Announcing: The French Spirits Soirée!

The Belle Époque, or "the beautiful era," was considered a period of extreme optimism in Europe between the late 18th Century and World War I. This was time that champagne was perfected, Cognac went mainstream, and the well-to-do leisured in an absinthe-fueled haze. It was the era of Einstein, Tesla, Picasso, and D.H. Lawrence.

So with this inspiring period in mind, The Dizzy Fizz is hosting The French Spirits Soirée, an enchanting evening celebrating French spirits, liqueurs and cocktails on Thursday, April 14, 2011. The event, at Astor Center in New York City, will feature turn-of-the-20th-century cocktails, punches, spirits and absinthe; gourmet cheese and charcuterie by Murray's Cheese and rustic bread by Scratchbread; and live cabaret band The Hot Sardines and more.

"French spirits, wines and aperitifs have always been one of the main pillars upon which American bartenders have built their craft," says cocktail historian David Wondrich. "Indeed, without them, we would have no Dry Martini, no Sazerac, no Sidecar, Brandy Milk Punch or French 75. Where's the fun in that?"

The event is sponsored by: Lillet, Pernod, Ricard, Tariquet Armagnac, Bonal, Dolin Vermouth, Cointreau®, Rémy Martin 1738® Accord Royal, Benedictine, G'Vine Gin, June Liqueur, St-Germain, and Noilly Prat Vermouth.

Media/VIP entry is from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m., and general entry is from 7:30 - 10 p.m. Tickets are available exclusively on Thrillist Rewards. Please note, guests must be 21 to attend and bring photo ID. Astor Center is located at 399 Lafayette St., (Between Astor Pl. and E. 4^th St.), New York City.

For more information, please visit: www.spiritssoiree.com

Hope to see you there!

Elsewhere in the Liquiverse...

• Earlier this month, Compass Box Whisky partnered with the New York members of LUPEC (Ladies United for the Preservation of the Endangered Cocktail) for its second annual International Women's Day celebration of women and whisky. Eight of the city's top female bartenders created Compass Box cocktails--several of them were named after inspirational members of the women's movement--which were paired with either Murray's Cheese or Bespoke Chocolates. The event raised funds for Bottomless Closet NYC, a non-profit organization that helps disadvantaged NYC women become self-sufficient through comprehensive educational and training programs.
• The winners of the 2011 Ultimate Spirits Challenge were recently announced, named by top beverage experts in a blind tasting held at Astor Center earlier this month. The judges, led by Judging Chairman F. Paul Pacult and Assistant Judging Chairman Sean Ludford, included Eric Alperin, Jacques Bezuidenhout, Tad Carducci, James Conley, Dale DeGroff, Doug Frost, Jim Meehan, Robert Plotkin, Julie Reiner, Jack Robertiello, Steve Olson, Andy Seymour, Aisha Sharpe, Willy Shine, Jennifer Simonetti-Bryan and David Wondrich. This year, the competition also recognized spirits that offer "Great Value,"  based on the relationship between their score and price. For the full list of winners, click here.
• On March 28, the New York chapter of the USBG (U.S. Bartender's Guild) is holding its third annual Cocktail Jam at Astor Center. Twelve of the city's best bartenders will shake, stir and sling during the smackdown, taking place from 6 to 9:30 p.m. Judges Giuseppe Gonzalez, Thomas Waugh, Phil Ward, and Stephanie Moreno will decide the winner, who will receive a $2,000 scholarship to the esteemed cocktail conference, Tales of the Cocktail. Tickets to the jam are $35 and 50% of all ticket proceeds benefit Action Against Hunger (Tsunami Relief) and the USBGNY.

The Alice Paul by Erin Williams, Hush Cocktails, NYC

1 ½ oz Spice Tree ½ oz Orangerie 1 bar spoon fig preserve 2 dashes Smeby's Highland Heather bitters Peat Monster-rinsed coupe

Top with Champagne. Garnish with an orange twist.

Alice Paul was the woman who championed the women’s suffrage movement and ultimately won women the right to vote in 1920.

