With the bracing knowledge that all things must pass, we bittersweetly report that last night was the grand finale of Artini Season ’08, a climactic blowout at the Corcoran. We laughed, we cried…we drank artinis (those that were available, that is; only the Goldini, the D’Ici, and the Dolly Madison were in attendance).

Between sips, partygoers got a chance to explore the Corcoran at night–to revel in the Bierstadts, to commune with Warhol’s Mao, to steep themselves in the portraiture of Gilbert Stuart.

As the pulsing music deafened and the night wore on, we were pleased to observe that all the old faces were there–Megan and Kristin from the Corcoran,

Chancy from A Not So Capital Idea, Alice Appleton–a trooper in the true sense of the word, who made it to the event on crutches– from wherever she comes from, Maureen, Terry, and of course the bartenders and proprietors themselves–John Hogan from Hudson, Rico from Poste, Jeremy from Westend, Joe from Topaz, Omar and José from the Teatro Goldoni, Paul and Gina from Indebleu….

But enough of this wishy-washy sentimentalizing; you just want to know who won!

…drumroll…

And the winner is…the Goldini! That’s right: Omar’s espresso-and chocolate-infused dessert martini took home the grand prize. Omar, me

anwhile, was a very happy man, jumping, dancing, laughing the rest of the night away…like Roberto Benigni after winning the Oscar.

There are still some videos to come, and always more martinis to be…artfully consumed. As we look towards the ’09 Artini Season–as bartenders bulk up in the offseason, learn new tricks and hatch new schemes–let us remember the abiding truth that, if in wine there is truth, in martini there is ART.

Th-th-th-th-that’s all, folks!

Photos courtesy of Denny Henry: www.dennyhenry.com/artini.