Christmas is right around the corner and will be here before we know it. The best way to get prepared, besides shopping, is celebrating the holiday season with plenty of boozy treats. Check out the recipes below to serve up at your X-mas shindig, all inspired by America's holiday treat - candy canes!
Candy Cane (2 servings) 2 oz. BOLS Peppermint White
2 oz. BOLS Creme de Cacao White
2 oz. milk
2 scoops vanilla ice cream
½ oz. grenadine
Blend all ingredients and pour into glass.
Chocolate Peppermint Cookie
¾ oz. Partida Blanco Tequila
1 oz. Peppermint Schnapps
¾ oz. Godiva Liqueur
1-1/2 oz. Cream
Rim martini glass with chocolate syrup and crushed candy canes. Shake ingredients in a shaker with ice and strain into martini glass.
Rihanna sings about how whips and chains excite her, Ana Steele finds herself excitingly intrigued by her darker desires, and well Christian Grey, we know all about his secret erotic fantasies. S&M hasn’t always shown its gag-ball filled mouth to mainstream society through pop culture but with the success of E. L. James’ “mommy porn” trilogy, Fifty Shades of Grey, the taboo subject has left sex shops and entered our headphones, libraries, and our bedrooms.
If you’ve been left wondering what the big fuss about Mr. Grey’s sexual habits are after reading the trilogy or are just plain curious as to what S&M is outside a paperback novel, look no further than Union Square. On Monday June 16th at their 50 Shades of Seduction event. This 21+ event will give you your own personal glimpse into the real life bedroom of Mr. Grey through an instructional 45-minute S&M class taught by “sexpert” Mistress Gia while you sip a complimentary cocktail inspired by the addictive trilogy, the Grey-tini.
Weekends pass all too fast. Enamored within the momentary veneer of freedom, precious hours trickle through the cracks of our fingers like diamonds—leavings us barren, ragged, and downtrodden come the executioner’s call of Monday morning. Our proletarian grind leaves little to the imagination—essentially disillusion incarnate—thus, to soar beyond these insipid lots, we must continually push the boundaries of temperance and decency.
By seeking the cavernous expanses nestled within the night—the zeitgeists, the myriad sounds, the kindred souls seeking connection—only then is rejuvenation truly possible. In the tireless war against the corroding taint of ennui and listlessness, a proactive approach to revelry is the only salvation.
What is it about Monday that breeds melancholia? Is it the ponderous distance from Friday, the insipid conflux of responsibility and duty, or the tethering embraces of socialization? Rumor has it that “everything that rises must converge,” therefore, rise we must: above the miasmic, ennui-inducing strands of our proletarian lots! So let us ascend from the ashes of ambition, and combat the stultifying grind of the “everyday” by indulging in a little frivolity.
Day by day we crawl towards salvation—the glorious beacon of freedom and fleeting mercy that is Friday—only to repeat the endless Tantalusian cycle anew by weekend’s end. In order to maintain homeostasis (as well as sanity) we must temper desire with duty, in this finely honed balancing act of existence. In that light, here’s the rundown of the weekly restoratives, guaranteed to revitalize and reinvigorate even the most jaded of souls!
While childhood memories inevitably vary, the common consensus for "Best Easter Recollection" is hands down the vintage “Egg Hunt." With a gross overabundance of rabbit decorations, eggs becoming the temporary currency of choice, and the commercial exploitation of the pagan rituals for fertility and rebirth—what’s not to love about the Easter holiday!
In honor of the occasion, the folks over at Scavenger Hunt USA have paired up with Sidebar to celebrate the holiday (and invoke some nostalgia), via their annual Scavenger Egg Hunt/ Bunnycon! The requirements: bunny attire (ears, mask, full-body suit), a quality crew of seekers, a respectable alcohol thirst, and an insatiable desire to unearth eggs! The $60 ticket includes: complimentary drinks and apps during team registration, the 3-hour hunt, assorted goodness along the way (mini prizes, etc.), as well as 1-hour after party at an undisclosed location—perhaps the egg-quest shall reveal it!
Sunday typically doesn’t get too much romance on the party front, but with the 84th Academy Awards happening on the 26th it's stepping up its game. What inspires joviality more than the entitled 1 percenters playing dress up on Hollywood’s largest playground? Fashion, celebrities, and accolades—the proverbial triple threat of party muses!
In celebration of the most prestigious of award shows, the glitterati loftily descend upon Hollywood—the least NYC can do is throw a couple bashes in solidarity! Whether in genuine admiration or outright condemnation, there’s a party for all. Here’s 5 Oscar Soirées to put some lovin’ back into your Sunday!
Still don't know where you're going for the big Giants vs. Falcons game on Sunday? We got ya covered! SideBar, Village Pourhouse, and Little Town NYC all have pocket friendly specials. Starting at 1pm on Sunday, chug pitchers of beer, stuff yourself with appetizers all while rooting for your favorite team --hopefully the Giants! Check out these specials...
When:
Where:
SideBAR & Little Town NYC - 120 E. 15th St. (At Irving Pl.)
2 for 1 JPP (Juan Pierre Paul) Shots, $30 Big Blue Moon buckets, $10 for two Eli Manwich Sloppy Joes.
Village Pourhouse Downtown - 64 Third Avenue (At 11th St.)
$12 Bud Light pitchers, $15 Big Blue Moon pitchers, FREE Victor Cruz Chips and Salsa with every $30 Big Blue Moon bucket, $25 Bud Light Buckets, and $30 Go Big Bluepoint buckets.
Village Pourhouse Restaurant Row - 366 West 46th St. (Btwn. 8th & 9th Aves.)
$12 Bud Light pitchers, $15 Big Blue Moon pitchers, Free Victor Cruz Chips and Salsa with every $30 Big Blue Moon bucket, $25 Bud Light Buckets, $30 Go Big Bluepoint buckets, and $5 Go Blue shots.
Village Pourhouse UWS - 982-988 Amsterdam Ave. (Btwn. 108th & 109th St.)
"He is heading down the court, he grabs the ball, but he is blocked. He spins, spots a way out, he swerves to the run and with no hesitation at all HE SHOOTS aaaand HE....drinks?" Whether you're a sports fan or not, the bars on this list have a great atmosphere--a lot of comradeship and mututal drinking. They're the perfect place to go grab a beer.
Opened less than two years ago, The 13th Step has quickly become an East Village staple. On any day of the week the line loops around the block. The 13th Step is not the place if you're looking for fancy, pretentious or conversation-friendly volume. It is however, the bar to visit if you want loud die-hard sports fans, a fratty scene and cheap drinks. Also, if you're looking to play some beer-pong this is the place for you. They actually have professional (if beer-pong can be called professional) beer-pong tables installed in the back.
Valentine's Day can sometimes seem like the end of the world for us single folk - every two people walking down the street together appear to be in a relationship and seemingly every romantic moment occurs right in front of you. In theory, an expensive, romantic dinner date with candlelight flickering between you and your significant other sounds lovely. But really, who wants to be stuck sitting in a boring restaurant when you can be surrounded by burlesque dancers and vampires, getting your fortune told, or singing vodka-soaked karaoke songs? Whether you're newly single or a veteran at the sport of going solo, the following events will pick your spirits up and get your face smiling in no time.