Holiday drinks

BRONX

G-Bar
Converting a pizza parlor near Yankee Stadium into a suave restaurant was not enough for the owners of Giovanni’s; they also added G-Bar, which is connected to their popular eatery. The snaking, illuminated bar downstairs allows the young crowd to mingle; small groups can find seating and table service upstairs. There’s live jazz on Thursdays, and DJs spin the latest R&B and hip-hop on Friday and Saturday nights. Be sure to try the gingerbread martini—containing ginger brandy, Stoli Vanil, Goldschläger and a splash of half-and-half. It will get your holiday revelry under way. 575 Grand Concourse between 149th and 150th Sts (718-402-6996, giovannisnyc.com)

BROOKLYN

BOERUM HILL

Building on Bond
The next great hangout for the Brooklyn yupster set, Building on Bond has been open for just a few months. It still has that new-bar smell and is so far free of the sticky floors, stinky bathrooms and chipped pint glasses familiar at more lived-in taverns. Drink fare is standard, but the tunes are choice: Any place you can hear the season-one theme song from The Wire and selections off The Big Lebowski soundtrack gets a thumbs-up. But don’t make this your end-of-the-night spot: It closes at 1. 112 Bond St at Pacific St (347-853-8687)

Pacific Standard
This California-themed watering hole changes its tap offerings weekly— perfect for keeping the sports-watching young patrons on their toes. If beer and football aren’t your thing, try the potent Blueberry Lemonade with seltzer and blueberry-and-citrus vodka ($8). Your chances of getting drunk are fairly high, but stick with the TV if you want to experience a home run. 82 Fourth Ave between Bergen St and St. Marks Pl (718-858-1951, pacificstandardbrooklyn.com)

BROOKLYN HEIGHTS

Pete’s Waterfront Ale House
Most shops catering to thirsty longshoremen sell only grog and headaches. Pete’s bucks that trend with a nice beer selection, decent array of Scotches and even absinthe for our fancy Euro brethren. The burger-and-brew combo is always pretty sweet ($10.95 for the meat; $6 for a pint), as is the popcorn machine if you’re short on coin and want to nosh for free. 155 Atlantic Ave between Clinton and Henry Sts (718-522-3794)

CARROLL GARDENS

Bar Great Harry
Get your seasonal brews here: Bar Great Harry switches its draft beer selection so frequently that the owners launched a blog dedicated to their daily list (as well as e-announcements for brewery visits and trivia nights). Maybe it’s just because space is tight, but strangers tend to become insta-friends—or frenemies—over rounds of Battleship and other nostalgic board games at this spare coffeehouse-ish suds haven. 280 Smith St at Sackett St (718-222-1103, bargreatharry.com)

Black Mountain Wine House
More French château than Brooklyn bar, the Black Mountain Wine House melds rustic charm with sophisticated taste. The intimate tables reek of romance; singles are better off slugging at the front bar—and come holiday season, sampling winter-weather wines and cheeses by the crackling fireplace. 415 Union St at Hoyt St (718-522-4340)

Brooklyn Social
If you’ve always dreamed of being a member of the Sicilian social elite (who hasn’t?), hit up Brooklyn Social, a bar that has snarkily preserved the snootiness of the 1930s men’s club it once was. The space is stacked with legit artifacts: Owner Matt Dawson preserved as much as possible from the men’s club, from framed photos to the fridge. Now that it’s oh-so-contemporarily coed, it’s a great place to mingle—and its sophisticated menu (and house-made eggnog come Christmastime) is sure to keep out the riffraff. 335 Smith St between President and Carroll Sts (718-858-7758)

The Jake Walk
The Jake Walk’s going for delicious—and achieves it with cozy surroundings, an uncommonly deep wine and whiskey list, and cured edibles from nearby Stinky Bklyn (owned by the same folks). The catch: You’ll likely learn firsthand what the stiff-legged, Prohibition-era “jake walk” feels like after the typically long wait for a table. 282 Smith St at Sackett St (347-599-0294, thejakewalk.com)

COBBLE HILL

Clover Club
A madhouse since its June opening (imagine, a bouncer on Smith Street!), this luxe throwback to the days of speakeasy charm earns its rep with expertly prepared drinks. Bartenders break out the swizzle sticks and homemade bitters for on-the-mark juleps, old-fashioneds, highballs and whiskey sours. The interior is retro: pressed-tin ceiling, dark mahogany bar, rich leather booths. Finally—a club worth joining. 210 Smith St between Baltic and Butler Sts (718-855-7939 cloverclubny.com)

DUMBO

Superfine
Two words: hot lesbos. “We nicknamed the place ‘Lesbian Island’ because most of the staff here are gay,” says Superfine bartender Lola RocknRolla (who also reminds us that drinkers of all feathers are welcome here). That—along with the orange-felted pool table, a constantly rotating drinks menu and straw-umbrella cocktails—is reason enough for us to label this swanky but unpretentious Dumbo go-to super-duper-fine. 126 Front St at Pearl St (718-243-9005)

GOWANUS

The Bell House
From the owners of Union Hall and Floyd comes this mammoth bar and music venue, converted from its former life as a printing press and fly-by-night shipping company. Outfitted in deep reds and rich golds, it coos warm holiday cheer year-round, making it the perfect place for couples, singles and Manhattanites looking to spend some time in Gowanus. 149 7th St between Second and Third Aves (718-643-6510, thebellhouseny.com)

