5 Romantic NYC Bars That Are Perfect for Valentine’s Day

Let’s face it: Valentine’s Day is one of those holidays you love or you loathe. It’s either a chance to celebrate your epic, undying love for one another — complete with roses, candles, and Jacques Torres chocolates, of course — or it’s like having a severe case of déjà vu as you encounter slobbery, sappy, stupid couples everywhere.

But whether you’re with someone, think you’re with someone, or just plain don’t care, February 14 is a great excuse to let New York City’s bars work their magic. Take it from us, the NYC Cocktail Bar Yentes: we’re damn good matchmakers when it comes to hooking you up with a bar you’ll love.

So open your minds, your hearts, and your wallets, folks. Here are five romantic NYC bars that are perfect for Valentine’s Day.

We couldn’t stop laughing. Mr. Five O’Clock and I had just ripped open our holiday gifts and discovered that we’d given each other similar bitters-related presents. He had selected spices and herbs to create bitters for me; I had purchased a bitters-making kit from Hella Cocktail Co. (formerly known as Hella Bitters) for him. This was true love at its finest, we grinned conspiratorially.

Those gifts we exchanged in December 2014 started our lifelong love affair with bitters. (I know this because I combed through my e-mails to verify the date, as fact-checking is key here. When Mr. Five O’Clock gets home, I can tell him I won our bet.)

We’ve been huge fans of Hella Cocktail Co.’s products from the moment we unwrapped those gifts three years ago. We’re practically thisclose to being the OG fans of the company, so you know our fondness for their bottles is legit.

So when we met Eddie, one of the company’s co-founders, through Honeymoon Israel last year, it was like the stars aligned. And when Eddie ~~the cocktail Santa~~ sent us some Hella Cocktail Co. syrups, mixers, and bitters to check out for the 2017 holiday season, it was some seriously magical Hella holiday déjà vu all over again.

So how did the Hella Great Gift Opening Session of 2017 go down? What kind of cocktails can you make with these goodies? What does “hella” even mean? And what are bitters, anyway? Don’t worry: we’ve got you covered.

In the “Booze Buzz” series, we take you to the latest and greatest watering holes throughout the country. Today, we head to Elsa in Brooklyn.

In the “Booze Buzz” series, we take you to the latest and greatest watering holes throughout the country. Today, we head to Circa Brewing Co. in Brooklyn.

You know what I like even better than a glass of ice cold beer on a scorching summer day? Not having to take a long, sweaty subway ride home afterwards. Circa Brewing Co., welcome to the neighborhood.

Circa Brewing Co. opened in Downtown Brooklyn less than a month ago, but it’s already found a steady stream of regulars (including us) who are incorporating it into their weekend bar circuit. Here’s why.

You’ll never forget your first… negroni, that is.

My first ever negroni was like a first kiss gone horribly wrong: we knocked teeth (actually, my two front teeth hit the rim of my glass because it was too dark to see properly); it was slobbery; and we just didn’t really connect. At the time, I liked bitterness in my cocktails about as much as I like stepping on chewing gum in flip flops on the Times Square subway platform.

All that changed, however, once I tried a negroni at August Laura in Brooklyn last year. Their negroni was boozy, to be sure, but also well balanced and had just enough bite to leave me wanting more. I’ve finally warmed up to the drink, which is traditionally made with equal parts gin, campari, and vermouth rosso. It’s a good thing that I have, because August Laura is participating in Negroni Week 2017!

In the “Five O’Clock Fridays” series, we’ll highlight a particular drink we’re loving right now. Depending on where we stumble upon this brilliant beverage, we’ll either provide a recipe to go along with it, or provide tasting notes and point you to where you can purchase it. Today’s edition: the Kentucky Colonel!

(Updated August 2018) Manhattan, you’ve got some grade A competition when it comes to cocktail bars. Sure, you’ve got Dead Rabbit, Death & Co, and Raines Law Room. But sometimes, I just want to be able to walk for three minutes to get to my next bar instead of schlepping my stuff 20 minutes on the subway, you know? That’s why we’ve created this nifty Brooklyn cocktail bar crawl itinerary for everyone out there who wants an amazing cocktail without the hassle of taxis and trains.

It’s Five O’Clock Here: making your bar planning as easy and fun as possible. ~~Oh man, that sounded way too cheesy.~~

Read on to discover where you should go next time you’re in Brooklyn, NYC’s coolest borough.

UPDATE: Sadly, Betony closed its doors on December 31, 2016. RIP to one of our favorite cocktail spots.

Cocktail lovers, rejoice! No longer do you have to avoid Midtown Manhattan if you want high quality craft cocktails: Betony has got you covered.

You have to understand, Mr. Five O’Clock and I have been trying to find a suitable after-work spot to meet for drinks in this area for nearly four years. We’d wander around the oasis that is Central Park down to West 30th Street between 5th and 7th Avenues, desperately attempting to find some glimmer of hope.

It’s not that there’s a shortage of bars here–you can find Irish pubs galore near Penn Station and overpriced watery drinks all over Times Square. But there was nothing on the level of craft cocktail bars like Death and Company or Little Branch.

Enter Betony. This restaurant, located on West 57th Street in Manhattan, contains a beverage program so good that people will drop by the restaurant just for a drink. We can’t keep a secret this good forever, so here’s why we think Betony is Midtown Manhattan’s best cocktail spot.

After months of blizzards, puddles of brown slush, and frigid rain in New York City, the weather gods have finally decided to relent and bless us with some actual warm weather. (Californians, I can hear your snickering across the country. Shhhhhh.) This, of course, means one thing: it’s time to get serious about planning your next wine tasting adventure.

While the Finger Lakes are where it’s at for truly high quality wine in the state of New York, Long Island wineries are an easy day trip from New York City, making it an ideal introduction to the state’s wineries for both locals and tourists alike. Here are five wineries to put on your itinerary for your next trip to Long Island wine country.

Category: New York

5 Romantic NYC Bars That Are Perfect for Valentine’s Day

“Hella” Awesome: Why Hella Cocktail Co. Is A Name You Need to Know

Booze Buzz: Elsa in Brooklyn

Booze Buzz: Circa Brewing Co. in Brooklyn

Drinking for a Cause: Negroni Week 2017

Five O’Clock Fridays: Kentucky Colonel

Five O’Clock Fridays: Green Monk Fizz

The Perfect Brooklyn Cocktail Bar Crawl

Why Betony is Midtown Manhattan’s Best Cocktail Spot

5 Awesome Long Island Wineries to Visit This Summer