Best of Lounge 2012 - The Voting Begins

The Lounger Number One Award
dedicated to the late Brian F. Paynter

Welcome to the Best of Lounge 2012 Voting!



The categories open for your vote are:  
Best New Bar/Lounge

• Pouring Ribbons 
• Experimental Cocktail Club - LES 
• NoMad Hotel Bar
• Middle Branch
• Gin Palace
• The Shanty
• Donna
• Bourgeois Pig Brooklyn
• JBird 
• Tooker Alley

Best Veteran Bar/Lounge 

• Clover Club
• PDT
• Death & Company
• Ward III
• Employees Only
• Fort Defiance
• Daddy-O
• Little Branch
• Rum House
• Pegu Club 

Most Sought After Ingredient/Bar tool for the Home Bar

• Perry's Tot Navy Strength Gin from New york Distilling Company
• Dale DeGroff's Pimento Aromatic Bitters 
• Mexican Beehive Juicer
• "Home Bar Basics (and not so basics)" manual by Dave Stolte
• Monkey Shoulder Blended Malt Scotch from William Grant portfolio
• Bittermens Amer Sauvage
• Barman's Rucksack by Gin & Luck
• Tuthilltown Distillery Barrel Aging Kit

Best Barfood 

• Serbian Charcuterie at Employees Only
• Deviled Eggs with Four Flavors at Clover Club
• The Cubano at DeCoursey's SideCar 
• Chargrilled Lamb Burger at Breslin Bar
• The Prime Meats Burger at Prime Meats
• Mutton Chop and escarole at Keens Steakhouse
• Roasted Bone Marrow at Minetta Tavern
• Derby Cobb Salad at the Astor Room

Best Burlesque Act or Performance 

• Angie Pontani of the World Famous Pontani Sisters
• Medianoche Ber Lesque
• Nikki Le Villain's "Egyptian Snake Dance"
• Grace Gotham
• Hazel Honeysuckle
• Jo Boobs Weldan's Pink Light Burlesque
• The Minsky Sisters
• Calamity "The Asian Sexation" Chang
• Francine "The Lucid Dream" and her show - The Pink Room: David Lynch Burlesque

Best Dressed Lounger

• Brian F. Paynter
• Gin Minsky
• Eff from Loungerati
• Michael Haar
• David Lochner
• Jack Newcastle
• Angie Pontani
• Dandy Wellington

Diane L. Naegel Award for Best Lounge or Vintage Event

• Club Wit's End
• Jazz Age Picnic at Governor's Island
• The Salon: New Year's Eve Eve 
• Sweetheart Soiree at the Bogardus Mansion
• Liberty Belle Fourth of July Spectacular at the Empire Hotel

Brian F. Paynter Award: Lounger Number One

• Brian F. Paynter
• Nicole Desmond
• Eff from Loungerati
• Mr. Gotham
• Marlo Gamora

Viva La Music Award: Best Jazz/Swing/Lounge Band

• Michael Arenella & The Dreamland Orchestra
• Ray Gelato & City Rhythm Orchestra at the Blue Note
• George Gee Swing Orchestra
• Gelber & Manning
• Drew Nugent & The Midnight Society
• Dandy Wellington & His Band
• J Walter Hawkes Trio 
• Queen Esther & Her Hot Five

David A. Embury Award: Best Cocktail of 2012

• Death & Taxes by Joaquin Simo, Pouring Ribbons
• Sauvetage by Nate Dumas, The Shanty
• Clip Joint Cup, NoMad Hotel Bar
• KYPX, by Franky Marshall of Monkey Bar
• The MI5, Gin Palace 
• Maison Absinthe Colada, Maxwell Britten of Maison Premiere

Additional categories will be voted by the Loungerati editors and include:

• Best Saloon
• Best Seat in the House
• Best Cocktail for the Road
• Best of the International Bars
• Best Hotel Bar
• Best Dive aka the Gutter Award
• Don't Bruise The Ice Award for Premier Ice Program

Deadline to cast your votes is November 30th, the winners will be announced on Loungerati's 6th birthday Dec 5th (Repeal Day of course).

Cheers!

Fredo, Eff, & The Senator

(Photo courtesy of Lynn Redmile Photography)