File Under: Hot Dates

• Do you ever consider how the vessel you're drinking out of is made? Check out a Hands-On Glass Demonstration and Cocktail Party from 8 to 11 p.m. on Saturday, March 5 as part of the Armory Arts Week. Watch artists create sculpted artworks from hot glass, mingle with the art crowd, and even design your own glass. Tickets are $20 for The Armory Circle Members and UrbanGlass Urbanites; $25 advanced tickets; and $30 at the door (if tickets are still available). 647 Fulton St., 3rd Floor, Brooklyn.
• Have your booze and eat it too at the Brooklyn Booze Experiment this Sunday, March 6 from 1 to 5 p.m. at The Bell House. Guests will sample booze-infused goodies, both savory and sweet, in this amateur cook-off hosted by Theo Peck and Nick Suarez. After the winners are chosen and awarded with glory and prizes, a Buffalo Trace happy hour concludes the day--so, in other words, everyone ends up a winner. Tickets are $20. 149 7th St., Brooklyn.
• This Tuesday, March 8 is Fat Tuesday, and there are tons of Mardi Gras events to get your funk on. The Brooklyn outpost of New Orleans bar d.b.a. is throwing a bash with live music by Jessy Carolina and the Hot Mess, $6 Hurricanes, and free beads, masks and king cake. 113 N. 7th St., Brooklyn.
• You've got until March 10 to submit your cocktail for Imbibe's Cover Cocktail Contest to celebrate the magazine's 5th Anniversary. Not only will the winner's drink be on the cover of the May/June issue, he or she will also win a Founder's Day Pass to the 2011 Tales of the Cocktail, along with a four-night stay in a King Deluxe room at the Hotel Le Marais, located in the heart of New Orleans' French Quarter. This issue will also be distributed at Tales.
• Illustrator extraordinaire Jill DeGroff will be showing her artwork in an exhibit later this month, "Portraits at the Bar" at Cornelia Street Cafe, with an opening night party from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on March 16. The evening will feature cocktails and, more than likely, some singing by Dale DeGroff. 29 Cornelia St.

Dizzy Recap: ZU Vodka Cocktail Lab

By guest blogger Amanda Schuster:

ZU is a Polish brand of vodka flavored with bison grass, known as Zubrowka, that has been a national drink for centuries. It was previously banned in the US due to a blood-thinning component found in bison grass called coumarin. However, it has now been re-worked for American consumption using a blend of botanicals from the bison grass area, with a very close approximation of flavor of the real deal. A real strand of bison grass, with an allowable amount of coumarin, comes in every bottle.

The spirit has an herbaceous, citrus and marshmallow nose that has more vanilla and honeysuckle on the palate. Think gin, minus juniper. For this reason, it lends itself beautifully to a variety of cocktails from deep, dark bitter to light fruit.

Recently, ZU held a Cocktail Lab at Astor Center to celebrate its launch to the New York market. Guests were greeted with a ZU toddy before brand ambassador Daniel Undhammar gave us a short presentation on Poland and Polish culture. Then he got into the booze mixing, demonstrating two cocktails, one was an Aviator spinoff and the other was fresh grapefruit juice-based, before it was time for the rest of us to play. There was quite the bounty to choose from: tables piled crazy high with a variety of fresh fruits, botanicals and spices and others stocked with a dream bar of liqueurs, vermouths and bitters.

With so much to choose from, it was a bit daunting at first, especially with the level of professionals surrounding me, but I decided to go with a light vs. dark tactic to test the versatility of the spirits. I made what I am calling "The Gypsy ZU Twinkle." It’s kind of a Negroni riff with ZU, Amaro, Punt e Mes, Campari and Bittermen’s Burlesque bitters (hence the “gypsy”) with an orange twist. The Amaro brought out the nutty flavors of ZU, while the Campari and bitters added some spicy zing. This Frankensteined concoction was alive, alive!

Since there was fresh lavender on the offer I decided to take advantage of it, and using my internal slot machine of flavor matching, went for fresh blackberries (the two muddled together), shaken with ZU and a small amount of Disaronno to balance the tartness, poured over ice and topped with Fever Tree bitter lemon soda. The lavender highlighted the vanilla in the ZU, while berries and lemon soda sang with the herbs. Daniel tasted both. Loved Gypsy but wanted to walk off with this one, let’s call it the "ZU Spring Tease" in honor of the short-lived warm weather snap.

Looking around the room, people were having fun: cracking eggs, slicing fruit, trying out new bitters, shaking things up. Soon the impressive Polish feast brought in from Greenpoint was set up with pickled salads, stuffed cabbage, pierogis, kielbasa and other goodies, and we ate with our concoctions and tasted each other’s drinks. Na zdrowie!

Elsewhere in the Liquiverse...

