Everything You Need to Build Your First Home Bar

As the holidays quickly approach, it’s time to get your home ready to entertain your friends and family. A great way to create an entertaining space in your home is to build a home bar. Use your home bar to entertain guests, or use it as a space for the adults to go while the kids play video games. We provide you with everything you need to build your first home bar below.

Find the Perfect Space in Your Home

Not every home has a finished and furnished basement for a bar space, but it’s cool if you do. The first step is to use the space you have. It doesn’t matter if it’s a corner in your apartment, a bedroom, or an office, any space will work. Find a rolling cart or table to serve as your bar, and get ready for some good times. Change the space with a custom sign on the wall or even a custom keg handle.

Drink What You Like

Some people think to start a home bar you need to grab the most expensive spirits on the market. That’s not true at all! Start your home bar with spirits you enjoy. You will probably use the bar more than anyone else anyway. Now that you have what you like, you can think about your guests. Grab some base spirits that will allow you to create numerous cocktails. You can’t go wrong with whiskey, rum, vodka, some wine, and beer. Be sure to buy shot glass sets that will help you get the perfect pour for all your drinks. Also, don’t forget to buy some mixers like soda, tonic water, and juices.

Find Books to Help Your Bar Become Better

Instead of spending your whole budget on pre-made spirits, grab the basics and a good cocktail book! A cocktail book will allow you to expand your drink offerings. Find the perfect cocktail book at a local bookstore or online.

Purchase Accessories and Tools

Here is a short list of accessories and tools that will aid you in your home bar endeavors:

• Staple Mixers: tonic water, syrups, and bitters

• Mixing Tools: a muddler, a jigger, juice press, strainers, shakers, ice cubes, and glasses.

Create a Signature Drink

The last thing you need is a little imagination. As you research different drink recipes, try to find a drink that suits your personality, and add your own spin on it. After you find your signature drink, give it a creative name. People will surely have great memories of the first time in your home bar.

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PRICELESS Opens with Chef Pia León's Kjolle for Fall 2019 Residency

Immerse your senses in a culinary experience that goes beyond your expectations with: PRICELESS – An International Culinary Collective in New York City.

After weeks of tireless preparations, Mastercard welcomed Kjolle, from famed culinary talent Pia León of Lima, Peru, to the PRICELESS family this past Saturday, October 5, 2019. Mastercard and Spring, alongside Chef León – who was named 2018’s Best Female Chef in Latin America by World’s 50 Best Restaurants – have once again brought to life a world-class international dining destination right here in NYC via a fully immersive recreation with meticulous attention to detail.

Sadia Rahman

At Kjolle, Chef León reimagines the dining experience for her guests through a modern blend of exceptional ingredients and elevated flavors inspired by nature spanning the different regions of Peru. Kjolle at PRICELESS has been reimagined with deference to the abundance of glass and warm woods that emphasize the interplay of glass and light. Throughout the restaurant, stone mosaic tables and woven wall-hangings are accented with punches of saturated colored glass, hand-thrown pottery and curated plate ware. An amazing selection of food from the most exquisite ingredients and dishes can be experienced here at Kjolle.

 Also returning for the Fall 2019 residency are The Rock from Zanzibar, Tanzania, a remarkable restaurant accessible only by foot during low tide and by boat when the tide rises, where traditional African hospitality and cuisine with an Italian twist meets awe-inspiring, 360 degree views of the Indian Ocean, and Lyaness from London, UK, from the team behind Dandelyan - voted World's Best Bar in 2018 - that applies a chef’s approach to the world of cocktails, reinventing and elevating them to a true art form. Creator of Lyaness, My Lyan has reinvented the world of cocktails at London’s famed Lyaness, also known as the world’s best bar. 

A once in a lifetime experience of the best cuisines that you do not want to miss out on, book your reservations today.

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Our Favorite New York City's Sports Bars

New York has sports bars for everyone, Giants fans to Cowboys fans and everything in between. While finding the right one can be tricky we list our favorites with souther charm, TV's and for those who want an arcade to in between commercials.

Printers Alley, a bit of Southern charm brought to New York City. With 3 projectors, 2 bars, and 20 TV screens, this is the laid-back place to watch the game.. Enjoy the game with Southern classics like pulled pork, collard greens, and fried chicken. Plus, they have 2 kinds of slushies, 12 cocktails, and a selection of beers.

