Bar openings and events in NYC

There are a lot of cocktail-making classes in New York, but Manhattan’s first legal distillery to open since Prohibition, Great Jones, does it just right. Set within its underground speakeasy, its two-hour class, The Shake Up, taught me how to make two actually-delicious cocktails with its smooth whiskey—but that’s not all. To start the class, we were whisked into the distillery where we had a quick tour and learned about the distilling process and the different kinds of whisky that are made on site—helping set the scene for the imbibing we were about to do below.  Once downstairs, we were immediately greeted with a Great Jones Straight Bourbon Smoked Old Fashioned (a welcome cocktail) and a solid charcuterie board (smoked almonds, marinated olives, dark chocolate coins, Jasper Hills Farm Alpha Tolman cheese, Jasper Hills Farms Moses, American Prosciutto and housemade sourdough crackers) at each table. To my surprise, we did a tasting of a few of the Great Jones Straight Bourbons, which already had me wondering how I’d get through making two cocktails. Our mixologist Ren took us step-by-step on how to make a Boulevardier and a Paper Plane, giving us tips and tricks along the way, including how to use (and open) a cocktail shaker and how to smoke one. The welcoming and cozy atmosphere helped me to relax and just learn, too, rather than being anxious about not being the best mixologist. I definitely made a few spills along the way, but I learned so much about why whiskey...

Wine down Wednesday? You had us at wine. To celebrate making it through the middle of the week, one of New York's natural wine bars is throwing a wine and music series to bring a little magic to the weekdays.  Starting this April, Sauced is teaming up with The Standard, High Line for Wine Down Wednesdays. Throughout the month, the bar will be taking over the sips and the speakers on the ground floor of the hotel's bar and dining space, The Living Room. Natural wines will be on order plus a lineup of DJ sets and local talent curated by the wine bar’s radio station, Sauced Radio, will help turn the vibe. Can't make the party? Catch the full set the following week on the radio channel so you can get in on the fun.  Mark your calendars for these upcoming dates: Wednesday, April 16, 7-10pm Wednesday, May 7, 7-10pm Wednesday, May 28th, 7-10PM  Seats are first-come, first-served, but there is plenty of standing room. But to guarantee a spot, reserve your spot on Resy.