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)