Happy New Year! We are going on hiatus.

Fredo at The Salon's New Year's Eve Eve (photo G. Porter)

Happy New Year Loungers! I hope your festivities were successful, safe, and classy. Loungerati will be going on hiatus for the next month or two while I decide on the next phase of this project. We have hit the five year mark and growth is necessary to keep Loungerati fresh and worthwhile for the community. That said, 2011 was a tremendous year for the team and included such noteworthy highlights as:

• The Loungerati section of the CLASS Magazine 2011 award winning Blythswood Hotel cocktail bar menu by Mal Spence
• Fredo's Cinquecento cocktail being selected as one of the 101 Best Cocktails of 2010 and published in Gaz Regan's Annual Manual  for Bartenders: 2011 and Mr. Boston's Guide: 75th Anniversary Edition
• An incredible Repeal Day 5th Anniversary Party at The Rum House sponsored by Angel's Envy Bourbon
• Contributing to Umamimart's Happy Hour for the second year, special nod to the Paystyles, Vanessa, and Kayoko for bringing me into the family.
• A record number of Loungerati curated cocktail menus at the following swank affairs: Bootlegger 21 NY Vodka Launch/Salute to Harlem Glamour, The Salon's 10th Anniversary Party: Salute to Frank Sinatra and Lounge series at the Edison Ballroom, The Liberty Belle Spectacular July Fourth Extravaganza at Empire Hotel, Michael Arenella's Silver Scream Halloween Party and enchanting Winter Ball, and The Salon's Annual New Year's Eve Eve  at the Copacabana.
• Special acknowledgement and gratitude to the following bar industry pros who stood toe-to-toe or supported us at these events: Nino Cirabisi, Kenneth McCoy, Francine Cohen, Payman Bahmani, Jonathan Forester, Miguel Aranda, Hal Wolin, Michael Neff, Damon Dyer, Ivy Mix, and bar staffs at The Rum House and Ward III.

Hopefully, Loungerati can return with a 2.0 version that will expand beyond the current blog format. Only time and commitment can tell. So until we are back, I leave you with the inspiring words delivered by the Senator, one of Loungerati's founding members, at the first Lounge Summit at the Algonquin Hotel in November 2007:

"We shall drink to the end, we shall drink in the morning, we shall drink in the night, we shall drink in the gutters and the streets, we shall drink in the hills, ... we shall order after dinner drinks and digestifs, no matter what the cost, we shall never throw up, and even if we do, which I do not for a moment believe, we shall boot and rally and make it to the last call!

And so my fellow Loungers, in closing, let the word go forth that the torch has been passed [from] an older generation. Let every dancer, lounger, and barfly know, whether they wish us well or premium, gin or beer, whiskey or soda, that we shall pay any cover, tip any bartender, meet any manager or maestro, in order to assure the survival and the success of the lounge." 

Til the next whiskey sours,

Fredo Ceraso

Editor, Loungerati.com

The Salon's Annual New Year's Eve Eve at The Copacabana

The only place to be this Friday is The Salon's annual New Year's Eve Eve party. This year's venue is the newly reopened COPACABANA, one of the most famed and historic clubs in New York City. Since 1940 everyone has performed at the Copa, from Sinatra and the Rat Pack, to Ella, Liza, Edith Piaff, The Supremes, and the list goes on, and on. Now in the heart of Times Square, the new Copa boasts one of the largest dance floors in town, with beautiful new Brazilian-wood floors, numerous bars, and state of the art sound systems.

As a celebration of the Copa's musical heritage, The Salon is proud to present some of the hottest talent in town representing the many eras of the Copa's illustrious history. Please join the crew for the final event of THE SALON's 10th Anniversary year!

Live Music by:
THE GEORGE GEE SWING ORCHESTRA
featuring vocalist John Dokes

QUEEN ESTHER & THE HOT FIVE
Grand Prize Winner, Jazzmobile Vocal Competition, 2008

MICHAEL ARENELLA QUINTET
The hottest of the hot jazz bands in town!

