Nightlife: Going out in New York

Jazz in the night

New York's jazz scene is still hopping -- but don't let commercialized venues and high entrance fees get you down. These unique jazz joints offer live music without the cover:

Cigar bars: Where to light up and chill out

While cigarettes have long ceased to seem sexy, cigars still have a certain mystique. For one, they smell and taste better and, be you male or female, their macho charisma is endlessly alluring. If that tumbler of Johnnie Walker blue label doesn't make you feel manly, try drinking it with one of the stellar, sometimes hand-rolled stogies sold at any one of the city's remaining cigar bars. The following are our picks for the venues that make that George Burns-smell somehow sexy.

Las Vegas in New York

Ah, Las Vegas. Who can resist this adult play land? Thanks to deeply discounted airfare and hotel specials, New Yorkers are constantly being tempted to go west. But you don't have to leave the Big Apple to get a taste of Sin City.

Have a (healthy) drink

Chock-full of wholesome ingredients such as aloe vera, antioxidant-rich berries, and metabolism-boosting green tea, these cocktails just may have a good-for-you edge. Here's where you can find some health- focused libations:

Where the urban cowboys roam

As a guitar-playing, tighty-whitey wearing Times Square regular, the Naked Cowboy may seem out of his mind. But the truth is, he's definitely on to something -- it's fun to be a New York cowboy. Thanks to a number of Western-themed watering holes, city slickers can kick back, tame a mechanical bull and two-step their way to their inner cowboy.

Tracking New York's literary spirits

The dark caverns of New York City's bars have inspired such great works as Pete Hamill's "A Drinking Life," Hunter S. Thompson's "The Rum Diary" and James Baldwin's "Previous Condition." While many of these old haunts have since bitten the dust, a handful of places remain where you can still have a beer while channelling your favorite literary hero (or heroine). Check out some of amNewYork's top picks:

Crack open a hot one

A hot toddy before a roaring fireplace -- wait, wrong city! Here in the Big Apple, we demand max flavor and flair from our winter drinks. And some like it hot. "Hot drinks are extra fun because the heat enhances alcohol's natural warming effect," says cocktail guru Jonathan Pogash. "They warm your paws, lips and heart." Here are some of New York's coolest hotties-in-a-glass.

Get your whiskey on

Enjoying a round of whiskey can be a definite antidote to Manhattan's sometimes tedious cocktail culture. No longer reserved for urban hillbillies or toffs with monogrammed slippers, the city's finest whiskey bars add heat and high spirits to anyone's chill winter evening out on the town. Check out amNY's top picks:

Drink like a celeb

If you¹ve ever wanted to party like a celebrity, now you can. Well, sorta.

Pomegranates make a delicious mixer

Pomegranates have long been lauded for their nutritional value and its tangy juice adds punch to any cocktail. Alas, the small amount required for a mixer provides little health benefits - but who's counting? The drinks are still delicious and in season. Here¹s where you can find them:

Don't refuse, just infuse

Infused vodka is so 2006. In this trend-a-minute city, the latest booze craze is infused sake and shochu. The word may sound like a science project, but "infused" simply means "flavored with fresh ingredients like fruit or spices." And the Big Apple's bartenders and restaurateurs are making their own sake and shochu infusions right on their bar shelves.

New York City Nightlife

Put-downs are the new pick-ups in New York bars

Putdowns are the new pick-up lines floating around Manhattan's nightlife scene.

City's top dive bars

Not every night out Manhattan requires a bunch of trips to the ATM.

Stepping into speakeasies

Nowadays, you don't have to keep your eyes on any secret back doors or hidden passageways to enjoy a cold brew at a speakeasy. Manhattan bars are no longer subject to regular police raids --­ except maybe to flush out those 18-year-old NYU freshmen --­ but there are still a handful of classy old-time joints that keep the speakeasy tradition alive.

Great after-hours BBQ deals

The lazy days of summer are almost over, but never fear. You can still get your barbecue on until the end of September at these area hotspots.