PrintersAlleyNYC

Stout is located in midtown, a central location in the heart of Manhattan right by Madison Square Garden. Hailed as New York’s largest Irish pub at three stories, their menu includes over 150 bottled beers, 25 drafts and more than 65 Irish whiskies. As there are 36 TVs in the pub, there are 36 ways to enjoy the game.

With Billiards, Ping-Pong, Darts, Vintage Arcades, Foosball, and Hoops, Breaks Bar & Billiards is a playground made for adults. But don’t let the games distract you from the 16 TV screens, 2 projectors, and a 55-foot long bar. With over 18 beers on tap and a classic American menu, you’ll almost never want to leave.

@Pandaeatssss

A soccer-centric pub, Woodwork constantly has futball on at practically all hours when the pub is open. Their website has all the matches for the day, so no one can second guess who’s playing and when. If there’s a match that someone wants to watch but is not on the pub’s schedule, people can call ahead to request it. Bonus: during happy hour, drafts and wells are $4 from 4-7pm from Monday to Friday.

@mongoindustries

Last one ‘standing’ is Standings, a favorite Irish Pub by many who claim it to be the classic sports bar. Despite its small size, the 8 TVs could practically be seen from everywhere. They have happy hour 5-7pm Monday - Friday and free pizza on Friday! Granted, you’d probably be bumping elbows with the next two people on either side of you, but you’ll bask in the glory of the comradery that only sports can bring!

Labor Day Specials Not To Miss In NYC

The last unofficial weekend of Summer has lots to do as we enter Labor Day. Perhaps it’s your last chance going to The Hamptons, a trip to the US Open. or just getting ready for Fashion Week, leaves the weekend full of excitement. If you happen to be stuck in the city and looking for somewhere to eat, look no further as we gathered 5 of the best specials to try out this weekend. Try one, or try them all!

photo credit Jenna Murray/IGC Hospitality)

The Wilson - 132 W 27th Street

Labor Day Weekend is your last chance to indulge in The Wilson’s Summer Staycation menu. Available Saturday and Sunday, the Staycation Menu includes summer specials like the Surf & Turf ($44), Lobster Roll ($23) or the Lobster Boil ($35). Wash it down with a $35 Bucket of Beers or $50 Carafe of Rosé. Need a Monday morning brunch to cure the weekend’s hangover?

The Wilson will be running the weekend brunch menu into Monday from 11 a.m to 3 p.m. Reservations can be made by emailing reservations@igchospitality.com.

Mondrian Terrace - 444 Park Avenue South

Rosé Terrace is celebrating Labor Day with Bottomless Rosé all weekend long. Yes Way Rosé! Enjoy a live DJ while sipping unlimited Rosé. Soak up the last of the summer sun on the terrace. The event will run all weekend Friday-Monday. There are two, two-hour sessions on Friday and Saturday; Sunday and Monday each have one, two-hour session. Tickets include bottomless still and sparkling rosé, Live DJ, and an exclusive taste of "la vie en rose" for just $59.

Additional details and tickets can be found here.

Parker & Quinn: - 64 W 39th Street

Labor Day Weekend is better known as “Lobster Day Weekend” at Parker & Quinn.Celebrate the long weekend with a quintessential Lobster Boil ($35) that includes a whole Lobster, corn, heirloom petite potatoes, chorizo and can of Montauk Beer.

This special will run all weekend from Friday-Monday, so come by once, twice, or every day! Reservations can be made by emailing reservations@igchospitality.com.

Boulton & Watt -5 Avenue A

In celebration of the long weekend, Boulton & Watt is adding an extra day to their signature brunch service. Swing by the Lower East Side watering hole on Saturday, Sunday, or Monday to indulge in outdoor seating, $7 brunch cocktails, and that perfect blend of breakfast and lunch.

Doors open Saturday and Sunday at 10am, Monday at noon. For reservations call 646-490-6004

Refinery Rooftop 63 W 38th Street

The best part of a three-day weekend is that rare Sunday party. Refinery Rooftop is pairing al fresco day drinking with a live DJ from 3 p.m- 8 p.m on Sunday. To help ease that Monday hangover, Refinery Rooftop will open at noon, serving light bites, brunch, and more DJ beats.

Reservations can be made by emailing reservations@igchospitality.com.