• Mixing drinks comes with its occupational hazards, and unfortunately, not all bartenders have health insurance. On Monday, Feb. 21, the USBGNY is hosting Bartenders for Healthcare, a fundraiser to support career bartenders in need of health insurance. For $40, sip cocktails made with Plymouth Gin, Herradura Tequila, Santa Teresa Rum, Leblon Cachaca, Denizen Rum, Michter's Bourbon, Combier, St-Germain, Carpano Antica, Bittermens Bitters, and Prometheus Springs mixers. Bartenders volunteering their services include some of NYC's best: Lynnette Marrero, Jim Kearns, Jason Littrell and Marshall Altier. In addition to the drinks, guests will enjoy Stinky Bklyn cheese, snacks made by Freemans' chefs, and music from folk-rock trio the Crooners. Freemans, Freeman Alley off Rivington St., second floor, 7 to 10 p.m.
• Honor International Women's Day and support disadvantaged women at Whisky &Women Unite, March 8 at Astor Center. Organized by LUPEC (Ladies United for the Preservation of Endangered Cocktails) and sponsored by Compass Box Whisky, the event features some of NYC's best female bartenders creating Scotch whisky cocktails.  Tickets are $85 (purchase here) and will include eight specialty cocktails, chocolates from Bespoke Chocolates and  artisanal cheese. Thirty percent of all ticket sales will be donated to Bottomless Closet, a non-profit helping women achieve economic independence. 399 Lafayette St., 7 to 9 p.m.
• The Astor Room recently opened at Kaufman Astoria Studios, and combined with the revamped Museum of the Moving Image next door, it's one swanky destination for Queens. Modeled after the studio's Pre-Prohibition heyday, Astor retains the original tiling and '20s-era marble staircase. The cocktail menu, created by Lynnette Marrero and Jim Kearns, features classics such as The Astoria Cocktail (gin, dry vermouth, orange bitters) and The New Yorker (bourbon, claret, lemon juice). 34-12 36th St., Astoria.
• Now open for private events during Fashion Week, strip club-dive bar hybrid The Westway (75 Clarkson St.) is attracting a hipster-elite crowd to its boogie nights. Formerly the Westside Gentleman's Club and now run by operators of Smile and The Jane Ballroom, the bar kept the  light-up disco floor and brass poles for impromptu striptease. With Sunset Park's jungle-themed, Vegas-style bikini bar Jaguar (225 47th St., Brooklyn) also in pre-opening stage, according to Blackbook, and Red Hook's Paris Burlesque Club in the works, one has to wonder, will 2011 be the year NYC nightlife puts its go-go boots back on?
• And although the focus is on wine, not cocktails, at Brooklyn Height's recently-opened Colonie, I just have to give props to the restaurant's brilliant use of Kickstarter to raise thousands to help fund their opening. 127 Atlantic Ave.

File Under: Hot Dates

• Oh, is there a football game on this weekend? Super Bowl fan or not, I think we can all rally around Union Square Wines' Martini Bowl 2011, taking place from 2 to 5 p.m. this Saturday, Feb. 5. Taste more than a dozen types of martinis featuring top vodkas and gins, including locally distilled spirits, all for free--game on!
• And in case you haven't heard, Louis 649's Tuesday Night Tastings, free tastings featuring a different spirit every week, are back in effect. At 7 p.m. this Tuesday, Feb. 8, sip Redemption Rye with brand representative Dave Schmier.
• Although Whisky Live New York is two months away, now is the time to get your tickets for the April 6 event--brown spirits extravaganzas like this sell out fast. Taking place at the same venue as last year, Pier 60 at Chelsea Piers, the focus this year will be on raising awareness that Scotch and bourbon are whiskies too, said event organizer Jeffery Connell. Cruise the tasting hall while you sip drams of whisky from Kentucky to Scotland, meeting the distillers, producers and ambassadors behind the brands. I attended last year, and whiskies I tried included Maker's 46 and Suntory's Hibiki 12, which weren't even on the market yet. I watched a live iron bartender competition featuring some of NYC's top mixologists, entered an Ardbeg chopper sweepstakes (guess I didn't win), and  I even recall some amazing chocolate truffles among the impressive buffet spread. Mostly, it was a memorable event where I connected with whisky fans from all over--I hope to see you there this year!

Elsewhere in the Liquiverse...