Intelligence Agents are invited to our top-secret roof from
6 to 9pm for the SPY LOUNGE, with classified performances by:

SARAH TRACEY & THE JET SET QUARTET
Album Release party for her debut full-length CD "Tell No One"

The Spy Lounge commences covert operations with
DON GATOR & THE KINGS OF SPYROCK

Spy lounge music spun by
DJs JACK FETTERMAN & GINA OF THE JUNGLE
 

Throughout the night performances by:

THE MINSKY SISTERS
The '20's Tap Dancing Sensation

GAL FRIDAY
Miss Coney Island 2009

LEGS MALONE
The girl with The Thirty-Four and a Half Inch Inseam

HAZEL HONEYSUCKLE
The Delicate Flower

Plus, our lovely Go-Go dancers and Stage Kittens
EVELYN VYNL and SYDNEY SUNRISE

Behind the Bar
FREDO CERASO - the Salon's Cocktail Impresario from Loungerati.com

DANDY WELLINGTON
Master of Ceremonies and Emcee Extraordinaire

DJ RYAN SWIFT
Keeps you dancing all night long!

The Salon's signature commitment is equal billing for quality performances, dancing,  AND cocktail culture. In that spirit of bon vivant, Loungerati's Fredo Ceraso is honored to be included in The Salon's 2010 NYEE party as their in house cocktailian. On that libation front, we have a special Holiday in Havana circa 1959 themed menu co-sponsored by Dutch's Colonial Cocktail Bitters.

This is the lounge and swing scene's biggest night out, so get dressed up, come see old friends, and meet new ones.

THE SALON: New Year's Eve Eve
Friday, December 30th, 2011
Doors open at 6pm with live music from 6:30pm to 1:30am

THE COPACABANA
268 West 47th Street
(Corner of 8th Ave) New York, NY (Map)
21+ (ID required)

HAVE WE GOT A DEAL FOR YOU...
$25 - Advance Tickets
$30 - at the door (cash only)

$70 - VIP Tickets
Skip the line at the door, and gain exclusive access to VIP-Only areas, with cocktail tables, seating and more. Limited availability.

(Early Bird tickets sales ended on December 13th)

for tickets and more info, please visit:
http://www.thesalon.biz/

Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays! Merry Christmas! Buon Natale! Feliz Navidad!

For the Yuletide festivities we are taking it way back yonder to the days of Walt Whitman for the Granddaddy of egg nog and old time Christmas standard -The Tom and Jerry cocktail.  Below is Fredo's modified version in a single delicious serving:

Tom and Jerry

½ simple syrup

1 oz Grand Marnier

1 oz Smith & Cross Jamaican Pot Still Rum

¼ oz St. Elizabeth allspice dram

1 egg (optional: yolk and whites beaten separately)

4 oz hot milk

Ground nutmeg

Tools: Mixing tins, Tom and Jerry cup or Irish coffee mug, jigger, egg separator, grater, Hawthorne strainer

Method: Combine ingredients in mixing tins (except milk), dry shake for 5-10 seconds to emulsify the egg. Strain into a T&J cup or Irish coffee mug, add hot milk, and garnish with ground nutmeg.

Read more about the Tom and Jerry cocktail and Fredo's recipe on Umamimart blog.

All the best to your family and friends!

-The Loungerati Staff

Celebrate Your Constitutional Right to Have a Cocktail!! - Repeal Day 2011 Destinations

Loungerati's Fredo at Employees Only Repeal Day Party 2010

Repeal Day Destinations
In ten years, Repeal Day partying will stand shoulder to shoulder with Cinco de Mayo and other alcohol related holidays. Luckily, it is still in its infancy but growing stronger every year thanks to ongoing cocktail renaissance. So enjoy these rather intimate gatherings now before the amateurs take over!  Lastly, I want to make a toast to the an unlikely hero in this tale of repeal - The State of Utah! Utah was the final state that ratified the 21st Amendment repealing the 18th Amendment to the US Constitution on December 5, 1933. Cheers to Utah!

