Tri-Annual Cask Ale Festival at The Brazen Head: April 30 - May 2, 2010

Our friends at The Brazen Head and The Gotham Imbiber are hosting their twenty first cask ale festival this weekend...
Friday, April 30 - Sunday, May 1
Brazen Head's Tri-Annual Winter Cask Festival
Expect 25 to 30 casks to be pouring over the weekend, 12 at a time, including rare offerings not normally seen in cask in NYC. Beer will come in half pint and 16 oz measures, there's no entry fee and you pay by the glass.
Opening hours: Noon to 2am all three days.
No cover - No minimum
12 noon to 2am all weekend while supplies last.

Beer range is courtesy of NYC's premier cask ale expert, Alex Hall of Gotham Imbiber, in conjunction with The Brazen Head's own Lou Sones. For more information about cask ales in New York City, check out Alex's website, Gotham-imbiber.com.

The Brazen Head also sells beer growlers, so you can take some home with you. Bring in your own growler or buy one of theirs and they will fill it for you. You get 4 pints for the price of 3.

The Brazen Head also announces new specials this spring:
Introducing their Late Night Happy Hour
Tues, Wed & Sat- 2am to 4am
Sun & Monday – 12am to 2am

Tuesday Nights they are bringing back our Dart Contest, starting Tuesday, May 11.
This time the prize will be a $20 bar tab.

New Brazen Head T Shirts now being designed by Adam Suerte a renowned Brooklyn Tattoo Artist. These will be collector's items.
Over the summer they plan to have outdoor movie nights and beer & cheese pairings.
at:
The Brazen Head
228 Atlantic Ave.
(between Court St. & Boerum Pl.)
Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, NY
(718) 488-0430
BrazenHeadBrooklyn.com

Happy Anniversary: Bourbon Street Cafe

Congratulations to our friends at Bourbon Street Cafe in Bayside, Queens on their anniversary, celebrating tonight with a special dinner...
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Bourbon Street Anniversary Dinner

Celebrate the spirit of our Traditional Cajun Cuisine
Dance to the sounds of the Mike Lewis Jazz Band
4 Course Dinner - $32.95 per person (Reservations Required)

Anniversary Dinner Menu:
Appetizer:
Enchanted Spring Forest in Puff Pastry w/ Madeira Wine Sauce
Salad:
Arugula Salad w/ Toasted Almonds, Golden Raisin, Shaved Parmesan & Lemon Vinaigrette Dressing
Choice of 1 Entrée:
Thai Braised Short Ribs w/ Plum Chutney & Rice Noodles, Chicken Stuffed w/ Boursin, Spinach & Pecans or Zucchini Wrapped Salmon w/ Scallion Sauce
Dessert:
Double Chocolate Mouse Cake
7pm
at:

Bourbon Street
4012 Bell Boulevard
Bayside, NY
(718) 224-2200
BourbonStreetNY.com

Cinco de Mayo in NYC

Cinco de Mayo is a commemoration of the Mexican army's victory over the French in the 1862 Battle of Puebla.
148 years later, it has somehow become an excuse to party in NYC today.
Who are we to complain?


Wednesday, May 5
Cinco de Mayo in NYC
Check out full details at:
CincodeMayoNYC.com

Happy 12th Anniversary, Mad River

Congratulations to all our friends at Mad River Bar & Grille on their 12th anniversary.
The upper east side party spot, started back in 1998, has grown to become the flagship of a multi-city venture, with Mad River bars now in Baltimore, two in Philadelphia, Chicago and Charleston.

They are celebrating tonight with an open bar party for those that RSVP.

Thursday, April 22
12 Year Anniversary Party
at Mad River Bar NYC
Free open bar from 7 to 9pm if you’re on the guest list.
The way to get on the guest list is to e-Mail: madrivernyc@gmail.com
or RSVP via Facebook
starting at 7pm, the party will last all night
at:
Mad River Bar & Grille
1442 Third Ave.
(between 81st & 82nd St.)
New York, NY
(212) 988-1832
MadRiverGrille.com
facebook.com/MadRiverNYC

Stuck in NYC Due to the Iceland Volcano?