PARK SLOPE

Beer Table
This is beer drinking for grown-ups. A small, well-curated menu offers a selection of artisan brews, mostly by the bottle, and with each drink comes a description that reads like wine-tasting literature. The diverse menu offers stalwarts like Dogfish Head alongside more obscure options like a dark, smoky Belgian Rochefort Ale—though picks change on a near-daily basis, so you may never drink the same thing twice. The draft selection is smaller, at about three offered daily, and each day’s menu is posted on the website so you can see what’s on tap before you go. 427B Seventh Ave between 14th and 15th Sts (718-965-1196, beertable.com)

PROSPECT HEIGHTS/ CROWN HEIGHTS

Barrette
Plush red-leather banquettes and lacy black curtains give this small space a Jazz Age feel, minus the pretension of speakeasy-style joints. There’s a nice selection of draft beers (some seasonal), and a cocktail menu divided into tipples both “Classy” and “Trashy.” Fans of the former can sample the nook’s signature drink, made with grapefruit juice and bourbon, while less discriminating types can get bombed with a combo of cheap-ass beer and cheap-ass liquor. 601 Vanderbilt Ave at Bergen St, Prospect Heights (718-230-5170)

WILLIAMSBURG

Huckleberry Bar
This cavernous space is painted a fugly taupe and filled with dorm-grade furnishings, but damn if you won’t get wasted on $10 cocktails. Harvey Wallbangers and Pisco Sours complement seasonal favorites like hot buttered rum and spiked hot chocolate, all expertly shaken by funereal bartenders (though the sober shtick clashes with the hand-clapping hip-hop DJs and funksters breaking it down in the enclosed backyard). Delish sandwiches are prepared right behind the bar—good luck resisting the scent of bacon when you’re tossin’ back the Beefeater—and brunch lasts till 6pm on Sundays. 588 Grand St at Lorimer St (718-218-8555, huckleberrybar.com)

Spuyten Duyvil
You’d never guess this homey little tasting room, furnished with flea-market treasures, is one of the top beer bars in the country (so say the 150,000 hops geeks on beeradvocate.com). Chalkboards list unusual foreign brews; there are more than 200 in bottles and just six are on tap at a time. Ask the sociable suds guru on staff for a personalized recommendation, then settle in with small plates of meats, cheeses and other tasty accompaniments. Better still, try the seasonal spiced mulled wine, glühwein, and grab some takeout from the owners’ other establishment across the boulevard, meat mecca Fette Sau. NB: It’s pronounced “SPITE-en DIE-vil.” Besides being an area in the southern Bronx, it’s also the Belgian term for the town bar that takes all your money. 359 Metropolitan Ave at Havemeyer St (718-963-4140, spuytenduyvilnyc.com)

MANHATTAN

GREENWICH AND WEST VILLAGE

The Duplex
This West Village staple is known as much for its talented bar staff as for its wide array of cabaret shows. The downstairs piano room boasts an open mike every night beginning at 9pm, when patrons are welcome to take a turn in the spotlight. Upstairs, the game room’s leather banquettes, small cocktail tables and low stools give the feeling of a pool hall circa 1902. 61 Christopher St at Seventh Ave (212-255-5438, theduplex.com)

MIDTOWN

Haven
This 4,000-square-foot bi-level space straddles the line between food and drink destination, but the thoughtful cocktail program tilts the scales toward the latter. High-end tipples include the Jezebel (rose-infused gin with strawberries, basil and Meyer lemon) and Pears and Herbs (cognac, lemon, and pear puree with sage and thyme). For the holidays, try the peppermint truffle: organic Rain vodka infused with mint and bittersweet chocolate. 244 E 51st St between Second and Third Aves (212-906-9066, havennewyork.com)

Le Cirque Wine Lounge
The 2,000-strong red-wine cellar located in the center of Le Cirque Wine Lounge is upstaged by two phenomena that’ll make your eyes cross: statuesque couples sipping $18 martinis and a menu of holiday cocktails (we love the spiked eggnog) created by chief mixologist Bill Ghodbane. 151 E 58th St between Lexington and Third Aves (212-644-0202, lecirque.com)

Salon de Ning
The main draw of this 1930s Shanghai-inspired bar in the Peninsula Hotel is its two terraces, outfitted with daybeds fashioned from ornately carved timber: One provides a Fifth Avenue vista, the other a view of the Hudson to the west. If you can’t stand the cold, come inside for holiday-themed drinks like the Poinsettia (framboise, champagne, and pomegranate liquor and juice) or the tiramisu martini, which will warm your insides with Absolut Vanilia, Kahlúa, amaretto and whipped cream. The Peninsula New York, 700 Fifth Ave at 55th St, 23rd floor (212-956-2888, peninsula.com)

UNION SQUARE AREA

Flatiron Lounge
If feeling like you’ve just stepped into an F. Scott Fitzgerald novel is on your drinking agenda, then by gum, this is your type of hooch joint. The cozy Art Deco space is perfect for a winter’s eve, and the dozens of fancy though pricey cocktails will warm you up. With guest drinks by booze scientists all over the city, there’s something to suit every palate, whether you prefer Zelda’s flapper age or the latest mixologist creation. 37 W 19th St between Fifth and Sixth Aves (212-727-7741, flatironlounge.com)

BRONX | BROOKLYN | MANHATTAN | QUEENS | STATEN ISLAND

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