Lifting a glass of something is conviviality in a single gesture. There you are, at your local whatever (bar, tapas stand, speakeasy), halfway to your first sip (of beer, sangria, bourbon). Relaxation is at hand. Work or recession-induced anxiety or love woes don’t matter. The people around you are, or soon will be, your friends. That’s the spirit (sorry) of our guide to drinking in New York right now: community, good times, humor. Places for a quiet drink with a friend, bar crawls you’ve never done, the most delicious of the latest cocktail snacks, and, of course, tips from champion bar-game players (the secret to racking up points in Big Buck Hunter: a four-beer buzz). In this town, a night out can be as subdued as a few glasses of Grüner Veltliner in a dark wine bar, or as raucous as one of the impromptu drag shows at No Parking, the gay bar up in Washington Heights. That’s worth toasting. read more [+]