Sometimes guilt makes bad ideas seem so good.
As in, “I’m going to feel so guilty about this tomorrow — bottoms up!” Tomorrow is the most important word in that sentence.
Most of the time, though, guilt just feels plain bad. It’s best to avoid it. Drinking on a weeknight is a big guilt-inducer, so praise be to the local watering holes that alleviate that nasty feeling with drinks for charity.
Tryst Lounge (1512 Larimer St., 303-629-0544) is one of the latest spots to mix drinks and doing good. Its new ladies night, Drink Pink for the Cure, benefits a breast cancer charity with fun, specially priced cocktails.
For Tryst owner Paul Piciocchi, the issue is an important one.
“My mother had breast cancer when I was a teenager and battled it for about 20 years,” says Piciocchi. “I wanted to do something different that would give back instead of just being another ladies night.”
From 5 p.m. to midnight on Wednesdays, cocktails made with strawberry-infused vodka, as well as Cosmopolitans, will be $2 each. Half the proceeds from those drink sales will go to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, a group that raises breast cancer awareness and funds mammograms for women in need.
Piciocchi plans to keep the Drink Pink theme consistent for ladies’ night. He’ll eventually expand the idea to his other bars, Sutra (1109 Lincoln St.; 303-861-4272) and The Regal (220 S. Galena St.; 970-925-4567), a just-opened joint in Aspen.
He laughs at the suggestion that fundraising drinks help assuage guilt.
“I don’t know that people are looking for too many excuses to have a cocktail,” he says. “If you’re going to have one, it might as well be for a good cause.”
Very true, even though it seems counterintuitive: knock back not-so-healthy alcoholic beverages in the name of a good cause. But what a great way to get the angels and the devils on your shoulders to shake hands. Maybe they’ll even start dancing.
Bead my baby.
It’s hard to believe it’s already time for Mardi Gras again. Next Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, so it’s time to party before the contemplative season of Lent begins (for Christians, anyway).
Vinyl (1082 Broadway; 303-860-8469) hosts a special Mardi Gras celebration Tuesday that’s open to the 18-and-older crowd. DJ MU$A will keep the party rollin’, New Orleans-style, while the drink specials flow.
Beads, of course, will be available. Here’s hoping it doesn’t devolve into a virtual “Girls Gone Wild” shoot. Although some partygoers are likely hoping for such an outcome. Doors open at 9 p.m. Tuesday.
For the restless Mardi Gras partier, Image Magazine and JFly present a Fat Tuesday bar crawl to mark the day.
Starting at Slim 7 (in the alley between the 1400 block of Market and Larimer streets), the crawl stumbles around LoDo, from Slim to Tryst to Below Bar (in the alley between the 1400 block of Larimer and Lawrence). The night ends at the Pie Hole (also in the alley near Slim 7) for pizza-based sustenance.
Best of all, donations from the party will go to the Make It Right Foundation, Brad Pitt‘s project to sustainably rebuild parts of New Orleans.
Join the festivities at 9 p.m. at Slim 7.
Kathleen St. John: 303-954-1568 or kstjohn@gmail.com
