Happy Repeal Day and Loungerati's 9th Anniversary! Enjoy your Constitutional Right to Imbibe!




Three cheers to the 21st Amendment!

Happy Repeal Day and 9th Anniversary to the Loungerati readers, staff and contributers past and present! Raise a glass of bubbly because - it is your right!!

The skinny:
On December 5, 1933, the 21st Amendment to the United States Constitution became the law of the land. This piece of legislation repealed the 18th Amendment's Prohibition of alcohol.

XXI Amendment 

Section 1. The eighteenth article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States is hereby repealed.

Section 2. The transportation or importation into any State, Territory, or possession of the United States for delivery or use therein of intoxicating liquors, in violation of the laws thereof, is hereby prohibited.

Section 3. This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by conventions in the several States, as provided in the Constitution, within seven years from the date of the submission hereof to the States by the Congress.

Loungers Unite:
On December 5, 2006, Loungerati was born on a cocktail napkin at a bar called Brooklyn Social in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn and memorialized with the epic Lounge Doctrine delivered by one of the forum's founders, The Senator, at the legendary Algonquin Hotel bar the following year. Dorothy Parker would have been proud!

Loungerati continues to serve as an outlet to those who enjoy Lounge culture, the sporting life, exquisite cocktails, classic music, and a good time! Enjoy the holidays and drink responsibly.

~The Lounge



Senator delivers the Lounge Doctrine at the Algonquin Hotel

 

Best of Lounge - 2015



Loungerati and artist Dave Stolte donated the fee for this illustration
in Sasha's memory to the YouCaring fundraising site for his family.  

The Loungerati have voted via Survey Monkey for the 2015 Best of Lounge Awards and the results are in:

Lounge Scene Awards 

Best Burlesque Act or Performer: CALAMITY CHANG

Honorable Mention: Flatiron Follies - Grace Gotham, Hazel Honeysuckle

 

Diane L. Naegel Award for Best Lounge or Vintage Event: JAZZ AGE LAWN PARTY at Governor's Island

Honorable Mention: Playboy Swings Salon at the Players Club, Club Wit's End 7th Annual Black Cat Masquerade

 

Viva La Musica Award for Best Jazz, Lounge, or Swing Band: DANDY WELLINGTON AND HIS BAND

Honorable Mention: Queen Esther, Brian Newman Orchestra at the Rainbow Room

 

Most Sought After Ingredient for the Home Bar: DEAD RABBIT DRINKS MANUAL

Honorable Mention: Beach Bum Berry's Skull bar spoon, New York Distilling Company's Ragtime Rye

 

Best Dressed Lounger: DANDY WELLINGTON (Song and Dance man)

Honorable Mention: Queen Esther (Belle of the Ball), Eff Blangiardo (Scion of Sprezzatura)

 

Cocktail Bars and Lounges

Best New Cocktail Bar or Lounge: SLOWLY SHIRLEY (New York)

Honorable mention:  Mother of Pearl (New York), Dante (New York)

Best New York Cocktail Bar or Lounge: THE DEAD RABBIT GROCERY & GROG(New York)

Honorable Mention: Long Island Bar (Brooklyn), Dutch Kills (Queens)

 

Best Barfood: OYSTER HAPPY HOUR at THE DEAD RABBIT GROCERY & GROG (New York)

Honorable Mention: The Cheeseburger at The Happiest Hour (New York), Carrot Tartar at the Elephant Bar in NoMad Hotel (New York)

Best of the NY Hotel Bars: THE RUM HOUSE at EDISON HOTEL (New York)

Honorable Mention: Elephant Bar at NoMad Hotel (New York), King Kole Bar at the St. Regis Hotel (New York)

 

David A. Embury Award for Best Cocktail of 2015: SHADDOCK and SMOKE (Ardbeg scotch, grapefruit liqueur, Amaretto, lemon juice, and seltzer) at the UP & UP(New York)

Honorable Mention: The Garibaldi at Dante (New York), Noche Buena at Leyenda (Brooklyn)

 

Editor and Staff Picks:

Best Seat in the House: Bar Seat at SLOWLY SHIRLEY (New York)

Honorable mention: The "Regular" at Employees Only(New York), Seat F12 (aka F14) at Clover Club (Brooklyn), Dugout seats at Dante (New York)

 

Best Cocktail for the Road: DIRTY BIRD (scotch, Amaro Montenegro, sweet vermouth, coffee bitters at GOODNIGHT SONNY (New York)

Honorable Mention: Sakura Martini at Bar Goto (New York), Brancolada at Donna Cocktail Bar (Brooklyn), Beer and shot at Holiday Cocktail Lounge (New York)

Best Saloon: BAR X (Salt Lake City)

Honorable Mention: Daddy-O (New York), American Whiskey (New York)

*NEW* Best American Tiki Experience: A tie: LOST LAKE (Chicago) and LATITUDE 29 (New Orleans)
Honorable Mention: Tiki Mondays with Miller (New York), Smuggler's Cove (San Francisco), Mother of Pearl (New York)

Best of the Internationals: ARTESIAN BAR at LANGHAM HOTEL (London)

Honorable Mention:  American Bar at the Savoy Hotel (London), White Lyan (London)

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

Honorable Mention: Patriot Saloon (New York), American Trash (New York)

Don't Bruise the Ice Award for Best Ice Program: BAR GOTO (New York)

 

Brian F. Paynter Award for Lounger Number One: SASHA PETRASKE (Cocktail Icon and Jazz lover)

Best of Lounge 2015 - Vote Early and Often!

