Day Drinking in New York

Highly recommended.

I have this vision of slowly strolling down Park Avenue in NYC from the Campbell Apartment at Grand Central to my hotel in Midtown East. In my vision, I’m slightly buzzed from a day drinking session. It seems almost transgressive.

Yet, I wonder if there is a better way to spend a short afternoon in New York City than strolling, seeing the sights, wandering into historic cathedrals and churches, staring into windows, and watching people, all while under the influence of a simple cocktail-induced buzz.

Next week is the National Association of Wine Retailers Annual Summit. Fine wine retailers and others from across the country will descend on the University Club of New York to discuss pressing matters, to hear talks and panels, to consider strategies for moving wine retail forward, and to dine and drink together. I oversee this annual gathering and it has become one of the best weeks of the year for me. But, it ends on Thursday…at 12:30 pm. I have the rest of the day to myself. I’m thinking day drinking.

There is something very worthwhile about sitting in a dark, quietish bar and letting a Manhattan just flow over you before quitting time. The same can be said for sitting there with a simple dark red. The transgressive part is that the buzz envelops you while the sun is still overhead…outside. That drinking and buzzing generally happens at night, rather than in the afternoon, obviously derives from the fact that it’s not a great idea to drink while you work and work tends to end in the late afternoon.