We recommend the following 4 destinations for proper celebrating!



1. 1534 Cocktail Bar - Repeal Day Party to Support Bottomless Closet
Zacapa Rum teams up LUPEC's New York chapter, and the 1534 fellas to support Bottomless Closet, an organization that helps disadvantaged NYC women with professional development, financial management and personal enrichment. No secret passwords to get in, instead bring an item to donate to the Accessories Drive. In return,  guests will be treated to pre-prohibition style drinks courtesy of Zapaca, food and music! Finest prohibition dress highly recommended.
 
1534 - 20 Prince Street, SoHo, New York - 7pm - 9:30pm


2. Clover Club - Annual Repeal Day Party
Hot 1920s jazz from Michael Aranella and his Dreamland Orchestra fills Brooklyn cocktail den Clover Club for this special party. Drink specials all night long sponsored by Plymouth gin. Naughty surprises from burlesque mavens Darlinda Just Darlinda and Peekaboo Pointe! Don't miss the easiest holiday of the year. No presents to buy, no pies to bake and no costumes to rent. Just legal good times!

Clover Club - 210 Smith Street, Brooklyn, New York - 8:30pm - 11:30pm

3.  Louis 649 Bar - Francine's Pink Room Repeal Day Party
Francine (aka singer/burlesque performer Franny Fluffer) returns to Louis 649 to celebrate Repeal Day - the 78th anniversary of Prohibition's Repeal. Expect a decadent evening of classic jazz, burlesque and mixology at intimate East Village cocktail stalwart Louis 649. In addition to the tantalizing teasing by Francine, patrons will be treated to performances from Medianoche and Sapphire Jones.There is no cover charge for this special event, however an RSVP - rsvp@louis649.com.

Louis 649 - 649 East 9th Street, East Village, New York - Doors open at 8pm, performance set at 9pm, 10pm, and 11pm, free admission with rsvp, $15 minimum per set

4. Employees Only - Annual Repeal Day Party
This legendary party is invitation only so if you have the luck to be an attendee, put on your sharpest suits or flapper dress and get ready to call in sick tomorrow to work. Employees Only has been celebrating since being named World's Best Cocktail Bar at Tales of the Cocktail. So expect this shindig to be over the top. Typically, the party include complimentary cocktails from the biggest booze sponsors. Last year guests were treated to Plymouth Gin drinks concocted by the stellar team behind the bar. Punches in monster tea cups, Southsides made to order, hot jazz, burlesque on the bar, tasty treats from the EO kitchen, and whose who of bar industry stopping by. 

Employees Only - 510 Hudson Street, West Village, New York - Private party

PS: Loungerati will be turning 5 years old. The group and blog were formed at a Repeal Day celebration in 2006. We will let the Repeal Day have its day and be celebrating Thursday December 8th at the Rum House in midtown!

(photo of Fredo by Gabi Porter for Metromix)

Best of Lounge 2011 - The Winners

Best Cocktail of 2011 - The classic Monkey Gland adapted by Julie Reiner

The Loungerati readers have voted via PollDaddy for the 2011 Best of Lounge Awards and the results are in:

Lounge Scene Awards

Best Burlesque Act or Performer: GRACE GOTHAM'S COUPE DE GRACE
Honorable Mention: The Minsky Sisters, Medianoche, Nasty Canasta, Angie Pontani

Diane L. Naegel Award for Best Lounge or Vintage Event: THE SALON: CELEBRATING SINATRA at the Edison Ballroom
Honorable Mention: Club Wit's End - A Monthly Celebration of the Jazz Age,  Liberty Belle Fourth of July Spectacular at the Empire Hotel, Champagne Riot at Duane Park, The Lounge Series at the Edison Ballroom