To those European travelers stranded at JFK due to Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland:
Some NYC venues are offering a some entertainment options at no cost. It sure beats sitting on a cot in a smelly terminal. Hop in a cab or Air Train and enjoy these deals:

Joe's Pub is offering free tickets to shows today, April 20
Shows your itinerary or European passport
Bring a copy of your originally intended itinerary
and/or your European passport,
you can come and enjoy tomorrow's shows for free:

Performing:
Johnny A - 7pm
Backyard Tire Fire - 9:30pm
at:
Joe's Pub
425 Lafayette St. (Astor Pl.)
New York, NY
JoesPub.com


-------------------------------------
DosCaminos in the Meat Packing District will buy you a drink (until April 22):
For those stuck in NY due to volcanic ash
show foreign passport get complimentary El Camino margarita
with the purchase of an entree
at:
Dos Caminos Meatpacking District
675 Hudson St. (bet. 13th & 14th St.)
New York, NY
212-699-2400
brguestrestaurants.com

Also in the meat packing district...
Comp Tickets at Comix
Present your itinerary to Comix
get comp tickets & 50% off your bill until April 28
see schedule at: comixny.com/calendar.aspx
Call 212-524-2500 for info.
at:
Comix
353 W. 14th St. (Ninth Ave.)
New York, NY
(212) 524-2500
ComixNY.com



---------------------------------
Free admission at the NYC Transit Museum
Visit the NYC Transit museum for free
Through Friday April 23
Just bring your transatlantic ticket.
at:
Corner of Boerum Place and Schermerhorn Street,
Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn, NY
718.694.1600
mta.info/mta/museum

Foursquare Day in NYC - April 16, 2010

Friday, April 16, 2010
Foursquare Day
Today is foursquare day:
4 squared is 16. April 16th = 4/16 (or 16/4 if you are in Europe).
We wholeheartedly endorse the "any excuse for a party" theory. This one has the potential to be huge, simply because Foursquare is huge right now, especially among smart people, like the ones reading the MurphGuide blog. (heh, heh, see what I just did there?)

A creative guy in Tampa, FL (Nate Bonilla-Warford) and friends thought up the idea to have a Foursquare Day. Through the magic of fast-paced, location-based mobile word of mouth, his idea has become an overnight world wide phenomenon, with events scheduled in over 200 cities, including New York, Tampa, Barcelona, Caracas, Chicago, Dublin, Dubai, New Orleans, Prague, Shanghai and Vancouver.
(If you are unfamiliar with Foursquare, that's OK. You can catch up by watching a quick video on Howcast).

Although Foursquare Day was not created by Foursquare the company, it has been wholeheartedly endorsed by the folks at Foursquare. So much so that they are hosting their own event at The Hotel Rivington:

Friday April 16
Foursquare Day Party
Hosted by Foursquare
including a hip hop dance party provided by DJ Manero.
10pm - 2am
at:
The Hotel on Rivington - Penthouse
107 Rivington Street (btw Ludlow and Essex)
New York, NY

But wait, there's more...
One of the cool things about Foursquare is that it is user-driven. So in that spirit, anybody can set up a Foursquare Day event. Of course, the social media mavens at The Roger Smith Hotel are on top of this, and will be hosting their own Foursquare Day event:

Friday April 16
New York Foursquare Day Swarm
The Roger Smith Hotel will be holding an old school Four Square Tourney
Your first glass of wine or beer is on the house upon check-in
( I assume this means Foursquare check-in and not hotel check-in).
Also offering $5 Beer and Wine during the Event and half off of appetizers.
Prizes to the Top 3 finishers in the Tourney
7-9pm
at:
The Roger Smith Hotel
501 Lexington Ave
New York , NY
(212) 755-1400
RogerSmith.com



-----------------------------------------------
Friday, April 16
New York Foursquare Day Evening Swarm
Check-in to receive a complimentary Caipirinha
6 - 9pm
at:
Union Square Lounge (at Coffee Shop)
30 East 16th St. (Union Square)
New York , NY
212.243.7969 ext 101
uslnyc.com

You can track all the action at 4sqday.com or follow them on twitter @4sqday
Here is my profile on Foursquare:
foursquare.com/user/murphguide

Today in NYC: Saturday, April 10

There is a lot of fun stuff going on today. Spring is in full swing and New Yorkers are ready to bust loose. Check out these events, there should be something for everyone, and tell fun people!

• Tartan Week
• Concern for Haiti Fun Run
• Michael Cawley Foundation Benefit at Mulcahy's
• Brazen Head's Spring Clam & Oyster Shuck
• Angel's Army at Parkside Lounge
• Lindy Promo Greenwich Village Bar Tour
• UFC 112 at Firefly
• Chaser at O'Flanagan's
• East Coast at O'Flanagan's
• UFC 112 at Rogue
• Atomic Dog at The Wicked Monk
• Stand Up Comedy at Comic Strip Live
• Free Brewery Tour at Chelsea Brewing Co.
• UFC 112 at Third & Long
• Larry Kirwan at An Beal Bocht
• Gotham Girls Roller Derby at LIU
• "Our Amazing Show" at Via Della Pace

Happy 16th Anniversary Doc Holliday's

Congratulations to Dave, Joanna and all of our friends at Doc Holliday's on sixteen years.