The superb Shaddock and Smoke Cocktail
from the Up and Up  in NYC

Click here to VOTE!

The categories open for your consideration are: 

Best New Cocktail Bar/Lounge

• Slowly Shirley (New York)
• Leyenda (Brooklyn)
• Dante (New York)
• Grand Army Bar (Brooklyn)
• Up and Up (New York)
• Mother of Pearl (New York)

Best New York Cocktail Bar/Lounge 

• Clover Club (Brooklyn)
• Maison Premiere (Brooklyn)
• Long Island Bar (Brooklyn)
• Pouring Ribbons (New York)
• Employees Only (New York)
• The Dead Rabbit Grocery and Grog (New York)
• Death and Company (New York)
• Attaboy (New York)
• ZZ's Clam Bar (New York)
• Dutch Kills (Queens)
• Seamstress (New York)

Best New York Hotel Bar

• The Rum House at The Edison Hotel
• Lantern's Keep at The Iroquois Hotel
• Elephant Bar at The NoMad Hotel
• King Cole Bar at St. Regis Hotel
• Bemelmans Bar at Carlyle Hotel

Most Sought After Ingredient/Bar tool for the Home Bar

• Ragtime Rye Whiskey from NY Distilling Company
• Amaro Montenegro
• BeachBum Berry's Skull bar spoon from Cocktail Kingdom
• Cynar 70 Proof 
• Dead Rabbit Drinks Manual

Best Barfood 

• Chicken Soup at Employees Only
• The Cheeseburger at Happiest Hour
• Tacos at Leyenda
• Carrot Tartare at the Elephant Bar in NoMad Hotel
• Oyster Happy Hour at The Dead Rabbit Grocery and Grog

Best Burlesque Act, Event or Space 

• Hazel Honeysuckle
• Medianoche
• Flatiron Follies  - Grace Gotham
• Le Scandal, variety burlesque show
• Slipper Room venue
• Calamity "The Asian Sexation" Chang

Best Dressed Lounger

• Eff Blangiardo, Scion of Sprezzatura
• Marlo Gamora, Barman and Shutterbug
• Queen Esther, Chanteuse and Belle of the Ball
• Fredo Ceraso, Italian guy in a bow tie
• Nicole Desmond, Gal about Town, Stunner
• Dandy Wellington, Dandy extraordinaire,Song and Dance Man

Diane L. Naegel Award for Best Lounge/Retro/Vintage Event

• Club Wit's End 7th Annual Black Cat Masquerade
• Jazz Age Lawn Party at Governor's Island
• The Salon: Mad Men at Players Club
• The Salon: Playboy Swings at Players Club
• The Tweed Ride, Brooklyn

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

• Brian Newman Orchestra at the Rainbow Room
• Queen Esther and The Hot Five
• Michael Arenella and The Dreamland Orchestra
• Dandy Wellington and His Band
• Terry Waldo, Ragtime piano man

David A. Embury Award: Best Cocktail of 2015

• Fountainhead (Gin, oloroso sherry, lemon, Branca Menta, mint, and seltzer), Grand Army Bar, Brooklyn, NY
• Shaddock and Smoke (Ardbeg Scotch, grapefruit liqueur, Amaretto, lemon juice, and seltzer), Up and Up, Greenwich Village, NY
• Cleopatra (Avua Prata cachaca, bison grass vodka, pandan extract, banana cordial, lime), Slowly Shirley, Greenwich Village, NY 
• Noche Buena (East India sherry, scotch, Jamaican rum, coffee liqueur, cinnamon, egg, aromatic bitters, nutmeg), Leyenda, Brooklyn, NY
• The Garibaldi (Campari and fresh juice of one orange - no really, it is amazing!), Dante, Greenwich Village, NY

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 Bar
• Best Dive aka the Gutter Award
• Don't Bruise The Ice Award for Premier Ice Program
• Brian F. Paynter Award: Lounger Number One

Deadline to cast your votes is November 30th, the winners will be announced on Loungerati's 9th birthday Dec 5th (Repeal Day of course).

Cheers!

The Loungers

Fredo Ceraso and Damon Dyer man the bar at The Salon: Playboy Swings
Photo courtesy of barfly Will Luong.