• LVMH's Nowness.com and photographer Todd Selby look inside the molecular mixology lab of London's Tony Conigliaro, 2009 Tales of the Cocktail International Bartender of the Year, to see how rare ingredients are put through centrifuges and distillers to make wild concoctions.
• Tales of the Cocktail has announced its annual cocktail competition, and is asking bartenders to put a twist on a New Orleans classic and one of my personal favorites, the Ramos Gin Fizz. The winner receives $1,250, and their recipe will be named the “official cocktail” of Tales 2011. Entries must be received by February 21.
• Tales also recently awarded $25,000 in scholarships to former cocktail apprentices, giving the past volunteers an opportunity to pursue projects and education. Winners include Nick Jarrett and Brad Farran of Clover Club, who will use $5,000 to create a green, zero-impact pop-up bar, with plans to test it out at Burning Man 2012. New York's Don Lee also won $5,000 to study and develop a universal scientific language to describe the flavor profiles of every major spirit category and basic cocktail family.
• Valentine's Day is coming up, looking to mix and mingle? The Summit Bar's got you covered with a nightlong drink special featuring natural elixir- and aphrodisiac-infused His and Her punches. "His" will feature Korean ginseng (revitalizes the body), chipotle chili, tequila, fresh lime and a misted of house made pheromone. "Hers" will feature Damiana (Central American plant used for arousal), Russian vodka, Vietnamese cinnamon and  pineapple vanilla bean.

Elsewhere in the Liquiverse...

• Warm up with some of the finest Cognac around from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on Monday, January 31 at Liquor.com's Exclusive Cognac Tasting at Brandy Library. Dizzy Fizz readers can enjoy a whopping $30 off the $45 ticket price with the code "DIZZZYFIZZ"--that's just $15 [yes, that's three Zs in Dizzy]! Sample 15-plus Cognacs including the Pierre Ferrand Selection des Anges, an average of 30 years old, along with gourmet cheeses and charcuterie.
• Voting is now underway to select which seminars will be on offer for the Manhattan Cocktail Classic, shaking up the city from May 13-17.
• The Counting Room in Williamsburg recently announced its new cocktail menu, streamlining its selection to five drinks which will all be pre-batched. Citrus will be left out of the batch and mixed per order to ensure freshness. Customers can still order bartender's choice from the full bar selection.
• To celebrate its new liquor license, Brooklyn Wine Exchange in Cobble Hill is declaring February "Mixology Month" and offering free classes on drink-making. The ABC's of Mixing Drinks with Audrey Saunders kicks off the series at 7 p.m. on February 2. Check out the full schedule here.
• And sometime this spring, Hoboken, NJ, is getting its first biergarten, and the owners include one of the founders of Radegast Hall in Williamsburg. The Pilsener Haus Biergarten, taking over a 10,000-square-foot old lighting factory, will have more than 18 beers on tap, authentic Austro-Hungarian fare, and live music.

*A previous version of this article said that the Rémy Martin Louis XIII would be sampled at Monday's event at Brandy Library. The brand has since been removed from the event.

Elsewhere in the Liquiverse...

• Since El Cobre let the rum flow in December, January of 2011 has been a good one for cocktails with the opening of several new bars and more on the way. The West Village's  Fedora reopened with a seasonal menu and the promise of barrel-aged cocktails. Another reopening, The Rum House in Times Square, was orchestrated this week by the owners of Ward III (more photos here),  bringing classic drinks and fresh polish to the piano lounge. What's most exciting is that drinks are $12-$14, a steal for the neighborhood. And The Mulberry Project, a cocktail cave in Little Italy, was recently opened by alums from Milk & Honey, GoldBar and Bagatelle. Later this month, look for Williamsburg's Maison Premiere oyster bar with cocktails by Maxwell Britten, along with Teqa taqueria and tequileria in Murray Hill. And in February, Locanda Verde's Andrew Carmellini brings The Dutch to Sullivan Street in SoHo with a cocktail program by mixologist and spirits writer Naren Young.
• On a completely opposite note, a new Duane Reade drug store in Williamsburg is selling beer by the growler to stand out from the mom-and-pop pharmacies. I'd say something about this being another nail in the coffin for the hipster-hood, then again, that coffin is plaid, covered in wheat paste graffiti and sold by Urban Outfitters.
• On January 25, Edible Manhattan is hosting Good Spirits at Le Poisson Rouge, a mash-up of some of the city's finest food and drink featuring top chefs and mixologists. Get a sweet discount on the $40 ticket price here, and you've got no excuse not to go.

Exclusive Dizzcount: Penthouse Punch Party at the Royalton Hotel!

The Dizzy Fizz loves a good punch party, and this Sunday evening, a holiday soiree taking over the entire top floor of the Royalton Hotel promises just that. Enjoy a whopping 17 different punches ladled by some of the cocktail scene's top talent (otherwise known as the Cocktail Collective)—Eric Alperin, Richard Boccato, Simon Ford, Misty Kalkofen, John Lermayer and Liquor.com advisor Willy Shine.