Located at the gateway to Tompkins Square Park, Doc Holliday's is the perfect mixture of the East Village and the wild, wild west. In a MurphGuide readers poll, it was voted the best saloon in NYC.

Friday, April 9
16th Anniversary Party

Specials all day and all night
Joanna during the day - 12-8pm
Maggie and Meridith at night - 8pm-4am
RSVP via facebook
at:
Doc Holliday's
141 Avenue A (9th St.)
East Village
New York, NY
(212) 979-0312


Links:
Doc Holliday's on facebook
Doc Holliday's (NYCBP)
Doc Holliday's (MurphGuide)
Doc Holliday's (NYMag)
Doc Holliday's (myspace)

Who was Doc Holliday? (wikipedia)

GFW 2010: A Concert to Benefit Global Fund for Women

Our friend Stephen Bailey invites you to this fundraising event he is hosting...


Thursday, April 8
GFW 2010
A Concert to Benefit
Global Fund for Women
8:30pm - Julian Peterson
9:30pm - clueLess All-Star Jam
Featuring songs from The Beatles’ Revolver album with special guests
10:30pm - Infernophonic
$10 cover
doors open 89pm
at:
Maxwell's
1039 Washington St.
Hoboken, NJ
More info at: StephenBailey.com

See Stephen's PSA here:

Opening Day at Citifield

Today is opening day at Citifield. For Mets fans, that's a big deal, but for New York bar lovers, the big news is the brand new McFadden's Ballpark bar located at Citifield.

If you are a Mets season ticket holder, contact the bar for specials exclusively for those with season tickets.
McFadden's Citi Field
Citi Field
Flushing, NY
(718) 651-2220
McFaddensBallparkNY.com


Book a party any night of the week
Contact Mandi:
mandi.mcfaddens@gmail.com

Happy 10th Anniversary Bar Coastal

Congratulations to our friend Jason and all at Bar Coastal on their 10th Anniversary.

Ten years ago, Jason Catlin opened up a West Coast themed bar on the upper east side. Taking over the space that was formerly called Cowboy Bar, Jason decided to move the atmosphere further west, creating a California theme with surf boards, and hosting game watch parties for California colleges such as USC and Cal, and pro teams including the L.A. Dodgers and L.A. Kings. More recently, the west coast theme came to include the pacific northwest, especially during the 2010 Winter Olympics, as the bar adopted a Vancouver flavor for two weeks in February.

But deep down, they are still New Yorkers, and with its many TVs, large windows that open up in nice weather and the famous Atomic Wings, it is a nice sports bar to watch the local teams. The bartenders are friendly, so pop in and wish them a happy 10th anniversary!
at:
Bar Coastal
1495 First Ave. (78th St.)
New York, NY
(212) 772-8400
BarCoastal.com

Walk the Dog with Newcastle

Our friend Fergus at Newcastle tells us about this new weekly promotion...
In the UK, "walking the dog" became a euphemism for going out for a beer. Newcastle Brown Ale somehow acquired the nickname "The Dog". So now, Newcastle is trying to bring the concept to America with their new promotion. Walk the Dog Wednesday will be every Wednesday at a different bar. Tonight, at The Parlour's new midtown location.

The Parlour is one of my favorite bars on the upper west side, having hosting many MurphGuide functions over the years. Congratulations and good luck to our friend John Kelly & company on the brand new Parlour that just opened on W. 30th St.

Wednesday, March 31
Newcastle Brown Ale presents
Walk the Dog Wednesday
Complimentary Newcastle Ale
5-7pm
at:
The Parlour
247 W. 30th St.
(between Seventh & Eighth Ave.)
New York, NY
(212) 967-1070
TheParlour.com

A to Z Bar Crawl

The N.Y. Times (that other great nightlife website) posted a cool slide show depicting the exteriors of 26 bars, one for each letter of the alphabet in an A-Z bar crawl.

There was not much information about the crawl itself, other than it was "a group of New Yorkers", they spent "the last year" doing it (wow!) and it ends this week at Zanzibar. Starting with Arctica and ending with Zanzibar, the crawl hit many of our favorites here on MurphGuide, including: Bourbon Street, Fiddlesticks, Galway Hooker, The Half Pint, Overlook, Prohibition, Rodeo Bar, The Town Tavern and Ulysses.

