Best of Lounge 2013 - Winners

And the 2013 Brian Paynter Award for Lounger Number One goes to ....
J. WALTER HAWKES,  Jazz Giant, Trombone man, and Ukulele Aficionado

The Loungerati readers have voted via Survey Monkey for the 2013 Best of Lounge Awards and the results are in:

Lounge Scene Awards 

Best Burlesque Act or Performer: DRUNKEN DRAGON FESTIVAL at MACAO (Calamity Chang, Minx Arcana, Gal Friday, and Perle Noire) 
Honorable Mention: Gotham Burlesque at the Triad Theatre, Nuit Blanche: Dolls After Dark at Beaumarchais, Take Back the 80s Burlesque (Francine The Lucid Dream and Minnie the Moocha), Coney Island's Enchanted Tiki Room (Left Lucy & Co.)

Diane L. Naegel Award for Best Lounge or Vintage Event: JAZZ AGE LAWN PARTY AT GOVERNOR'S ISLAND
Honorable Mention: Club Wit's End 5th Annual Black Cat Masquerade, Loungerati Staff Beefsteak Dinner, The Salon: New Year's Eve Eve Party at DL Lounge, Manhattan Cocktail Classic Gala at NY Public Library

Viva La Musica Award for Best Jazz, Lounge, or Swing Band: TERRY WALDO, PIANO MAN
Honorable Mention: Michael Arenella & Dreamland orchestra, Dandy Wellington & His Band, JC Hopkins Biggish Band, Gelber & Manning

Most Sought After Ingredient for the Home Bar: DEAD RABBIT ORINOCO BITTERS by Dr. Adam Elmegirab

Honorable Mention: Leather Work Apron from Moore & Giles, Dale DeGroff's Pimento Aromatic Bitters, Home Bar Basics (and not so basics) manual by Dave Stolte, Tuthiltown Distillery Barrel Aging Kit

Best Dressed Lounger: EFF BLANGIARDO of Loungerati
Honorable Mention: Robert Kennedy (Tie Man), Michael Haar (Barber Extraordinaire), Dandy Wellington (Song and Dance man), Grace Gotham (Scintillating Chanteuse)

Cocktail Bars and Lounges

Best New Cocktail Bar or Lounge: THE DEAD RABBIT GROCERY & GROG (New York)
Honorable mention:  Attaboy (New York), Golden Cadillac (New York), Sweet Leaf (Queens), Long Island Bar (Brooklyn)

Best New York Cocktail Bar or Lounge: CLOVER CLUB (Brooklyn)
Honorable Mention: Employees Only (New York), Death & Company (New York), Dutch Kills (Queens)

Best Barfood: Oyster Happy Hour - MAISON PREMIERE (Brooklyn)
Honorable Mention: Charcuterie - Employees Only (New York),  Bill's Burger - Bill's Food & Drink (New York), Scotch Egg - Dead Rabbit (New York)

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

Honorable Mention: Library Bar at NoMad Hotel (New York), Lantern's Keep at the Iroquois Hotel (New York), Bemelmans Bar at Carlyle Hotel (New York)

David A. Embury Award for Best Cocktail of 2013: THE MIDTOWN, Bryan Schneider for Quality Italian (New York)

Honorable Mention: Brancolada by Jeremy Ortel for Donna Cocktail Lounge (Brooklyn), Spanish Crown by Maxwell Britten for Maison Premiere (Brooklyn)

Editor and Staff Picks:
Best Seat in the House: Parlour Bar Seat at THE DEAD RABBIT (New York)
Honorable mention: Standing room at the bar - Prime Meats (Brooklyn), Seat F14 at Clover Club (Brooklyn), Corner bar seat at Attaboy (New York)

Best Cocktail for the Road: Toronto Cocktail from Jillian Vose of DEATH & COMPANY (New York)
Honorable Mention: Manhattan on Tap at Saxon & Parole (New York), Cynar Julep, Sable Kitchen & Bar (Chicago), Daiquiri shots at Berkshire Room (Chicago)

Best Saloon: BAR X (Salt Lake City)
Honorable Mention: Daddy-O(New York), Grace 365 (New York), Ward III (New York), Alewife (Queens)

Best of the Internationals: ARTESIAN BAR at LANGHAM HOTEL (London)
Honorable Mention:  American Bar at the Savoy Hotel (London), Kelvin Grove Cafe (Edinburgh),White Lyan (London), Night Jar (London)

