Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Food
Drink DURING The Movies At Nitehawk Cinema, Starting Tonight With Midnight <em>Rum Diary</em> Screening
By
John Del Signore
Published Oct 27, 2011
Modified Oct 27, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
John Del Signore
Published Oct 27, 2011
Modified Oct 27, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
The dream of drinking alcohol legally and without shame inside a movie theater in NYC will at last be realized tonight at Williamsburg's Nitehawk Cinema, which has finally expanded its liquor license to include the movie theaters. Nitehawk has two lobby bars with full liquor licenses, but until now guests were not allowed to bring their drinks into the theater, where chef Saul Bolton's delicious food is served. That all changes tonight, appropriately enough, with a midnight screening of The Rum Diary, for which PDT's Jim Meehan has crafted a special cocktail.
Meehan's concoction is The Rum Punch, made with Banks 5 Island Rum, sencha green & mint tea, lime, and nutmeg ($10). Nitehawk will also be serving a Build Your Own Cherry or Lime Daquiri with mini rum bottles. Matthew Viragh, Nitehawk's executive director, tells us, "This is going to make the whole experience seamless. We used to have to slap the drink out of their hands when they entered the theater. Then they'd watch a two hour movie without being able to order another drink, get drowsy, and go home right after. So I think it's going lead into more of a scene after the movies, and people will hopefully hang out longer afterward."
You'll recall that we recently consumed a splash of red wine during our Bored to Death TV Dinner Party at Nitehawk—is that because we're special? No, Viragh explains that was because the screening was held in their smallest theater, which only seats 28 and was allowed to serve alcohol when the doors to the lobby bar were left open. But starting at 12:01 a.m tonight, all three theaters will be fully licensed to serve wine, beer, and spirits. Never watch a movie sober again!
Tagged
drinking
movies
nitehawk
sla
williamsburg
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE food
North African restaurants are rare in NYC. These 10 are the best.
Egyptian, Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian food is delicious but underrepresented in the city.
By
Robert Sietsema
Published Oct 10, 2026
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
The global dish is shapeshifting and ubiquitous.
By
Robert Sietsema
Food
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
The global dish is shapeshifting and ubiquitous.
By
Robert Sietsema
Frozen yogurt is back in New York City. So are the super long lines.
By
Sonia Rao
5 NYC banana puddings as good as Magnolia's
By
Hannah Frishberg
Where to eat in Greenpoint, Brooklyn right now, from Polish to Sichuan to Iberian
By
Robert Sietsema
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .