Have We Gone Too Far on Drink of the Summer Predictions?

Mezcal, the centuries-old agave spirit that’s been popular in New York City bars for years, is apparently the drink of the summer. Wait, what? “If you still believe mezcal is a joke with a worm as the punchline, it’s time to catch up,” the New York Post wrote on Wednesday, crowning mezcal cocktails of any kind “summer’s hottest drink.” (The Dirty Shirley could not be reached for comment.) The article, a collection of cocktail recipes curiously sourced from restaurants on Long Island, appears to be based on a report from the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States that cites mezcal as the second fastest-growing spirit in the world.

Big Gay Ice Cream reopens under new owner

A location of Big Gay Ice Cream on the Upper West Side will reopen under new ownership this weekend, after its previous owners were served an eviction notice at 516 Columbus Avenue, at West 85th Street earlier this year. Jeremy Wladis, who also runs Harvest Kitchen and Nina’s Great Burrito Bar nearby, tells the West Side Rag that the shop’s popular ice cream will be staying the same.

A famed jazz club returns from a two-year break

Smoke Jazz Club is set to reopen on July 21 following a two-year hiatus and a series of renovations. According to Time Out, owners Paul Stache and Molly Sparrow Johnson followed through on pre-pandemic plans to take over two neighboring spaces at 2751 Broadway, at West 106th Street. The Upper West Side club has since been expanded and now includes a lounge with a full-length bar.

Clout versus Carbone

Even Justin and Hailey Bieber can’t walk into Carbone on clout alone.