Finding a great place to drink in NYC - not too hard; finding a great park to drink in - maybe a little more difficult.
While the laws aren’t as strict as they once were, it still isn’t 100% kosher to just whip out a bottle of wine in public places.
Solo cups are a dead giveaway of foul play, but nowadays, it’s easy to work around those. Boxed wines, mixers for alcohol beyond just soda and Gatorade, and cider/beer in cans that look more like soda than Budlight, are all great options.
If you’re looking for suggestions, we’ve got the best tips for the best tricks to use, and where to use them.
Sheep Meadow - Central Park
The most popular hangout in the city should be home to the most popular cocktails. But you can’t exactly carry around a cocktail glass in the middle of a park.
Enter Buzzbox: the looks-like-a-juicebox-houses-a-cocktail solution to all your problems. The new beverage comes in flavors like Margarita, Mojito, Cosmopolitan, and more, and basically looks like a juicebox - so it will keep you incognito. (They’re also not-so-secretly packaged in boxes that are recyclable, green, and energy efficient)
Brooklyn Bridge Park - Dumbo/Brooklyn Heights
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bkvshz_lxMa/
Trying to blend in with the hipsters while also being able to enjoy a nice, chilled beverage? Try some fancy beer. Brooklyn-brewed beer is not only very “in” right now, but most of the new beers are designed to look cool, and also kind of like a soda can.
Canned Beer that looks like soda is the perfect way to blend in, and of course stay under-the-radar.
Washington Square Park
WSP is home to many an NYU student. And one thing college girls love is cheap wine. And as an added bonus, canned wine is new and trendy and wayyyyy better than wine from a box.
Like the last option, it can pass as soda if you slip a koozie on it, and one can won’t kill you in this heat.
Prospect Park
Prospect Park is a perfectly trendy Brooklyn hang in the warm weather months. And you know what else is super trendy right now? Frosty beverages.
Frose, Frosecco, and all the frozen cocktails, are so in style this summer, popping up at bars everywhere. So blend your bev and store it in a cooler full of ice so you can cool down while looking cool. Bonus: it looks like a slurpie if done right.
McCarren Park - Williamburg
We’ve recommended craft beer, but now, let’s talk craft cider. It’s sweet like soda, canned like soda and a perfect fit for a park in Brooklyn.
And if you don’t stick to the generic brands of cider, you can try a variety of flavors and taste profiles until you find the perfect one for you.
Madison Square Park
Twice a year, Madison Square Park is host to the adjacent Madison Square Eats, where you can get your hands on pop-ups eats and drinks from popular NYC stands. The drinks are some of the most tempting sips, and naturally, you’d want to copy them all year long when you can’t buy them from the stand.
It’s not anything new, but Lime-a-Rita’s can give you that same margarita feel in an easy-to-carry can. And added bonus, they now come in several flavors so whatever you’re craving, you’ll probably find a fit.
Governors Island
Governors Island got a hefty makeover in the past couple of years. Rather than being a place you feel you’re schlepping to, it’s become an “it” spot with tons of activations, and is home to many festivals. And what should you sip on while you’re at those festivals?
Why not try another newbie from Mixologi. They’re called, “drink bombs” and they’re super easy to configure. All you do is add some to your favorite alcohol and—boom!—instant drink; no added liquid required. Although if you’re looking for a break from all that alcohol, these also have the added bonus of working just as well in club soda.
So there you have it. Now go forth, make your plans, and drink all the drinks without raising any red flags.