Want in on the action? Purchase your tickets here using the special discount code "DZZFZZROY" for half off the regular $75 ticket price. Your purchase even includes an autographed copy of David Wondrich's latest book, "Punch: The Delights (and Dangers) of the Flowing Bowl," as well as gourmet snacks by the Royalton's chef Scott Ekstrom. Hosted by Liquor.com, this is one event you won't want to miss!

Don't Miss The Holiday Spirits Bazaar!

Come one, come all to the first-ever Holiday Spirits Bazaar, taking place tomorrow, Dec. 11, at The Green Building at 450 Union St., Brooklyn. VIP admission starts at 4 p.m. for $25, and regular admission is from 5 to 10 p.m. for $20 (purchase tickets here). A portion of proceeds from this holiday cocktail tasting and shopping extravaganza, brought to you by The Dizzy Fizz, will benefit the Museum of the American Cocktail.

Get inspired to host a spirited party of your own as you sip holiday drinks by fine brands such as: Denizen Rum, Auchentoshan Single Malt Scotch, Tempus Fugit Spirits, Vermont Gold & White Vodka, Cockspur Rum, Classic & Vintage Spirits, Purity Vodka, Square One Organic Spirits, Haus Alpenz, FAIR Trade Spirits, Scorpion Mezcal, Redemption Rye, Don Q Rum, Hudson Whiskey, Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur, Pipeline Brands, Highland Park Single Malt Scotch, Chairman's Rum, Castries Peanut Liqueur and Innis & Gunn Cask-Aged Beer.

Need to get some holiday shopping done? We have some amazing vendors such as: Fette Sau BBQ selling pulled-pork and brisket sandwiches, Emily Thompson Flowers selling wreaths and and table centerpieces, Etsy craft designers Jesse Tobin and Elisabeth Prescott selling accessories, SkimKim Foods selling kimchee bloody mary mix, and author Kara Newman signing and selling copies of her book, "Spice & Ice!"

And don't miss out on a silent auction to benefit MOTAC, featuring: artwork by Jill DeGroff, jewelry by Aroc Urtu, vintage French absinthe and liqueur posters, a three-night stay at Lenell Smothers' Casa Coctel in Mexico, a Tuthilltown Distillery gift pack, and more!

Plus DJ TomasMoves on the decks, gravity-defying dance performance, and plenty other surprises!

Hope to see you there!

Must be 21+ to attend. Please drink responsibly.

File Under: Hot Dates

• Master chefs and mixologists are flocking to Astor Center this weekend to explore all things olfactory and tongue-tingling for a two-day conference,  The Alchemy of Taste and Smell. The event kicks off at 6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 12, with a session on the use of aroma in cocktails (tickets are $55) led by Pegu Club owner Audrey Saunders and Dave Arnold, Director of Culinary Technology for the French Culinary Institute. At 7:30 p.m. Friday, Astor Center flings open the doors for an Opening Night Party (tickets are $75), featuring creative cocktails by Dave and Audrey, as well as hor d'oeuvres by chefs David Chang, Alexander Talbot, Nils Noren and Bill Corbett. Interactive stations will also include dishes by chef Daniel Patterson (Coi, San Francisco) and essential oils presented by perfumer Mandy Aftel. See the Astor Center website for the full calendar of events, which includes sessions led by Wylie Dufresne, Harold McGee and Johnny Iuzzini and culminates with a multiple-course all-star dinner the night of Saturday, Nov. 13 (tickets are $300).
• On Wednesday, Nov. 17, Allen Katz of Slow Food NYC is leading a workshop on "Greenmarket Mixology for Holiday Cocktails." Learn how to incorporate farm-fresh ingredients such as herbs and maple syrup into your drinks. The session is from 6 to 8 p.m. at Union Square Wine & Spirits (tickets are $45).
• And if you haven't purchased your ticket yet for the third annual Repeal Day Ball on Saturday, Dec. 4, in Washington, D.C., you'd better get on that before the big event sells out. This year, the black tie soiree will be held at the Maison Biltmore in Adams Morgan and will feature themed rooms representing significant eras in cocktail history: 1800s (punches), 1900s (pre-Prohibition), 1920s (Prohibition), 1940s (tiki), 1960s (Mad Men), 1980s (inspired by Cocktail) and "The Future," along with a main ball room where jazz band The Red Hot Rhythm Chiefs will play. Tickets are $100 (or $150 for VIP hors d'oeurves and afterparty), with proceeds going to the D.C. Craft Bartenders Guild and the Museum of the American Cocktail. At the ball, enjoy cocktail creations from D.C. favorites like Gina Chersevani, Derek Brown, Tom Brown, Chantal Tseng, Owen Thomson, Dan Searing, and Adam Bernbach, to name a few, along with special guests--bartending legends Dale DeGroff from New York, Chris McMillian from New Orleans, John Hogan from Annapolis, and Jeffrey Morgenthaler from Portland, as well as nationally-renowned cocktail historian and writer David Wondrich and Tiki expert Jeff "Beachbum" Berry.

