August's Sugar Bowl Brunch; NYE Barhopping in Mid City

CBD— Cocktail whisperer Anne Berry checks out Fulton Alley's cocktail program— developed by Max Messier, plus Neal Bodenheimer and Kirk Estopinal from Cure Co.— and finds that quality liqueurs are the star of the show, with low-proof drinks and an upcoming line of vermouths (set to make an appearance in 2014) setting the bar apart from others in NOLA. Cocktails include "a vodka sour based on housemade tea syrup and a Manhattan darkened with coffee bitters." [WhereYat]

CBD— Restaurant August is doing a Sugar Bowl Brunch on Thursday, January 2, with reservations available from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The menu features first of the season crawfish, pain perdue with fried quail, Mangalitsa pork cheek grillades and grits, and more decadent offerings. Call (504) 299-9777 for reservations, info. [Eaterwire]

MID CITY— Here's the best of what's going on at Mid City bars this New Years Eve. [MidCityMessenger]

MID CITY— About that current construction shitfest happening on Banks Street: "Some of the area's restaurants have seen profits decline by 40 percent from last year due to street closings and other construction problems, owners say." [MidCityMessenger]