People flocked to Southern Hospitality on a hot summery August evening not only for the delicious aroma of smoked BBQ and tasty flavor, but for a passport to experience big hop aromas, sweet malt and toasted flavors of select beers. Just like our previously hosted specialty Bourbon and Tequila tastings, we brought forth an interactive and informative event from client to customer, a Beer Festival. From Magic Hat #9 to Sixpoint Bengali Tiger IPA and from the Chimay’s to Sierra’s, the beer samplers had some work ahead of them, to taste 20 different beers.

I spoke with one of the participants, Dareen Yoluf, who is not only a beer lover but one who revels in all of NYC’s BBQ scene. It was his first visit to our home of BBQness and he was thrilled to pair it with this fun beer tasting event. Darren tasted all 20 beers featured at Southern Hospitality’s first Greatbrewers.com Festival. He is a big fan of Blue Point and at the event we had four on hand: Blue Point Hoptical, Blue Point Rastafarye, Blue Toasted Lager and Blue Point Blueberry! Of course he didn’t stop tasting there. Darren is excited for Sixpoint’s future, thinks they are a great brewery and looks forward to their beer progress. By the way, Sixpoint Righteous Rye Ale is on tap at SoHos!

For his BBQ dinner he had our Rib Sampler and expressed that “it was solid”. By that I think he means he seriously enjoyed our platter of wet and dry BBQ spare ribs… We won him over! So he ate and he drank and stayed merry while taking in the friendly faces of our staff and the decorative southern ambiance. Darren said that for 20 beer samplings you “get your beer worth” and his BBQ dinner “exceeded [his] expectations”. He hopes for more beer festivals at Southern Hospitality. I assured him there are more to come!

Monthly Interview with Ariel the Server/Hostess

What is your name?
Ariel, but Stanley calls me Ari Gold.

How Long Have you worked at Southern Hospitality?
Almost 2 years.

Where are you originally from?
Martha’s Vineyard, MA.

How long have you lived in New York City?
5 years

What makes Southern Hospitality so special?
I think what makes it so special is that we have a really close staff members that work hard to make sure we live up to our name. We also have great customers that are always ready to have fun.

What are your goals for the future?
I would love to work in film in the near future. Fingers crossed that we [the restaurant] open up in LA someday.

What’s the most exciting thing you did all week?
Went to a Red Sox game. Yeah, that’s right, I’m a Red Sox fan! [Editor’s Note: Try not to hold it against her].

What is your favorite thing on the Southern Hospitality Menu?
I would have to say our BBQ Sauce. I had to learn all the ingredients for our menu test, so I really appreciate it. If you mean actual food, then I love our new BBQ Quesadilla with Pulled Chicken, it’s our Blue Plate Special on Tuesday nights.

What’s your favorite Southern Hospitality memory?
When Bret Michaels came in to do a photoshoot, I had to pose in the background as a bartender. He was very friendly and down to earth. Bret Michaels YOU ROCK MY WORLD!

So I hear you really like our Twitter page.
I harass Emily every day to tweet about me, even when she’s not here. I love to be tweeted about! Follow us on Twitter (www.twitter.com/bbqnyc) so you can use our daily Twitter password for 10% off your bill. When you meet me, make sure you tweet about it

And last but not least, what do you recommend from the bar?
We have a great selection of bourbon and whiskeys. We even can host private bourbon classes for people who want to learn more about them. Personally, I like Chimay, we’re one of 15 bars in NYC with Chimay on tap.

We’re bringing the 80s back! Relive the 80s every Thursday night at Southern Hospitality. Break out your neon spandex and acid-washed jeans, because we’re partying like it’s 1985. With the staff in their 80s gear and your favorite 80s TV shows on the big screen, you’re sure to be having flashbacks. Miami Vice, Growing Pains, Knight Rider… remember the good times? Best of all, we’re bringing back 1980s prices! To get you in the mood, there’s live 80s music with the Hometown Sweethearts. We all know girls, and boys, just wanna have fun, so join us every Thursday at 10pm for the best 80s party in NYC!