Best Dive aka "The Gutter Award": TRACKS in Penn Station (New York)

Honorable Mention: Jimmy's Corner (New York), Montero Bar & Grill (Brooklyn), Arthur's Tavern (New York)

Don't Bruise the Ice Award for Best Ice Program: SAXON & PAROLE (New York)

Honorable Mention: Dutch Kills Bar (Queens), Booker & Dax (New York), Little Branch (New York), Violet Hour (Chicago)

Brian F. Paynter Award for Lounger Number One: J. WALTER HAWKES - Jazz Giant
Honorable Mention: Robert Kennedy (OcTIEBer), Patrick Soluri (The Salon), Fredo Ceraso (Loungerati)

Best of Lounge 2013 - The Voting Begins

McIlroy & Ross of Attaboy up for Best New Cocktail Bar

Welcome to the Best of Lounge 2013 Voting!

Click here to VOTE!

The categories open for your consideration are: 

Best New Cocktail Bar/Lounge

• Golden Cadillac (New York)
• Long Island Bar (Brooklyn)
• Sweet Leaf (Queens)
• Dead Rabbit (New York)
• Attaboy (New York)

Best New York Cocktail Bar/Lounge 

• Clover Club (Brooklyn)
• Dutch Kills (Queens)
• Death & Company (New York)
• Employees Only (New York)
• Amor y Amargo (New York)

Best New York Hotel Bar

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

Most Sought After Ingredient/Bar tool for the Home Bar

• Dale DeGroff's Pimento Aromatic Bitters 
• "Home Bar Basics (and not so basics)" manual by Dave Stolte
• Tuthilltown Distillery Barrel Aging Kit
• Leather Work Apron from Moore & Giles
• Dead Rabbit Orinoco Bitters by Dr. Adam Elmegirab

Best Barfood 

• Charcuterie at Employees Only
• Scotch Egg at The Dead Rabbit
• Bill's Burger at Bill's Food & Drink
• Derby Cobb Salad at the Astor Room
• Oyster Happy Hour at Maison Premiere

Best Burlesque Act or Performance 

• Coney Island's Enchanted Tiki Room, Lefty Lucy & Co.
• Take Back the 80s Burlesque - Francine "The Lucid Dream"
• Gotham Burlesque at Triad Theatre
• Nuit Blanche: Dolls After Dark at Beaumarchais
• Drunken Dragon at Macao - Calamity "The Asian Sexation" Chang & Minx Arcana

Best Dressed Lounger

• Eff Blangiardo, Acolyte of Sprezzatura
• Michael Haar, Barber and Radioflyer
• Grace Gotham, Chanteuse and Burlesque vixen 
• Robert Kennedy, OcTIEber aficionado
• Dandy Wellington, Song and Dance Man

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

• Club Wit's End 5th Annual Black Cat Masquerade
• Jazz Age Picnic at Governor's Island
• The Salon: New Year's Eve Eve at DL Lounge
• Loungerati Staff Beefsteak Dinner
• Manhattan Cocktail Classic Gala at NY Public Library

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

• JC Hopkins Biggish Band
• Michael Arenella & The Dreamland Orchestra
• Gelber & Manning
• Dandy Wellington & His Band
• Terry Waldo, Ragtime piano man at Dead Rabbit and Rum House

David A. Embury Award: Best Cocktail of 2013

• The Midtown (Booker's Bourbon, house made sweet vermouth, Nardini Amaro, Maraschino, grapefruit peel, burnt sugar sour cherry), Bryan Schneider for Quality Italian
• Brancolada (Branca Menta, Appleton Estate V/X, coconut cream, pineapple juice, orange juice, mint sprig), Jeremy Ortel for Donna Cocktail Lounge
• Spanish Crown (Lemon-grass infused mezcal, Suze, creme de violette, La Gitana sherry, blueberries), Maxwell Britten for Maison Premiere
• Banker's Punch (Redbreast 12 Year Cask Strength Irish Whiskey, Dead Rabbit Jamaican Rum Mix, fresh lime juice, raspberry cordial, Dead Rabbit Orinoco Bitters, dashes Graham’s LBV Port Wine), The Dead Rabbit
• Form of Flattery (El Dorado 12 Year Rum, lime juice, pineapple juice, beet juice, nutmeg Falernum, grapefruit peel), Pouring Ribbons Bar

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 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 7th birthday Dec 5th (Repeal Day of course).

Cheers!

Fredo, Eff, & The Senator