Nightlife: Going out in New York

Drinks of the week

As summer sadly comes to a close, no one can blame you for needing a drink. We've done some research on how to get you through the week, one martini at a time.

Metromix: Fall nightlife preview

Metromix: Inside the Clover Club

Metromix: Temples of the tipple

If you¹re bored of the same ol¹ bars and nightclubs, we¹ve got you covered. From an off-the radar bar in Sunset Park to a frat-house-style tavern on the Upper East Side, these new nightlife spots are sure to keep you sufficiently tipsy for weekends to come.

Going for the ... drinks

If world-class drinking is more your style than world-class athletics, head to one of these Olympics-themed bar tournaments or sip on a Beijing-inspired cocktail. Celebrate while you can, unless you want to wait until 2012.

Metromix: New bars and clubs

Cool drinks for a hot summer night

The heat has us hankering for something fresh to quench our thirst. And though certain cocktails have become staples in our summer drinks repertoire, barkeeps around the city are creating new concoctions sure to keep us refreshed and happily inebriated. So if you're over drinking sangrias, margaritas and mojitos, check out these new creations.

Drinks from the deep freeze

Why choose between a sweet dessert and a potent cocktail? With these concoctions, you don't have to. They combine both ideas, making for treats that'll satisfy your adult and kiddie cravings.

Get a little juice with your java

It's hard to justify ordering a $4 latte. But if you're going to do it (and that's pretty much a given in this caffeine-run city), you should at least get a side of entertainment with your java.

Where to get a drink near McCarren Park

'Molecular cocktails' break into New York's nightlife

Calcium chloride, carbon dioxide, liquid nitrogen -- you wouldn't expect the stuff that you played with in chemistry class to find its way into your evening cocktail. Yet creative mixologists around the city are using science to invent new drinks for their menus.

Nightlife: Drinking for cheap

Don't let the recession leave you trapped on your couch. We've found several bars that are guaranteed not to empty your pockets, no matter how much you can drink. So raid that jar of laundry quarters and grab a bar-stool.

The brewskis of summer

On a hot summer day, there's nothing more refreshing than grabbing a nice cold beer. But don't just reach for that Bud Lite.

A really happy hour

Do you ever long for the smell of beer-soaked floors at your local happy hour? Neither do we.

Drinks and the city

"Sex and the City" did for the cosmopolitan what Daisy Duke did for short shorts.

Have a drink -- on the roof

Justin Timberlake, Jay-Z top list of musicians who own NYC bars

What's a musician to do with money to burn and time to kill between recording and touring? Why, open a bar, of course.

Jazz in the night

New York's jazz scene is still hopping -- but don't let commercialized venues and high entrance fees get you down. These unique jazz joints offer live music without the cover:

Cigar bars: Where to light up and chill out

While cigarettes have long ceased to seem sexy, cigars still have a certain mystique. For one, they smell and taste better and, be you male or female, their macho charisma is endlessly alluring. If that tumbler of Johnnie Walker blue label doesn't make you feel manly, try drinking it with one of the stellar, sometimes hand-rolled stogies sold at any one of the city's remaining cigar bars. The following are our picks for the venues that make that George Burns-smell somehow sexy.

Las Vegas in New York

Ah, Las Vegas. Who can resist this adult play land? Thanks to deeply discounted airfare and hotel specials, New Yorkers are constantly being tempted to go west. But you don't have to leave the Big Apple to get a taste of Sin City.

Have a (healthy) drink

Chock-full of wholesome ingredients such as aloe vera, antioxidant-rich berries, and metabolism-boosting green tea, these cocktails just may have a good-for-you edge. Here's where you can find some health- focused libations:

Crack open a hot one

A hot toddy before a roaring fireplace -- wait, wrong city! Here in the Big Apple, we demand max flavor and flair from our winter drinks. And some like it hot. "Hot drinks are extra fun because the heat enhances alcohol's natural warming effect," says cocktail guru Jonathan Pogash. "They warm your paws, lips and heart." Here are some of New York's coolest hotties-in-a-glass.

Get your whiskey on

Enjoying a round of whiskey can be a definite antidote to Manhattan's sometimes tedious cocktail culture. No longer reserved for urban hillbillies or toffs with monogrammed slippers, the city's finest whiskey bars add heat and high spirits to anyone's chill winter evening out on the town. Check out amNY's top picks:

Drink like a celeb

If you¹ve ever wanted to party like a celebrity, now you can. Well, sorta.

