Best of Lounge - 2017

A stellar year for all things lounge - Loungerati's 2017 Best of Lounge Awards go to:

Lounge Scene Awards 

Best Burlesque Act or Performer: DOTTIE DYNAMO & Speakeasy Burlesque at Black Lodge, NYC

Honorable Mention: Francine the Lucid Dream, Rosie Cheeks at Hotel Chantelle, Seedy Edie

Dottie Dynamo

Diane L. Naegel Award for Best Lounge or Vintage Event: 2ND ANNUAL REPEAL DAY PARTY at Hotel Chantelle 

Honorable Mention: Prohibition Production's Bootlegger's Jazz Cruise, Green Fairy at the Red Room, Dances of Vice - Great Gatsby Party

Celebrating our right to imbibe at the
2nd Annual Repeal Day Party 

Viva La Musica Award for Best Jazz, Lounge, or Swing Band: Drew Nugent & The Midnight Society

Honorable Mention: King Solomon Hicks at Django, The Glenn Crytzer Orchestra - Big Band Mondays at Kola House 

Drew Nugent 

Most Sought After Ingredient or Bar Tool for the Home Bar: NEW YORK COCKTAILS by Amanda Schuster
Honorable Mention: Bulu Pineapple Barspoon, Italicus Rosolio di Bergamotto, Pierre Ferrand dry curacao

A must have for the HomeBar!

Best Dressed Lounger: EFF BLANGIARDO (Seigo's Customer Number One)

Honorable Mention: Kayla Ferguson (Queen of the Nile), Don Spiro (Absinthe Afficionado), Dandy Dillinger (Miss Art Deco)

 Eff Blangiardo enjoying a Gibson at The Grill

Cocktail Bars and Lounges

Best New Cocktail Bar or Lounge: THE GRILL (New York)

Honorable mention:  Diamond Reef (Brooklyn), The Pool Lounge (New York), The Office at the Aviary (New York), Loverboy (New York)

Best New York Cocktail Bar or Lounge: LONG ISLAND BAR (Brooklyn)
Honorable Mention: Bar Goto (LES), Dear Irving (Gramercy), Suffolk Arms (LES), Maison Premiere (Williamsburg), Dead Rabbit Grocery & Grog (FIDI), Clover Club (Boerum Hill), The Bennett (Tribeca), Nitecap (LES) 

Long Island Bar in Brooklyn

Best Barfood: CHOPPED CHEESE at SUFFOLK ARMS 

Honorable Mention: Okonomi-Yaki (Classic) at Bar Goto, Oyster Happy Hour at Maison Premiere, L.I. Burger at Long Island Bar, Ricotta Beignets at The Bennett 

Best of the New York Hotel Bars: NOMAD HOTEL BAR (Gramercy)

Honorable Mention: The Rum House at Hotel Edison (Times Square), Django at the Roxy Hotel (Tribeca), Latern's Keep at Hotel Iroquois (Times Square)

David A. Embury Award for Best Cocktail of 2017*: THE GIBSON (Tanqueray 10 Gin, Carpano Bianco vermouth, onion brine, pickled red onion)at DEAR IRVING

Honorable Mention: Improved Shochu Cocktail (barley shochu Mizu, Berkshire Etherial gin, cane syrup, Hitachino no Shizuku) at Bar Goto, La Marionetta (Gin, Carpano Bianco, Luxardo Bitter Bianco, Boquerones) at Don Angie, The Alaska Cocktail (Tanqueray gin, Chartreuse, orange bitters) at The Grill

The Gibson at Dear Irving

* Editor's note: This year, riffs on the classic Martini and Gibson were all the rave - from Thomas Waugh's menu of pre-made perfectly chilled martinis at The Grill, to the Tuxedo # 2's return to multiple cocktail menus, and every Gibson in between. Naturally, the Loungerati drank our weight in gin and sampled a broad range of libations to ensure objectivity. The above cocktails represent the very best of the best. Meaghan Dorman's take on the classic Gibson at Dear Irving is not new for 2017 per se but it sure was our favorite!

Editor and Team Picks:

Best Seat in the House: DUG OUT SEAT at DANTE NYC 

Honorable mention: Parlour Bar seat at Dead Rabbit Grocery & Grog, Any bar seat at The Grill - seriously we had to get there at 5pm on a Tuesday to snag one, a NoMad Hotel Bar seat, Dug Out seat at Ward III, & F14 at Clover Club of course when in Brooklyn

Best Cocktail for the Road: DUKE OF SUFFOLK (Ford’s Gin, Hot Sweet Tea (equal blend of English Breakfast & Earl Grey Sweetened 3:1 with Simple Syrup), Cream Float) at Suffolk Arms (New York)

Honorable Mention: Peroni Negroni at Dutch Fred's (New York), KANPAI! Sapporo & Choice of House Tequila, Bourbon or Scotch at Bar Goto (New York), Tecate & Montenegro at Loverboy (New York), Fernet Branca and Sessions Lager (in a can!!) at Bar X (SLC)

The signature Duke of Suffolk (rabbit ears not included)

Best Saloon: WARD III (New York) - Welcome back!!
Honorable Mention: American Whiskey, (New York), Dutch Fred's (New York), Hudson Malone (New York), Bar X (SLC) 

Best NY Tiki Experience: Garret Richard's EXOTICA NIGHT (various locations)
Honorable Mention: Tiki Tuesday's with Brian Miller (various locations), Mother of Pearl (East Village), Otto's Shrunken Head (East Village)

Garret Richard at Exotica Night in Raines Law Room
Photo Credit: Don Spiro

Best of the Internationals: LICORERIA LIMANTOUR (Mexico City)

Honorable Mention: Old Crow (Zurich), Caffe Propaganda (Rome), American Bar at Savoy Hotel (London) Employees Only Singapore (Singapore), 1930 (Milan)

Best Dive aka "The Gutter Award": BAR 169 (Chinatown, NYC)

Honorable Mention: Nancy Whiskey Pub (Tribeca), Ruby's Bar & Grill (Coney Island), Tracks in Penn Station (Midtown, NYC) 

Brian F. Paynter Award for Lounger Number One: LESLEY A. MARTIN 
Honorable mention: Mark "The Senator" Vasto, David "GOH" Talaga, Don Spiro

Lastly, the New York cocktail bar scene lost a few of our favorite watering holes this past year. Mayahuel, the iconic temple to all things tequila and mezcal closed its doors after almost 10 years as did new comer and industry favorite August Laura. We will miss these bars but always cherish the memories, friendships and hospitality.

Til the next whiskey sours!

- The Loungerati

Fredo & the Loungerati Team
Maloney & Porcelli, Dec 2017