Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Food
May Day Protests? Honey, Let's Pay $58 To Sip Cocktails On A Hotel Roof Instead
By
Garth Johnston
Published May 2, 2012
Modified May 16, 2012
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
Garth Johnston
Published May 2, 2012
Modified May 16, 2012
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
May Day wasn't just about protests. Because New York contains multitudes, there were a number of other events going on yesterday, at least one of which involved drinking dozens of decadent fancy cocktails in the Bowery Hotel. After all, May is one of the big months for food and drink events in the Big Apple.
Last night's boozefest at the Bowery was the annual kick-off for the almost-completely sold-out annual Luckyrice Festival, and the cocktail party was as packed with pretty foodiots as you might expect/hope/dread. For the curious, the fest already has a post up on their site showing all the fare on hand, along with some interviews with the mixologists and chefs who participated in the evening. One thing they all have in common? Crazy nights out drinking in Asia. Judging by last night's beverages, this left many of them with a thirst for too-precious-by-half cocktail. If you paid your $58 expecting you'd at least be able to get a basic cocktail, you were shit out of luckyrice. Some of the more ambitious drinks were quite tasty—and almost all were made with Bombay Sapphire, which we like—but sometimes you want something a little less cloyingly sweet.
Bummed you missed out on drinking while Rome burned last night? You've still got time. This year's remaining Luckyrice events are all-but sold out except for VIP tickets, another big drinking series kicks off next week. The Manhattan Cocktail Classic, which promises to be as drunken as you might hope. Though better-than-it-should be kick-off gala at the NYPL is sold out (seriously, it's like a black tie prom for drunks) there are still a number of events with tickets still available. A Saturday afternoon "Gentleman's Cocktail Crawl," anyone?
And that's not all! Later this month the new, and slightly controversial, Great Googa Mooga festival will go down in Prospect Park on May 19th and 20th. So, if you want to chow down and get drunk with large groups of people, clearly this is your month. And the month after that and the month after that, most likely.
Tagged
bowery hotel
events
luckyrice
manhattan cocktail classic
May Day
Garth Johnston
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 .