Pomegranates make a delicious mixer

Pomegranates have long been lauded for their nutritional value and its tangy juice adds punch to any cocktail. Alas, the small amount required for a mixer provides little health benefits - but who's counting? The drinks are still delicious and in season. Here¹s where you can find them:

Don't refuse, just infuse

Infused vodka is so 2006. In this trend-a-minute city, the latest booze craze is infused sake and shochu. The word may sound like a science project, but "infused" simply means "flavored with fresh ingredients like fruit or spices." And the Big Apple's bartenders and restaurateurs are making their own sake and shochu infusions right on their bar shelves.

New York City Nightlife

Put-downs are the new pick-ups in New York bars

Putdowns are the new pick-up lines floating around Manhattan's nightlife scene.

City's top dive bars

Not every night out Manhattan requires a bunch of trips to the ATM.

Stepping into speakeasies

Nowadays, you don't have to keep your eyes on any secret back doors or hidden passageways to enjoy a cold brew at a speakeasy. Manhattan bars are no longer subject to regular police raids --­ except maybe to flush out those 18-year-old NYU freshmen --­ but there are still a handful of classy old-time joints that keep the speakeasy tradition alive.

Great after-hours BBQ deals

The lazy days of summer are almost over, but never fear. You can still get your barbecue on until the end of September at these area hotspots.

Karaoke for hipsters

The bar lights dim, exciting an already anxious crowd. A disembodied voice booms from the PA system, welcoming the audience and reciting "The Ten Commandments".

Berry refreshing drinks for summer

Summer is berry season, and what better way to enjoy the colorful, seasonal fruits than in cocktail form? Whether blended, mixed or muddled, fresh berry cocktails are sure to satisfy warm-weather drinkers.

Best beer gardens

Between 1820 and 1860, 1.5 million immigrants arrived in America from Germany, bringing with them their own cultural traditions -- ­ among them outdoor beer gardens. Unlike the bars in Irish neighborhoods, the German beer gardens catered to whole families, and public drinking was just one of their attractions. Although many of New York¹s historic beer gardens have disappeared, this summer you can still enjoy a cold one at any of these authentic beer gardens around the city.

Singing up a storm around town

Whether an aspirant rocker, rapper, recording artist or just a huge fan of Journey, there's something for every wannabe at these karaoke-with-a-twist spots.

Nolita bar Tom and Jerry keeps it low-key

Tom and Jerry¹s is a neighborhood bar tucked into a side street in Nolita, and an ideal spot to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon or meet up before a night on the town. We spoke with tarot-reading bartender Isabel Robayo.

Nightlife

Caffeinated cocktails give you a boost

Need a little pick-me-up? Step away from the Red Bull and try one of these divinely inventive drinks designed to increase energy while pleasing your palate.

Nightlife

Park Slope has a little bit of everything

Its mommy-and-me neighborhood reputation long in the past, Park Slope has a bar scene for the cool and not-cool kids alike these days.

Hot chocolate (with a little kick)

Looking for something sweet? Whether out for cocktails or just wanting to warm up, here are our picks for where to get your drinkable chocolate fix.

Party with some pride

Canine crowd kicks one back

Mixing food with clubbing on the UES

The problem with the Upper East Side, New York's Silk Stocking District, has always been that it isn't a very good place to party. And the problem with most places to party in the city is that they are not very good places to get some late night grub.

Reinventing nightlife on the Upper West Side

After Marc Glazer spent $10,000 renovating Columbus 72, his new dancehall opening in the old Star Club, there was one last thing he needed to do: Post a sign by the door that says "Quiet Please. Our Neighbors Are Trying to Sleep."

Think while you drink

Drinking events are not always all about chugging and guzzling. For the knowledge-thirsty crowd, here are a few outlets that take a thinking approach to drinking, imbuing your imbibing with a bit of historical context. Learn about the history of some local pubs, take a road trip to Coney Island or find out how beer is made, all while getting your buzz on.

Best Bar Snacks

There's nothing better than a great drink after work. Unless, perhaps, you enjoy a great drink with fabulous – and sometimes free – bar snacks. If that's of interest to you, check out one of the following spots for tasty grub at your local pub.

Party animals — literally

"Boozehound" takes on a whole new meaning at any one of these dog-friendly drinking spots.

Distilling the best

Vodka was first officially sold in the 16th century, but it was rarely drunk outside Europe before the 1950s. Now it's arguably the most popular spirit in New York, and you can get it served up any way you like. Here are our picks for some vodka delights.

Bars for Cinco de Mayo

In Mexico, Cinco de Mayo marks the victory of the tiny Mexican Army over the massive French army at the Battle of Puebla in 1862.

Checking out storied bars through the years

Will there ever be a New York institution as storied as the bar? Something you might ask yourself after leafing through Jef Klein's "The History and Stories of the Best Bars in New York," a glossy new read that briefs us on New York City's bar lore.