Viva La Musica Award for Best Jazz, Lounge, or Swing Band: GEORGE GEE SWING ORCHESTRA
Honorable Mention: Gelber & Manning, Dandy Wellington & His Band, Brian Newman Jazz Trio, Two Man Gentlemen Band

Most Sought After Ingredient for the Home Bar: BOLS BARREL AGED GENEVER

Honorable Mention: Cocchi Vermouth di Torino, Toasted Bitters from Flying Fig Market, Dutch's Colonial Cocktail Bitters, Suze

Best Dressed Lounger: GIN MINSKY of the Minsky Sisters
Honorable Mention: Dandy Wellington of NY Dandy, Eff Blangairdo of Yehoodi.com, Michael Haar of Freemans Sporting Club, Nicole Desmond of the Rhum Rhum Room 

Marcello Mastroianni Award for Lounger Number One: DIANE NAEGEL of Club Wit's End
Honorable Mention: David Liston, Esq., Jim Ryan of Hendricks Gin, Maxwell Britten of Maison Premiere, Joe Desmond of the Rhum Rhum Room

Cocktail Bars and Lounges

Best New Cocktail Bar or Lounge: ASTOR ROOM (Queens)
Honorable mention:  Maison Premiere (Brooklyn), Silver Lining (New York), The Tippler (New York), Bathtub Gin (New York)

Best Veteran Cocktail Bar or Lounge: CLOVER CLUB (Brooklyn)
Honorable Mention: Employees Only (New York), Death & Company (New York), Daddy-O (New York), Pegu Club (New York)

Best Barfood: WARD III  - PULLED DUCK SLIDERS
Honorable Mention: Mayahuel - Fish Tacos, Maison Premiere - Oyster Happy Hour, Oyster Bar at Grand Central Station - Oysters Rockefellar, The Commodore - The Fried Chicken

David A. Embury Award for Best Cocktail of 2011: THE MONKEY GLAND, Julie Reiner for Monkey Bar (New York)

Honorable Mention: The Tipperary by Sean Muldoon for the Dead Rabbit (New York), The El Presidente by Employees Only (New York), Bitter Mai Tai by Jeremy Oertel of Dram Bar (Brooklyn), Dark Horse by Leo Robitsheck of Eleven Madison Park (New York)

Editor and Staff Picks:
Best Seat in the House: BACK BOOTH AT MAISON PREMIERE (Brooklyn)
Honorable mention: Corner End seat at Rum House (New York), F14 at Clover Club (Brooklyn), The "Regular" at Employees Only (New York), Any bar seat at Dutch Kills (Queens) 

Best Cocktail for the Road: VIEUX CARRE WITH EL DORADO 12 YEAR AGED RUM by BRIAN SCHNEIDER of MONKEY BAR (New York)
Honorable Mention: Stinger with Cardinal Mendoza Brandy at the University Club (New York), The Barrymore with Bruichladdich Single Malt Scotch, Ramazotti Amaro, and Yellow Chartreuse at Rum House (New York), The Old Hickory with equal parts Carpano Antica, Dolin Blanc with Peychauds and Orange bitters adapted by Maxwell Britten at Maison Premiere (Brooklyn)

Best Saloon: DADDY-O (New York)
Honorable Mention: Ward III (New York), Fort Defiance Cafe (Brooklyn), The Richardson (Brooklyn)

Best of the Internationals: THE SALON, BLYTHSWOOD SQUARE HOTEL (Glasgow)
Honorable Mention:  The Everleigh (Melbourne), Curio Parlor (Paris), Experimental Cocktail Club (London)

Best of the NY Hotel Bars: RUM HOUSE AT THE EDISON HOTEL

Honorable Mention: M Bar at the Mansfield Hotel, Bull & Bear at the Waldorf Astoria (New York), Lantern's Keep at the Algonquin, The Blue Bar at the Algonquin (natch)

Best Dive aka "The Gutter Award": MONTERO'S BAR & GRILL (Brooklyn)

Honorable Mention: Jimmy's Corner (New York), Rudy's Bar (New York), Palais Royale (Albany)

Don't Bruise the Ice Award for Best Ice Program: HUNDRED WEIGHT ICE  & COCKTAIL SERVICE (Queens)

Honorable Mention: Dutch Kills (Queens), Wafu (Portland), Weather Up Tribeca (New York), Angel's Share (New York)

On the hit list to visit in 2012: Loungerati 2.0 Launch, Tales of the Cocktail's 10th Anniversary, The Manhattan Cocktail Classic III, and so much more.