File Under: Hot Dates

• On Saturday, Nov. 6,  go Dutch with a "Tour & Taste" brought to you by Rolling Orange Bike Shop, Vandaag and Bols Genever. Meet at 9 a.m at the bike shop at 269 Baltic Street in Cobble Hill, then bike over the Brooklyn Bridge to Manhattan with a stop at the Union Square Greenmarket. Vandaag chef Phillip Kirschen-Clark will lead a walking and tasting tour of the fresh ingredients he's inspired by. Then bike to Vandaag in the East Village for a three-course lunch paired with Bols Genever cocktails mixed up by Katie Stipe, or enjoy a beer or mocktail. Tickets are $45; email tourandtaste@vandaagnyc.com.
• Also on Saturday, Nov. 6, and also featuring Bols Genever, there will be a Daylight Savings drink promotion at Louis 649. Enjoy a "Kopstootje"--a tulip glass of Bols Genever, to be slurped alongside a beer, from 11 p.m. to midnight, for a special price. What were you planning on doing with that extra hour, anyway?
• You can file this in your mental folder of geeky cocktail trivia: Monday, Nov. 8 just happens to be "Harvey Wallbanger Day." A classed-up screwdriver, the Harvey Wallbanger features vodka, orange juice and Galliano (an Italian liqueur featuring notes of vanilla, juniper, anise and yarrow musk). There are a few stories about how the popular '70s drink got its name, and most seem to agree on a drunken Cali surfer who kept stumbling into walls. Find the classic at Huckleberry Bar and variations at Dram and Clover Club.
• If you haven't already secured a ticket for WhiskyFest New York on Tuesday, Nov. 9, you're out of luck--the massive event is sold out. But you can still sip a dram or two at the after-party at Ward III, where after 10 p.m., there will be $5 beer specials, snacks and the possibility of whisk(e)y leftover from the festival for sampling. 111 Reade St., Tribeca.

Exclusive: $15 Discount on Women & Whiskey Event Nov. 8!

Readers of The Dizzy Fizz, treat yourself to an exclusive discount for one of the season's most enticing events, Liquor.com's Tasting for Whiskey-Loving Women at Brandy Library! Simply enter the code "DZZFZZ" when purchasing tickets to save 33 percent off the $45 price.

The event, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov.8, celebrates the growing demographic of female whiskey enthusiasts (men are invited to join as well). While whiskey has long been considered a "man's drink," this event seeks to put an end to that nonsense with tastings of dozens of Scottish single malts, including bottlings from Ardbeg, Auchentoshan, Balvenie, Bowmore, Glen Grant, Glenfiddich, Glenmorangie, Glenrothes and Jura, plus bourbon, as well as whiskies from Ireland and even Japan. Rare and delicious whiskies will include: Ardbeg Supernova, Glenmorangie Signet, The Glenrothes Vintage 1985 and Hibiki 12-Year-Old.

As if that weren't enough, some of the best female bartenders in town will be behind the stick shaking up whiskey cocktails. Guests can indulge in complimentary artisanal cheeses and chocolates to round out this luxurious tasting.

What are you waiting for? Tickets available here.

File Under: BOO-zy Dates

 

Other than New Year's Eve, Halloween is one of the most anticipated (and highly profitable, from the bar industry's perspective) reasons to party here in NYC. Retail-wise, Americans are expected to spend $5.8 billion on Halloween, so we can only guess how much of that will translate into alcoholic beverage sales. Still hunting for Halloween plans that don't involve staying home and handing out candy or staggering to dive bars with zombies? Check out these "spirited" events: 

