Late last year, the first-ever (legal) shipment of absinthe reached our shores—and, with it, inspiration for New York's restless beverage innovators. Herewith, the city's premiere

What’s red and fishy?

Serious about making the last moments of 2007 count? Spend them taking in the drunkest Guns N’ Roses tribute band, the most rockin’ improvised musical, or the world’s very best house D.J.

What with being a public-transportation hub located in the nightlife capital of the universe, the Union Square L-train stop emits roughly enough excitement to meet the partying needs of most fundamentalist theocracies for a year.

One hip-hop fest celebrates the genre’s up-and-comers; the other, its very beginnings.

Unlike their pop counterparts, the city’s jazz haunts don’t take a breather for Thanksgiving. (The following all had tickets available at press time.)

Single in Soho for one more night.

A crew of four New York nightlife experts plan wee-hour high jinks, from a limbo party in Chinatown to a raucous sleepover in the Bowery Hotel.

Brooklyn Lager isn't found on tap in this part of the borough. Shoot-em-up hole-in-the-walls of lore are hard to find, too. Instead, stumble into these Bed-Stuy drinking establishments that have flashy dance floors and a preference for top-shelf booze. Plus, one hole-in-the-wall just for kitsch

To get through the CMJ Music Marathon slog, we've pulled together this handy-dandy itinerary of the worth-it-all shows: Some require CMJ badges; some require getting tickets stat.