You can view the slideshow with nice photos by Julie Glassberg here:
nytimes.com/slideshow/2010/03/21/nyregion/0321-ABC_index.html

Here is the A-Z list:
Arctica
Bourbon Street
Cibar
Donnybrook
East End
Fiddlesticks
Galway Hooker
Half Pint
Inc. Lounge
Jadis
Kings Head Tavern
Legends
Moomia
Naked Lunch
Overlook
Prohibition
Quigley's
Rodeo Bar
Soho Room
The Town Tavern
Ulysses'
Vig Bar
Westside Tavern
XR Bar
Yello
Zanzibar

Murph to appear on the Andy Troy Show: March 29,

To quote my friend Tom, "internet radio killed the video star." Murph (I am referring to myself in the third person here) will be a guest tonight on The Andy Troy Show, and internet radio show on the Centanni Network.

This week's show is about New York nightlife, and I will be guest along with veteran bartender Steve Warren who'll be sharing 30 years of wild bartending stories.

Andy Troy is a New Yorker, event host, personal trainer, fitness consultant, author of two books and internet radio host.

I met Andy through his hosting of networking events. (His excellent events are usually listed on the MurphGuide Events Calendar). He hosts events such as The Feast for Five Senses, and most recently, a fundraiser for NYC Animal Care & Control.

He is the author of "Living Young: 32 Habits of Ageless People" which is available on the MurphGuide store on Amazon (disclosure: if you purchase through this link, I get a few cents commission. Thanks!)

I am thrilled to be invited on to his show:

Monday, March 29, 2010
The Andy Troy Show
8 - 9pm
listen live at:
Centannibroadcasting.com
The shows are archived, so you if miss the broadcast, you can always go back and listen to it at your convenience.

For more info. visit Andy's facebook page:
facebook.com/event.php?eid=112544155425248

March Madness: Sweet Sixteen

It's madness I tell ya, madness!
NCAA Men's basketball have reached the sweet sixteen. Eight teams play tonight, and eight more tomorrow night. The winners will face off on Saturday and Sunday on the road to the Final Four. Here is tonight's action:

Thursday, March 25, 2010
7:07pm - Butler #5 vs. Syracuse #1
7:27pm - Washington #11 vs. West Virginia #2
9:37pm - Xavier #6 vs. Kansas St. #2
9:57pm - Cornell #12 vs. Kentucky #1

Watch the action at your favorite NYC Sports bar. Check out MurphGuide's special March Madness page for March Madness specials:
MurphGuide.com/marchmadness

If you are rooting for a specific team, here are where the alumni are watching tonight's action:

Butler Bulldogs vs. Syracuse Orangemen - 7:07pm

Syracuse fans will be all over town. Here are some game watches we know about:

Syracuse Game Watch at East End

The East End
1664 First Ave.
(between 86th & 87th St.)
New York, NY
(212) 348-3783
EastEndBar.com





at:
Third & Long
523 Third Ave. (35th St.)
New York, NY
(212) 447-5711
ThirdandLongNYC.com




Butler Bulldogs fans have been known to watch at The Hill or Blondie's:
The Hill
416 3rd Ave. (between 28th & 29th St.)
New York, NY
thehillny.com

Blondies
212 W. 79th St.
(between Broadway & Amsterdam Ave.)
New York, NY

==============================
Washington Huskies vs. W. Virginia Mountaineers - 7:27pm

West Virginia Mountaineers - meet at both Latitude & Local West

at:
Latitude
783 Eighth Ave.
(between 47th & 48th St.)
New York, NY
(212) 245-3034
LatitudeBarNYC.com

Local West
1 Penn Plaza in NYC
(33rd Street between 7th and 8th Avenues - closer to 8th)
212-629-7070
Localcafenyc.com

Washington Huskies are meeting at Rattle & Hum
Rattle and Hum
14 E. 33rd St. (between 5th & Madison Ave.)
New York, NY
(212) 451-1586
RattlenHumBarNYC.com
=================================
Xavier Musketeers vs. Kansas St. Wildcats - 9:37pm
Xavier Musketeers Watch at Bar XII

Bar XII
206 E. 34th St. (Third Ave.)
New York, NY
(212) 545-9912
Bar12.com


The Australian hosts the Kansas St. Wildcats

The Australian
20 W. 38th St.
(bet. Fifth & Sixth Ave.)
New York, NY
(212)869-8601
TheAustralianNYC.com

==================================
Cornell Big Red vs. Kentucky Wildcats - 9:57pm