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Time Out Market: both a magazine and culinary hotspot at once

Sarah Finkel

Time Out, the revolutionary media company known to compile some of the best itineraries for city exploration, has officially launched its third Time Out Market located in Dumbo (55 Water St, Brooklyn)—and it’s already a huge success after having opened barely a month ago.

Following in the footsteps of its Portugal and Miami predecessors, New York’s Time Out Market overlooks the Manhattan skyline with unbeatable views of the East River, garnering plenty of foot traffic in the popular waterfront scene near the Brooklyn Bridge.

Unlike traditional food halls, Time Out Market’s vision was designed by a magazine, rather than a business plan. Some of the most cultured veterans of New York City, a.k.a. the editors of Time Out New York, personally crafted the market’s collection of eateries by wining and dining at an unlimited number of restaurants until their palettes were fully satiated.

Their top picks were consolidated into 21 venues, each of them complementing the other in a meticulously curated mix. Between Israeli chef Meir Adoni’s Nur, authentic Japanese cuisine at Bessou, classic pancake institution Clinton St. Baking Company, and health-conscious vegan spot BKLYN Wild, the hungry New Yorker (or visitor) has a multitude of cuisines and tastes to choose from—all under one roof.

Not only does the 24,000-square-foot market house 21 vendors, it also features a demo cooking area, a video-installation wall, and three bars, with some of the finest cocktails in the game. The communal tables are equipped with leather chairs, and the food is served on real dishware with metal utensils.

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The Freshest Food is from Above: New York’s Rooftop Gardens

Kara Schlotthauer

Agriculture reaches further than just in the acres of open farmland in the Midwest; it’s also suspended above pedestrians’ heads in the middle of NYC. Gardens are taking over the roofs of New York’s buildings, silencing the excuse that wide open spaces are necessary to produce quality, fresh vegetables and herbs. These rooftop gardens find their places atop apartment buildings and restaurants, while New Yorkers also use plots of ground-level land where possible to establish urban farms. Urbanites have taken their nutrition into their own hands to get only the best ingredients to support a healthy lifestyle, ranging from a few contained plants to bulging green expanses.

Even city lawmakers are on board with more green spaces. A bill is currently in the works that would promote the importance of urban farming and community gardens, protecting them and adding bright spots of growth to vacant lots around the area. This is one of the reasons why careful planning is really important in gardening.

Many small community gardens and farms are spread throughout the city’s neighborhoods, located largely on publicly-owned land or operated by nonprofit organizations to make the food accessible to community members.

A few of the largest gardens crowning New York’s rooftops, though, are listed below.

Riverpark Farm at Alexandria Center

Instagram: @riverparknyc

A year-long paused construction site caught the attention of Top Chef’s Tom Colicchio and Gramercy Tavern alum Sisha Ortuzar as the perfect site to grow the freshest ingredients for their restaurant. Planted in milk crates, the portable garden relocated to the plaza’s north side when construction restarted, not giving up on the quality of the dishes served with the 100 types of fresh vegetables.

Bell Book & Candle

Using a vertical garden system, Bell Book & Candle is a host for a lush rooftop garden, placing the highest value on locally and organically grown produce. The menu selections heavily rely on the available ingredients acquired from the garden and cycles through the year’s seasons, bringing guaranteed savory flavors to every dish prepared.

Brooklyn Grange

Instagram: @brooklyngrange

Despite the location its name suggests, this rooftop garden is based out of Long Island City. Claiming five and a half acres of rooftop space across Brooklyn and Queens, Brooklyn Grange operates the largest rooftop soil farms in the world. Since 2010, it’s passion is to grow and source food to local communities in the eco-friendliest way. Modern urban agriculture takes its cues from Brooklyn Grange, and the 80,000 lbs. of produce isn’t all that it offers. The rooftop gardens double as event venues for yoga classes, weddings and dinner parties.

 If you don’t want to walk down the street for a ripe tomato or a sprig of parsley, you could create your own garden with a bit of a green thumb. While personal rooftop gardens require a considerable amount of care, time and money, many New Yorkers are accepting the challenge to get the best ingredients for their meals.

 The reward of a self-grown garden is worth the effort anywhere you go, from the tallest building to just around the block.

 For tips to start your own rooftop garden, check out these websites:

• Before Starting Your Garden                                           

• Starting a Rooftop Container Garden

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