• Time Out New York's Dining & Libation Society presents All Hallow's Eve from 6 to 9 p.m. tonight, Oct. 26, at Macao Trading Co. Master mixologist Dushan Zaric will mix unlimited Van Gogh Vodka cocktails all night while guests indulge in chef Josh Blakely's Chinese-Portuguese snacks. And with party impresario Adam Aleksander in charge of transforming the space into an enchanted forest, you can expect all kinds wildlife. Tickets are $35.
• From 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Sat. Oct. 30 at the Green Building in Brooklyn, swing into the spooky holiday with Michael Arenella & His Dreamland Orchestra's Halloween Eve Masquerade. Loungerati's Fredo Ceraso will be whipping up Hendrick's Gin and Prohibition Vodka cocktails including Satan's Whiskers, Corpse Reviver No. 2, and his own Cyanide Gimlet (vodka, lime, orgeat, and Cynar). Tickets are $20 in advance; $25 at the door.
• Also on Sat. Oct. 30, join me at Avenue C's The Summit Bar for a "Midnight Spirits" gathering, with bowls of fall-flavored punch priced at half-off ($6 each). DJ Nounz NYC will be behind the decks, and there will be a few surprise treats courtesy of The Dizzy Fizz. RSVP to hamid@thesummitbar.net to ensure entry.
• On the night of Halloween, Oct. 31, Adam Aleksander has more tricks up his sleeve with a 1960's-themed Monster Mash Dance and Supper Club. A school bus will pick up guests from Macao Trading Co. and take them to an abandoned school house in Brooklyn. In addition to retro dance music and a spooky cast of characters, expect a four-course feast of organs, eyeballs and brains paired with smoking liquid nitrogen cocktails by Mayahuel's Mayur Subbarao. Tickets are $120 and available here.
• And let's not forget about Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, on Nov. 1 and 2.  As part of a specal menu, all three NYC locations of Mercadito are offering La Muerte, a prickly pear margarita with ancho chile salt, for $12 each.

File Under: Hot Dates

 

• Feel like a kid in a gourmet liquor shop as you sip your way through a dizzying array of top-rated adult beverages at the Ultimate Cocktails, Spirits and Wine Blast this Fri. Oct. 15. Sample hundreds of tipples judged by F. Paul Pacult's inaugural Ultimate Beverage Challenge earlier this year. Expect world-class bartenders, author signings, seminars and savory bites. Bloomspot and Time Out New York are offering discounts on tickets (enter the code “TONY1015” for 50% off), priced at $90 ($110 VIP). From 6:30 to 10 p.m. (VIP 5 to 10 p.m.) at Marriott Marquis, 1535 Broadway (44th and 45th Sts).
• On Sun., Oct. 17, Frankie's Sputino and Prime Meats in Carroll Gardens are holding their annual Oktoberfest with traditional Bavarian fare and drinks. The party goes from noon to 6 p.m. in the backyard, with a special music performance following. 457 Court St., Brooklyn.
• Oy--also on Sun., Oct. 17, is the Tenth Annual NYC International Pickle Day, featuring free samples of all sorts of pickled veggies, fruits, meat and cheese. What's this got to do with cocktails, you ask? Well, if you've ever had a pickle back (a shot of whiskey followed by a shot of pickle juice) you might appreciate the variety of "briiiine." From 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at the parking lot on Broome between Essex and Ludlow.
• With the recent success of San Francisco Cocktail Week and this week's London Cocktail Week, it's no wonder that Portland, Ore., wanted to get in on the celebration of their cocktail culture as well. Get ready for Portland Cocktail Week, Oct. 21 to 24, in conjunction with the Great American Distillers Festival. Highlights include a tiki bash, a meat tour and a Benedictine ball.
• And you have until Oct. 31 to submit your entries for the Bols Around the World Cocktail Competition. The theme this year is "Mix Your Way to Cocktail Heaven," seeking the most divine drink containing a Bols product. Two North American finalists, as judged by John Lermayer, will win a three-day trip to Amsterdam to compete with six other international finalists in February of 2011. Up for grabs are some hefty cash prizes: first place gets 2,500 Euros (about $3480 US), the second-place winner will receive 750 Euros (about $1045 US) and the third-place winner goes home with 500 Euros (about $696 US). You must be a working bartender to enter and your submission must contain at least 3/4 of an ounce of a Bols liqueur.

Dizzy Recap: The Summit Bar's First Anniversary Party

 

Since opening last September at 133 Avenue C, The Summit Bar, helmed by Hamid Rashidzada and Greg Seider, has received a flurry of acclaim for its crafty drinks and effortlessly cool vibe. Named "Best Cocktail Bar" by New York Magazine and "Most Democratic Cocktail Bar" by Time Out New York, it's clear the boys (yes, the bar sports an all-male staff) are doing something right. After hosting two successful events there (the Holiday Puncheon and the Gracias party), I was delighted to assist* with the arrangements for Summit's first birthday.

Greg took on the Herculean task of creating 18 different punches, which were available for self-service all night. To keep everyone on an even keel, barbecued treats such as pulled pork sliders and mini hot dogs were served along with sliced watermelon enhanced with tequila, lime juice and dashes of salt. Base spirits for the punches included: Beefeater Gin, Yamazaki Whiskey, Leblon Cachaca, Corralejo Tequila, Santa Teresa Rum, Ilegal Mezcal, Chartreuse, Russian Standard Vodka, and Agwa Coca Liqueur. And for those not in the mood to get punched, Estrella Damm pilsner was served all night as well.