Cornell alumni can of course meet at The Cornell Club
but if you want to avoid the Andy Bernards of the world, head out to a bar, like, BB&R:

BB&R (Blonde, Brunette and A Redhead)
1720 Second Ave. (between 89th & 90th St.)
New York, NY
(212) 987-5555
bbrnyc.com

Kentucky alumni are meeting at Jack Demsey's:

Jack Demsey's
36 W 33rd St. (between 5th & 6th Ave.)
New York, NY
(212) 629-9899
JackDemseys.com

Twestival To Benefit Concern Worldwide

Thanks to twitter, the act of adding a "tw" in front of a word has come to mean the twitter version of the word. Thus, meetup becomes tweetup. Invite becomes twtvite. Some of it can get pretty corny (twitterverse? twinfluence? tweeple please!). There is one use that we will give a pass, since it is for such a worthy cause: Twestival, a world-wide tweetup that will raise funds tonight for Concern Worldwide. The New York Twestival takes place at Good Units, the new club at the Hudson Hotel.

Thursday, March 25
NYC Twestival
To Benefit Concern Worldwide
Entertainment by:
Shinobi Ninja (@ShinobiNinja)
DJ MisterDisco
$20 for a normal ticket and $100 for a VIP ticket.
Purchase tickets on-line
7-11pm
at:
Good Units at Hudson Hotel
356 W. 58th St. (between Eighth & Ninth Ave.)
New York, NY
HudsonHotel.com

Below is a video of Shinobi Ninja's song "Brooklyn to Babylon"

Wine & Wishes Gala at Pier 60: Wednesday, March 24

Wednesday, March 24
The Seventh Annual
Wine & Wishes Gala
Wine tasting and auction benefiting the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Metro New York
Enjoy great wine and food at Wine & Wishes 2010
hosted by The Charmer Sunbelt Group
Purchase tickets online: wineandwishesnyc.kintera.org
For more information, contact Amy Epstein
(212) 957-9474 or aepstein@metrony.wish.org
at:
Pier Sixty
Chelsea Piers
New York, NY

http://metrony.wish.org

Ringling Brothers Elephant Parade: March 22, 2010

The circus is in town. The Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus starts their annual run at Madison Square Garden this week. The circus performs March 24-29, 31, April 2-4. In order to get the elephants into Manhattan, they walk them through the Midtown Tunnel in the middle of the night. That night is tonight, some time after midnight. It is quite a spectacle to see elephants walking down the streets of New York.

photo via The Diary of Third & Long

Instead of waiting around on the sidewalk, many folks congregate in the bars near the tunnel exit on 34th St. Here are some spots where you can enjoy a drink before the fun starts:

Monday night is Beer Bingo Night
all night at Third & Long.
$2 domestic draft mugs
$1 Bud/Bud Light/Coors Light mugs
at:
Third & Long
523 Third Ave. (35th St.)
New York, NY
(212) 447-5711
ThirdandLongNYC.com

---------------------------
Bar XII hosts trivia on Monday nights.
Seven rounds of trivia. Free to play
Prizes given to winning team at end of all seven rounds
Win gift certificates, ipods, Vegas trips and more
8pm
at:
Bar XII
206 E. 34th St. (Third Ave.)
New York, NY
(212) 545-9912
Bar12.com


-------------------------------
Mercury Bar hosts "Movie Night" on Mondays, which will help you pass the time.
Tonight's film is "Semi Tough", starts at 9pm
with drink specials
and free popcorn.
at:
Mercury Bar
493 Third Ave.
(between 33rd & 34th St.)
New York, NY
(212) 683-2645
MercuryBarNYC.com


The parade, featuring elephants, horses and a frew clowns, marches west on 34th St.
On the west side, you can hang out near Madison Square Garden, the ultimate destination of the animals, who will share space with the Knicks and Rangers for the next two weeks. Here are some other places you can wait for the parade to go by...


Katwalk
2 W. 35th St.
(between 5th & 6th Ave.)
New York, NY
(212) 594-9343
KatWalkNYC.com


---------------------------------------
Tracks Raw Bar & Grill
Penn Station
LIRR level
New York, NY
(212) 244-6350
TracksBarGrill.com
----------------------------------
Stout
133 W. 33rd St.
(bet. Sixth & Seventh Ave.)
New York, NY
(212) 629-6191
StoutNYC.com

-------------------------------------
Fat Annie's Truck Stop
131 W. 33rd St.
(bet. Sixth & Seventh Ave.)
New York, NY
(212) 695-1122
FatAnniesTruckStop.com



Below is a clip we found on youtube from the 2007 parade: