Nightlife

Grand Ol’ Party

The Hot List: 2012 Holiday Parties

It’s imperative to take a step back and reflect on what’s important this time of year. Like parties. Speaking of, here are five spots for throwing your annual holiday soiree. Don’t forget your mistletoe headband...

THE TAVERN

The Back Room at Lincoln

You Require: A cavernous, Prohibition-y enclave heavy on the pizza.
You’ll Receive: Echoes of coworkers whooping at the pies flowing from the wood-fired oven, while gearing up for bad decision-making at the white-tiled back bar. Right where Claire from IT quietly thrashes to the live band you brought in. Go on, Claire.

THE CLASSIC

Henry Long Room at the Athenaeum

You Require: A place to bring your board of directors.
You’ll Receive: Posh holiday revelry that’s been waiting for you since the late 1800s. Our suggestion: forgo the tables and keep it cocktail-y for 130. If there’s a time to discuss a promotion, it’s when the top brass feels at home.

THE UPPER DECK

The Second Floor of Hops n Scotch

You Require: Your fantasy league’s three favorite liquids.
You’ll Receive: Second-floor leather booths for flights of scotch, whiskey and suds while overlooking Coolidge Corner. If you have a request not in the house, the owners can pull from the spirits emporium next door, which they also own. Feel free to get creative.

THE CURVEBALL

Your Place. No, Really.

You Require: Some spare cash for the holidays.
You’ll Receive: Your apartment listed as a rentable venue on Eventup, which just launched in town (don’t worry, they provide insurance). After they take 15%, you get to keep whatever profit is left over. In short: your St. Barts trip has just been paid for.

THE WINE BAR

The Back Room at Belly

You Require: A secluded feast. In a wine room.
You’ll Receive: A farmstead bounty of whole roasted pork shoulder, grits and homemade pickles at a back-room table, while you work your way through the double magnum bottles of bubbly and vino underneath a painting of Rocky Marciano. Marciano: huge oenophile.