NYC Nightlife: Everything You Need To Know Wednesday

Alcohol coming to the High Line this summer, fancy ice coming to an overpriced drink near you, changes at the Darby, changes at CV,  tips to the perfect cocktails and more. Today's nightlife roundup is mixing it up!

1. The Highline Is About To Get Boozy [DNAInfo] [Image Via]

Friends of the High Line won support Tuesday night for its plan to launch beer and wine service this summer. Hurrah! But the Community Board, being the Community Board and therefore required to act like your cranky grandpa woken up from his nap, has some concerns. Booze will be served above the Chelsea Market and at the northern end of a second section of the park that's due to open in late spring and serves 350 people--otherwise known as far too many.

"I think it's a great amenity, but it's going to get away from you," said committee co-chair Lisa Daglian, raising the specter of a beer garden-like atmosphere emerging.

Pretzels and wenches?

Nope. Founder Joshua David and Director of Food Melina Shannon-DiPietro talked about forging a family-friendly environment with art installations, films and activities including roller-skating and salsa classes. They are also working with the neighborhood in other ways pretty much ensuring you some enjoyable summer days spent sipping in the city's elevated park.

2. High End Ice Coming To An Overpriced Drink Near You [NYT]

Dutch Kills--Sasha Petraske, Richard Boccato and Ian Present's LIC cocktail bar that takes like 30 minutes to make your drink (which I'll be fair, I only went once, but that was the reason-30 minutes!)-- uses fancy ice cubes in its bespoke drinks. Depending on what you order you will be served up a large hunk of this pedeigreed frozen water or given smaller chunks hacked away from microwave-oven-sized blocks. The owners, along with bartender Zachary Gelnaw, have founded Hundredweight Ice and Cocktail Service.

"Hundredweight will focus specifically on high-end, custom ice beloved by the creators of craft cocktails. “I believe we are the first of our ilk in New York to say that this is our m.o.,” he said, “to make this kind of ice for cocktail bars.” Hundredweight’s first customer is, natch, Dutch Kills. The company is also in talks with Milk & Honey, Mr. Petraske’s neo-speakeasy on the Lower East Side, and has reached out to the prominent cocktail consultancies like Contemporary Cocktails and aka wine geek, as well as the mixed drink conventions Tales of the Cocktail, in New Orleans, and Manhattan Cocktail Classic."

The price of your ice will be “extremely reasonable,” and can be made with diamonds. The recession is either officially over or this is a bad idea straight out of 2005.

3. Change Up At The Darby [BlackBook]

Patrick Robertson left Marquee, a clubbers club, to head to the Darby, a supper club. Guess things didn't work out. He has announced that he is “no longer working at The Darby.” He will be taking some time out from NY to travel back to his native South Africa for a short while. Francis X. McHugh will assume control.

4. Crew Leaving CV, Space To Become Tequila Bar [BlackBook][Image Via]

Mathew Isaacs and his crew are leaving CV, the club at the Rivington Hotel and Steve Lewis would like to use the opportunity to tear the place apart with a sharp, but completely honest lashing:

"Despite an incredible location and a fascinating Marcel Wanders design, the place attracted the lowest common denominator nightlife crowd in the neighborhood to it’s confines as soon as it’s newness wore off. The Lower East Side thrives with a hip and often monied crowd. With in-the-know, relevant foot traffic, the Rivington is ignored as if it were a tire shop. My dealings with the people with walkie talkies at the joint have rarely been intelligent. They seem to jockey for the affections of hotel owner Paul Stallings and his lovely wife, and do little else. The Matt Isaacs crew took over the flailing 105 space, just off the lobby, and launched it in November 2009. They have been successful."

The space will be transformed into a tequila bar.

5. Inside The Mind Of Jason Littrell [MetroMix]

Jason Litrell started off bartending at a place called Shooters, moved to The Randolph, met pre-ice obsessed Sasha Petraske and moved into the world of high end mixology. He currently pleases taste buds at Death & Company. Metromix has a good interview with him about how he learned, why he is so enthusiastic, and how to cure a hangover. As for the quintessential cocktail for the season?

"I've got to go really old school and say a gimlet, daiquiri or Tom Collins. When well made, these three cocktails fill every gap in one's life. The key to a good cocktail is to make it simple. Cocktails are supposed to elevate one's spirit and that's what all good drinks should do. We're not saving the manatees with these things."