The 2018 Winter Olympics kick off on Friday night and go through the end of the month, giving us some second-hand excitement to rouse us from the sloth of February. Here’s where you can get inspired by the best athletes in the world, either by getting a chance to play some of the Olympic sports yourself, or watching them do their thing on the big screen, beverage in hand.
Blue Point Brewing Company’s Oh Limb Pick release party at Greenwood Park
The Long Island brewery has concocted a special brew for the Olympic games, a golden-hued Pilsner called Oh Limb Pick. Its release party is Friday at South Slope’s Greenwood Park, where you can imbibe as you watch the opening ceremonies. Or, if you’re feeling active, team up with pals to play Olympics-themed games, such as “curling” on synthetic ice, Giant Jenga, corn hole and of course, Beer Olympics (beer pong, flip cup). Free
Learn curling in Prospect Park, Ice skating at Chelsea Piers, skiing at Hunter Mountain
The odd-ball (well, it’s a stone technically) sport of curling perplexes and intrigues us all. What better way to understand it than to have a go at it yourself? You can do so at Lakeside’s LeFrak Center in Prospect Park, where Curl NYC is hosting intro lessons ($65) Wednesday and Sunday nights through March 25. Channel your inner Tonya Harding at the Sky Rink Skating School at Chelsea Piers, which offers Adult Skate Night on Mondays at 7 p.m. ($380 for 10-week course), or daily drop in sessions ($12 to skate, $6 to rent skates). If you yearn to get out on the slopes and snowboard or ski, the NYC Snow Bus ferries New Yorkers out to Hunter Mountain, Whiteface Mountain and other slopes. (Prices vary depending on if you need to rent gear or just need a ride.)
Watch party with curling at Renaissance New York Midtown Hotel
Watch the opening ceremony on Friday, Feb. 9 from 6 to 10 p.m. at this 8,000 square foot hotel while enjoying hot toddies, Korean-inspired snacks and a DJ spinning Korean jams. Oh, and while you’re at it, have a go at “street curling,” offered on the hotel’s terrace from noon to 11 pm every day of the Olympic games ($5 to play).
This bar atop Time Square’s Sanctuary Hotel has transformed into a ski chalet (enclosed and heated!) for the winter, providing a seasonally appropriate, cozy den to take in the winter games and panoramic views of the city — with cocktails, of course.
At this Lower East Side rooftop bar/ “cabin in the sky,” watch the games all month long on the big screen while enjoying cozy cocktails with names like Cabin in the Woods and the Groggy Toddy, plus fondue-wine pairings.