Karaoke for hipsters

The bar lights dim, exciting an already anxious crowd. A disembodied voice booms from the PA system, welcoming the audience and reciting "The Ten Commandments".

Berry refreshing drinks for summer

Summer is berry season, and what better way to enjoy the colorful, seasonal fruits than in cocktail form? Whether blended, mixed or muddled, fresh berry cocktails are sure to satisfy warm-weather drinkers.

Best beer gardens

Between 1820 and 1860, 1.5 million immigrants arrived in America from Germany, bringing with them their own cultural traditions -- ­ among them outdoor beer gardens. Unlike the bars in Irish neighborhoods, the German beer gardens catered to whole families, and public drinking was just one of their attractions. Although many of New York¹s historic beer gardens have disappeared, this summer you can still enjoy a cold one at any of these authentic beer gardens around the city.

Singing up a storm around town

Whether an aspirant rocker, rapper, recording artist or just a huge fan of Journey, there's something for every wannabe at these karaoke-with-a-twist spots.

Nolita bar Tom and Jerry keeps it low-key

Tom and Jerry¹s is a neighborhood bar tucked into a side street in Nolita, and an ideal spot to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon or meet up before a night on the town. We spoke with tarot-reading bartender Isabel Robayo.

Nightlife

Caffeinated cocktails give you a boost

Need a little pick-me-up? Step away from the Red Bull and try one of these divinely inventive drinks designed to increase energy while pleasing your palate.

Nightlife

Park Slope has a little bit of everything

Its mommy-and-me neighborhood reputation long in the past, Park Slope has a bar scene for the cool and not-cool kids alike these days.

Tropical treats for tipplers weary of winter

For those of us not lucky enough to hop a Caribbean-bound plane at the drop of a wool hat this winter, there's nothing wrong with faking it at these watering holes reminiscent of spring break, summer vacation and tropical retreats. Even though it feels like spring now, there's still five months to go till summer.

Hot chocolate (with a little kick)

Looking for something sweet? Whether out for cocktails or just wanting to warm up, here are our picks for where to get your drinkable chocolate fix.

Party with some pride

Put some spice in your drinks

The sweet and spicy flavors of ginger warm up seasonal winter cocktails in a variety of festive drinks. Here's where you can get a taste:

Canine crowd kicks one back

Mixing food with clubbing on the UES

The problem with the Upper East Side, New York's Silk Stocking District, has always been that it isn't a very good place to party. And the problem with most places to party in the city is that they are not very good places to get some late night grub.

Reinventing nightlife on the Upper West Side

After Marc Glazer spent $10,000 renovating Columbus 72, his new dancehall opening in the old Star Club, there was one last thing he needed to do: Post a sign by the door that says "Quiet Please. Our Neighbors Are Trying to Sleep."

Think while you drink

Drinking events are not always all about chugging and guzzling. For the knowledge-thirsty crowd, here are a few outlets that take a thinking approach to drinking, imbuing your imbibing with a bit of historical context. Learn about the history of some local pubs, take a road trip to Coney Island or find out how beer is made, all while getting your buzz on.

Best Bar Snacks

There's nothing better than a great drink after work. Unless, perhaps, you enjoy a great drink with fabulous – and sometimes free – bar snacks. If that's of interest to you, check out one of the following spots for tasty grub at your local pub.

Party animals — literally

"Boozehound" takes on a whole new meaning at any one of these dog-friendly drinking spots.

Distilling the best

Vodka was first officially sold in the 16th century, but it was rarely drunk outside Europe before the 1950s. Now it's arguably the most popular spirit in New York, and you can get it served up any way you like. Here are our picks for some vodka delights.

Bars for Cinco de Mayo

In Mexico, Cinco de Mayo marks the victory of the tiny Mexican Army over the massive French army at the Battle of Puebla in 1862.

Checking out storied bars through the years

Will there ever be a New York institution as storied as the bar? Something you might ask yourself after leafing through Jef Klein's "The History and Stories of the Best Bars in New York," a glossy new read that briefs us on New York City's bar lore.