File Under Hot Dates: The 9th Annual Holiday Spirits Bazaar

Photo by Clay Williams.

Kick off the season of entertaining with an annual celebration of wintry cocktailing on Tuesday, November 20 at the 9th Annual Holiday Spirits Bazaar! Guests will sip their way through an unlimited array of holiday cocktails and punches made by some of NYC’s best bartenders, each competing for the top title in a friendly Punch-Off. Using text-to-vote technology, the crowd will pick a People’s Choice winner for the ultimate bragging rights.

Hosted by The Dizzy Fizz, this year the spectacular bash will be held at VNYL (100 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10003), transforming the chic boho venue into a cozy, woodland scene.

VIP hour is from 6 to 7 p.m., giving guests an extra hour of imbibing before the crowds arrive. General admission is from 7 to 10 p.m. All ticket-holders can enjoy unlimited libations as well as small bites from local purveyors, including vegan options. For more information, visit holidayspiritsbazaar.com.

New this year: Blaine Ashley of 'The FIZZ is Female' (formerly New York Champagne Week) will feature bubbly aperitifs celebrating female winemakers and distillers. Look for female-owned Le Grand Courtage French sparkling wine mixed with female-owned or made spirits from Drinks EMD founded by industry vet, Martin Peters. The Main Bar will be helmed by Portland, Oregon's House Spirits, serving seasonal cocktails made with Westward Whiskey, Magdalena Rum, and Krogstad Aquavit.

Also look for a pop-up shop by Love & Victory, designer of charmingly stylish barware, accessories, and more to get your holiday gift-giving off to a spirited start!

A portion of ticket proceeds benefits Brooklyn Service Association, a non-profit providing outdoor education to NYC children from all backgrounds. Guests are also encouraged to bring new, unwrapped toys for Toys for Tots.

Additional exhibitors include: Four Roses Bourbon, Rhum Clement, Singleton Scotch Whisky, Diplomatico Rum, Chairman’s Reserve Rum, Ketel One Vodka, Mr. Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur, Starward Whisky, Don Q Rum, Malfy Gin, Domaine Select Wine Estates, Deadwood Bourbon, and more!

Don’t miss your chance to join one of New York’s most spirited celebrations! Must be 21-plus to attend. Please drink responsibly.

“For New York’s cocktail elite and casual imbibers alike” —Societe Perrier

Photo by Stephanie Mei Ling.

File Under Hot Dates: November Drinking Events in NYC

Swig 'n Swine returns to Brooklyn this Sunday.

November brings a cornucopia of drinking events to NYC, in addition to the Holiday Spirits Bazaar. Break out your favorite fall sweater, assemble your crew, and experience the tastiest events the city has to offer.  

5th Annual Swig 'n Swine Brooklyn

November 6, Union Pool, 484 Union Avenue, Brooklyn. $40. pigandpunch.party

Get ready for barrels of punch--San Francisco's Bon Vivants are bringing their pig roast fundraiser back to Williamsburg this weekend. The annual pork and punch event that started at Tales of the Cocktail is now held at cities around the world, and the team has donated more than $300,000 and more than 8,500 of volunteer time to schools and youth centers in need. Enjoy all-you-can-eat BBQ and all-you-can-drink punch featuring spirits such as Don Q Rum, Leblon Cachaca, Don Julio Tequila, Beefeater Gin, and lots more, all while supporting an important cause.

Bar Institute Northwest © Lush Life Productions

Bar Institute New York

November 6-10, Pier A Harbor House, Battery Place. $25-$60. thebarinstitute.com

Geared toward bartenders, bar proprietors, and other industry professionals, Bar Institute began as an educational component of Portland Cocktail Week. This year, Lush Life Productions embarked on a cross-country tour to bring advanced skills to the mixology masses, and New York is the final stop. After full days of classes, the evening event lineup--a Patron karaoke party at Marquee, a Jack Daniels big band bash at Bowery Hotel, a Monkey Shoulder Konga party at Dream Hotel--looks not-to-be-missed.

Get your fizz on at New York Champagne Week

New York Champagne Week

November 7-10, various locations. $60-$100. nychampagneweek.com

This week-long celebration of all things bubbly gets better every year. Expect a sparkling lineup of industry and public events, from educational tastings to an Election Night party at Corkbuzz and a St. Germain Champagne garden brunch at Bobo. This year's festival is even more special for founder Blaine Ashley of CitySip, as she releases a limited edition cuvee, "Bulle de Reve" from Champagne Lombard, available at select retailers and restaurants.

Cart Before the Horse at Slowly Shirley. Photo by Nick Voderman.

International Sherry Week

November 7-13, worldwide. sherry.wine/sherryweek

Look for sherry tastings, seminars, and events popping up as International Sherry Week kicks off at restaurants, bars, and bodegas worldwide. New York participants include Dante, which will feature a special menu of classic and original sherry cocktails, and Slowly Shirley, where the Southern Spanish wine is incorporated into inventive cocktails like the Cart Before the Horse (Oloroso Sherry, 123 Anejo Tequila, Neisson L’ Esprit, Lux Fernet, orange juice, carrot juice, root beer syrup, brown sugar, and acid phosphate). Follow the hashtag #sherryweek to stay informed.

File Under: Hot Dates

• File under sipping & swinging: Just a few mere hours left to purchase advance tickets for the Liberty Belle Spectacular, a real treat of a Fourth of July showcase channeling the roaring '20s--complete with a view of the fireworks. Hosted by Dances of Vice, The Champagne Riot, The Salon, and Wit's End, the rooftop swing party will feature Brooklyn vaudeville duo Gelber & Manning and the Star Spangled Orchestra, rockabilly ballads, boogies and blues by SIT & Die Co, bugle boy extraordinaire Bob Leive, performances by tap sensations The Minsky Sisters, mesmerizing burlesque by Jezebel Express and Perle Noire with special guests The Rhinestone Follies, cocktails by mixologist Fredo Ceraso from Loungerati, and the dapper MC Dandy Wellington! Hurry, tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. July 4, Empire Hotel Rooftop, 44 W. 63rd St.
• You have not one, but two upcoming opportunities to taste Maker's 46, the first new product from Maker's Mark in more than 50 years, for free: a tasting party from 8 to 10 p.m. Monday at Rye House featuring Maker's 46 cocktails as well as food, and a more education-oriented session from 7 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday at Louis 649's Tuesday Night Tastings. To make the 46, original Maker's Mark ages for several more months in casks lined with seared French oak staves, giving the signature Kentucky bourbon a more prominent toasted spice profile. Rye House, 3 W. 17th St.; Louis 649, 649 E. 9th St.
• Also on Tuesday, Justin Noel and Martim Ake Smith-Mattsson bring a taste of Jamaica to the Bowery with a night of specially-priced Appleton Estate Rum cocktails from 7 to 10 p.m. Madame Geneva, 4 Bleecker St.
• Harlem's 5 & Diamond is joining with Domaine Select Wine Estates to host a summer cocktail tasting from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Expect farm-to-table nibbles from chef David Santos and Jonathan Pogash behind the stick. Five and Diamond, 2072 Frederick Douglass Blvd. (Corner of 112th St. and 8th Ave.)