DJs DSol, Kenny Rodriguez, Ryan Taylor and Nounz NYC kept the good times flowing, and Lush Life Productions was on hand to capture photos of the rollicking celebration, which lasted until dawn. Congrats to The Summit Bar and thanks to everyone who joined in the festivities! Extra special thanks to The Summit Bar's staff and catering team!

* Disclosure: The Dizzy Fizz was paid by The Summit Bar for event planning services.

Elsewhere in the Liquiverse...

 

• September is Bourbon Heritage Month (complete with these NYC events and the Kentucky Bourbon Festival Sept. 14-19), and naturally, this is cause for celebration. Kick off the brown spirit-soaked festivities tomorrow night at Brooklyn Bowl, where Maker's Mark is hosting the first Brooklyn Bourbon Bowl. You can count on two reserved lanes of free bowling, live music, and $5 Maker's Mark drinks, Brooklyn Pilsner and Maker's Mark frozen slushies from 8 p.m. to midnight. Don't miss Brothers among the rock 'n' roll lineup, featuring actual twin brothers Dylan and (Prime Meats bartender) Damon Boelte. 61 Wythe Ave., Brooklyn. Free; Maker's Mark drink specials.
• Audrey Saunders' iconic NYC cocktail bar Pegu Club recently turned 5; check out Sonya Moore's recap here. Meanwhile, Alphabet City mainstay Louis 649 turns 6 tomorrow, with a happy hour from 6 to 9 p.m. featuring half-priced bottles of wine and beer and $9 cocktails.
• Autumn is the season for new bar openings in New York, and Metromix has a long list of watering holes on the horizon. And you can add Whiskey Brooklyn, Peels (from the Freemans team) and Lambs Club at The Chatwal Hotel (bar program by Sasha Petraske) to the list of just-now-open bars--go warm up those fresh bar stools!

Elsewhere in the Liquiverse...

• In reponse to the Gulf oil spill crisis, The New Orleans Culinary and Cultural Preservation Society will be selling a limited-edition bar towel during Tales of the Cocktail at the Tales Gift Shop. With a suggested price of $5, 100 percent of proceeds from the sale of this bar towel will go directly to oyster shuckers who have recently been laid off due to the heartbreaking spill.
• Also in response to the oil spill, Don Q Rum will host the Louisiana Coastal Rehab Benefit Party featuring Cowboy Mouth and ReBirth Brass Band at 10:30 p.m. on July 22 at Tipitina's in the French Quarter. Tickets are $10 and cocktails will be sold for $4 each, with 100 percent of proceeds going to the Greater New Orleans Foundation Gulf Coast Restoration Fund. Star mixologists are even expected to jump behind the stick!
• And while we're on the subject of New Orleans, The Bitter Truth's Creole bitters ($15) will be arriving on U.S. store shelves soon. Described as bitter, sweet and spicy, the bitters include notes of anise, caraway and fennel. [I can't wait to try it!]
• Don't snuff out those vuvuzelas just yet--the World Cup comes to a hot international climax this Sunday, and you can catch all the action at a massive block party hosted by Brass Monkey. The tri-level bar has secured a permit to take over the block of Little West 12th in front of the bar, where they’ll convert a parking lot into a beer garden with picnic tables, two movie screens, and refrigerated beer trucks filled with 200 kegs of Blue Moon, Coors Light and Spaten for $6 (that’s per cup, not per keg, homeslice). You can also expect a variety of sandwiches and bar fare available for purchase. The outdoor beer-soaked festivities start at 11 a.m. and go ‘til 6 p.m., while inside the bar, flatscreens on both floors plus a screen on the rooftop will keep things kicking ‘til 4 a.m. Brass Monkey, 55 Little West 12th St. (10th Ave. and Washington)
• New Yorkers looking for plans on Sunday night, look no further--hereby consider yourselves invited to the July edition of LES Salonnieres, a monthly artists' salon, supperclub and speakeasy held in an abandoned rooftop tenement. In addition to a potluck BBQ, burlesque, live painting, live butchering (and cooking) of a chicken, yours truly will be mixing up cocktails and punches using Maker's Mark and Bluecoat Gin for $6 a pop. This event, organized by the luminary Adam Aleksander, is not to be missed! The revelry goes from 7 to 11:30 p.m. 124 Ridge St. (Stanton and Rivington Sts.)

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.)