocking!

Neon green and lime green are also coming back this spring! So if you're someone who likes a pop in your wardrobe choose one of these fantastic accessories! They are also great pieces to incorporate into your wardrobe if you are not a huge fan of green but want to be involved in the trend for this month. Pair them with more neutral colors and you will have a well-balance outfit!

Green Cocktails for St. Patty's Day

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 15:06:00 -0500

Happy March! With St. Patrick's Day just around the corner, we bet most of you are preparing to get your drink on to celebrate this holiday of drunken debauchery. Why not keep it green-themed? Let's start with your cocktails. Here are a few recipes to get you in the celebratory mood. Remember, everyone is Irish on this drinking holiday.

Green Tea Mint Julep

1 1/2 oz of Green Tea Infused Moonshine
3 sugar cubes
club soda
3 lemon wedges
8 mint leaves

Muddle mint and sugar with a little bit of lemon. Add moonshine. Shake strain over ice and garnish with mint.

Click here to learn how to infused your moonshine.

The Shamrock

1 1/2 oz Irish Whiskey
1 1/2 oz French Vermouth
3 dashes Green Chartreuse
3 dashes Green Creme de Menthe

Stir all ingredients together with ice. Strain into a rocks glass over ice.

The Emerald Isle

2oz Hendricks Gin
2t Green Creme de Menthe
3 dashes Bitters

Shake vigorously with ice. Strain into a martini glass. Garnish with mint.

Boozing 101: Bar Crawl Survival Guide

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 11:03:00 -0500

This is for the Bar Crawl noobs. To all the Bar Crawl veterans: this may not apply—except to invoke some hazy, debaucherous nostalgia.

The essentials to surviving any good Bar Crawl begins with pacing. Scoff if you’d like, but I’ve seen many a self-proclaimed “drinking dynamo” ossified beyond recognition due the flouting of that one little word. It all begins and ends with moderation—not only for safety purposes—but also to ensure the quality of one’s experience. Keeping that golden rule in mind, I present you with the 10 essentials to enduring (and conquering) your first Bar Crawl.

10) Early Ticketing

Survival encompasses many facets; one of particular importance in the modern era is monetary. Save yourself some coin and purchase your tickets (because sign-up is usually required) in advance. Five minutes can amount to a $10-$15 differential in price—quite the fortune on a day when drinks range between 1-4 dollars.

9) No Pre-Gaming

Whether commuting in, or simply walking out your door: avoid the allure of imbibing prior to the crawls’ designated start time. This harkens back to the notion of pacing; and aides in ensuring your dignity remains throughout the entire 8-10 hour endeavor.

8) Fantasy Draft

Assemble your crew carefully. Nothing ruins a daylong spree of decadence quicker than an angry, combative, and sloppy drunk. This requires some recon on your parts, so regardless of these essential tips—if your dear pal is a devilish fiend when on the sauce, proceed at your own risks.

7) Itinerary

The nature of most Bar Crawls involves a staggered schedule of drink specials. I.E., there are distinct windows of opportunity to utilize certain deals at a given time and location. While not a definitive trait of all crawls, a brief overview of the assembled fare can go a long way in ensuring maximum joviality. Conjure up a game plan and enjoy!

6) Proper Attire

Aside from the typical emerald garb, be sure to dress accordingly. Nothing ruins the party quicker than icy windburn on those precious mitts. A Bar Crawl is a nomadic drinking endeavor, transportation—typically of the pedestrian variety—is to be expected. Be smart, bundle up.

5) Replenishment

Any marathoner knows that the proper fuel is essential to achieving max results—this is no different. Respecting the length of this undertaking, proper nutrition should be observed. A hearty diet throughout the day goes a long way to ensuring: a) you are not hungry, and b) you have something to soak up the sloshing cauldron of alcohol within your system.

4) Grab Bag

No crawl is complete without a fair share of souvenirs. While the photograph is typically proof, a true conquest of the crawl is incomplete without some hardware to take home. Various venues will generously hand out a medley of St. Patty’s trinkets: shirts, shot-glass necklaces, towels, and pins. Stay focused, and be sure to root out any Jameson or Guinness vendors that are sure to be the Master of Ceremonies.

3) The Old Adage

While typically a given during any event involving alcohol, the one sovereign truth remains: “Liquor before beer, in the clear," “Beer before liquor, never sicker." Whimsical it may seem, but this old scrap of doggerel proves eerily true in heightened occasions of inebriation. The safe play, of course, is to pick your poison and stick to it.

2) Stealth

On a day notorious for public intoxication, caution is still advised. With the Fuzz out in full force attempting to reign in the raving masses, hitting the hooch in broad daylight is ill advised. If peril tickles your whistle—and brown-bagging just won’t suffice—than cloak and dagger tactics are in order—best of luck.

1) Commitment

Crawls are not for the faint of heart. There a plenty of avenues for the casual interloper: actually attending the parade, adhering to responsibility (work, school), or even abstaining from the event all together. Weathering the herculean gauntlet of a Bar Crawl requires desire, motivation, perseverance, and respectable alcohol tolerance. Alas, at Day’s end, there is nothing to it but to do it. See you out there!

Happiness Is a Warm Bar (with a cold beer of course!)

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 10:50:00 -0500

Easily the most frustrating part of any evening (casual or decadent) is deciding upon a given location. The usual suspects--ambiance, price, music, food & drink specials--typically determine one's nocturnal fate. Here to allay this cumbersome conundrum is the app, appropriately entitled "barHappy."

Now perhaps you've yet to encounter this convenient little gem, if so, the time is nigh to alleviate the tiresome question of "Where should we go tonight?". "barHappy" neutralizes hours of fruitless debate by providing a comprehensive list of bars, restaurants, and clubs within a reasonable radius (ideal for the denizens of any major city). Furthermore, this list provides: the distance and directions from your current location, listed specials that include time and date, the venue's contact information, as well as coupons available exclusively to "barHappy" members.

Ineffably useful in the casual chaos of the everyday. Whether it be during sanity reclamation--colloquially known as "after work drinks"-- or a romantic rendezvous with someone special, save yourself the aggravation. One simple, free, click can inform you that "2 fers" are happening a few blocks away--let the smiles commence.

St. Patrick's Day Music

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:15:00 -0500

In the United States, what was originally a celebration of Ireland's patron saint, Saint Patrick, has evolved into a raucous celebration of Ireland with tons, tons, tons of alcohol. Cities like Boston, New York, and Seattle with historically high concentrations of people with Irish heritage have large Saint Patrick's Day celebrations despite their heritage.

Saint Patty's Day is one of the biggest days for bars and restaurants. Bars often compete for customers and create outstanding deals. The three highlights for Saint Patrick's Day are: the low prices, barrels of beer ready to consumption, and the music.

During Saint Patrick's Day you hear traditional Irish music during the parade and many different genres of modern day music varying from hip hop to rock or classic rock in bars, and in some cases traditional drinking songs.

Music is an integral part of Saint Patrick's Day. Irish or not Irish the music links generations together. Drinking songs that great, great grandfathers sang are now being sung by his great, great grandson. Drinking songs are a way to share the great Irish culture with others. The music played bars from, Bon Jovi, U2, Jamie Foxx, and Jay Z show how much we as a society have merged together.

Great songs to keep an ear out for are "Kiss Me, I'm Shittfaced" by Drop Kick Murphy's, "You Give Love a Bad Name" by Bon Jovi, Jamie Foxx's "Blame it on the Alcohol", and Shook Me All Night Long" by AC/DC.

This Saint Patrick's Day, drink and be merry. Enjoy the music and how it lends itself to the party atmosphere of whatever bar you wind up in.