Please join us on December 8th for Repeal Day Holiday cocktails at the Rum House in New York. It is also Loungerati's fifth Anniversary. 

(photo of Monkey Gland cocktail by Jena Cumbo for SOMA Magazine)

Lounge Essentials: Holiday Gift Recommendations

Jim Meehan's PDT Cocktail Book

The Loungerati staff share some of their Lounge Essentials holiday wish list:

For The Home Bar

Eff Blangiardo: A pair of Waterford Crystal Lismore Tall Martini Glasses. This pair of elegant cocktail glasses will enhance even the most well stocked bar. Waterford's Lismore pattern celebrates its 50th year anniversary and Eff swears his drinks taste better in them. A perfect gift!($180)

Fredo Ceraso: Something for mind and body. Books - The PDT Cocktail Book: The Complete Bartender’s Guide from the Celebrated Speakeasy by Jim Meehan ($14.95) and Bitters: A Spirited History of a Classic Cure-All, with Cocktails, Recipes, and Formulas by Brad Thomas Parsons ($16) and Booze - Bols Barrel Aged Genever ($49.99) and Bitter Truth Apricot Brandy  ($30).

Graeme Jamieson: Ice baby! Get hand carved ice delivered right to your home. A $70 gift certificate for Hundredweight Ice  should cover your holiday party!

Grumpy Old Hepcat: We found this shapely pewter beverage opener in a Parisian bistro and just had to "borrow" it. Luckily, you can find a carbon copy on Amazon for $30 -  Nude Female Sculpture Pewter Beverage Beer Bottle Opener

Holiday Threads

EB: Get ye to J. J. Hat Center on 5th Ave in NYC for a fedora called The Film by Borsalino which has a fuller crown and a 2 3/8" brim with a raw edge. It exudes classic Hollywood style with contemporary elegance. Might we suggest it in dark camel? ($350 and worth every penny!)

FC: Live out Tweed Run again with two tweed sportjacket options.  The Daltrey Donegal Sport Coat ($650) available at Epaulet New York features natural shoulder, elbow patches, and classic Anglo-American style. If the Daltrey is too steep, check out the black/cream herringbone tweed jacket from Ralph Lauren Rugby, three button, single vent, notched lapels, 100% wool, and fitted. ($398)

GJ: The only leather stingy brim fedora you will ever need from Worth & Worth online hatters - "The Papa" ($525)
 

Viva La Musica

EB: Old meets new with the Trends PA-10 for iPod Tube Headphone/Preamp.  A good old tube will warm up your MP3s for all your classic Holiday music.  ($279)

GJ: You know from a lounge perspective, I should probably namecheck Amy LaVere's new record, "Stranger Me," but if you're gifting me music for my Crimbo, I'll gratefully receive “Forensic R’n’B” by Wild Billy Childish & The Spartan Dreggs, or The Fall's new release, "Ersatz G.B."

Loungerati Holiday Cocktails and 5th Anniversary - December 8th

December 8th, 2011
8pm -11pm

Loungerati teams up with Angel's Envy Bourbon and Rum House for a special Holiday Repeal Day Cocktail Party to celebrate five years of "Lounging, Life, and Libations."

There will be Angel's Envy drink specials, world class cocktails, and live jazz from the J. Walter Hawkes Trio.

Cocktail Party attire encouraged.

Please RSVP on Facebook.

Please mention "Loungerati" to the hostess to get in.


Rum House
228 West 47th
at the Edison Hotel
NYC, New York

(Artwork by Shag)