Editor’s Note: This sponsored column is written by Nick Anderson, beermonger at Arrowine (4508 Lee Highway)

New Year’s Eve is traditionally a celebration associated with Champagne and other sparkling wines, and while there will be a fair amount of that going around at my house this year there are many alternatives available for beer fans. Broad-appeal Lagers and Pale Ales are always welcome when there’s a crowd, so pick your favorite and stock up. When the clock strikes midnight, though, you may want something special for the occasion. Here are some suggestions:

Deus Brut des Flandres: One of the more unique beers on the planet, this Belgian Ale is fermented twice at the brewery before being sent to France to be treated in the Method Champenoise. The result is an Ale that is as close to Champagne in character as you’re going to find. With a cider-like note and fine carbonation, Deus is the beer to ring in the New Year with in lieu of Champagne. Deus is pricey and not always readily available, but worth splurging on this time of year to experience it for yourself.

Gueuze and other Sour Ales: With their bracing acidity, Gueuze and Sour Ales in general make for nice celebration beverages. Knowing your crowd is important here, as Sour Ales are certainly not for everyone. I’d recommend Tilquin’s outstanding Oude Gueuze as it is both less funky than other Sours but also more balanced and elegant in its acidity.

Large formats: When you can find them, big bottles always work for a group. If you can still find them, there should be some Anchor Christmas 1.5-liter magnum bottles available along with magnums of Gulden Draak, Duvel, maybe even Chimay if you get lucky. Recently I’ve even seen 3L and 6L bottles of Allagash Tripel, which is a lot of beer but great for a party.

Whatever you do, have a great New Year’s Eve, and please be safe: it’s amateur hour out there unlike any holiday save for St. Patrick’s Day. Enjoy your friends and your celebrations and we’ll see you back here next week to start 2013.

Cheers!

Nick Anderson maintains a blog at www.beermonger.net, and can be found on Twitter at @The_Beermonger. Sign up for Arrowine’s money saving email offers and free wine and beer tastings at www.arrowine.com/mailing-list-signup.aspx. The views and opinions expressed in the column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARLnow.com.

Community discussion guidelines: Our sponsored columns are written by members of the local business community. While we encourage a robust and open discussion, we ask that all reviews of the businesses — good or bad — be directed to another venue, like Yelp. The comments section is intended for a conversation about the topic of the article.

A number of venues still have space available for their celebrations, but some will increase ticket prices at the door. Options also exist for those in search of family friendly activities. Here are some of the celebrations around Arlington:

Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse — (2903 Columbia Pike) Watch New York City’s celebration in Times Square on the movie screen and take in music during the 1980s themed party. The $15 admission price covers entertainment and party favors. Food and drinks can be purchased from tableside waitstaff. Guests must be at least 21 years old.

Arlington Rooftop Bar and Grill – (2424 Wilson Blvd) The $50 admission price ($70 at the door) includes a dinner and dessert buffet, live entertainment, a coffee bar, a midnight champagne toast and party favors. The event runs from 9:00 p.m.-2:00 a.m. and guests must be 21 or older. There will be drink specials all night.

Artisphere — (1101 Wilson Blvd) Starting at 8:30 p.m., three DJs and a live video show will be highlighted at the art venue’s celebration. Tickets are currently $95 and include entertainment, a two hour premium open bar, passed hors d’oeuvres and party favors.

Capitol City Brewing Company — (4001 Campbell Avenue) The event begins at 9:00 p.m. with an appetizer buffet that runs through midnight. Admission is $30, with a $10 cover charge for guests arriving after 10:00 p.m. Music, party favors and a champagne toast are included.

Clarendon Ballroom — (3185 Wilson Blvd) Doors open at 8:00 p.m. for the party, featuring Liquid A with DJ Squirrel in the lower lounge. Tickets are currently $105 and include entertainment, a dinner buffet, party favors, four drink tickets, a champagne toast and a balloon drop at midnight. Tickets can be be purchased online or by calling 1-888-695-0888.

The Comedy Spot — (Ballston Common Mall) The whole family can enjoy the PG comedy performance. Tickets for the 8:00 p.m. show are $15 and party hats will be provided. At the end of the show, performers will welcome Rio de Janeiro’s new year for those who can’t stay up until midnight local time.

Extra Virgin Modern Italian Cuisine – (4053 Campbell Avenue) The first of the restaurant’s two dinner seatings costs $55 and runs from 5:00-7:00 p.m. The second seating runs from 7:30-9:30 p.m., with party favors, a champagne toast and live music included in the $85 cost. Starting at 10:00 p.m., walk-ins can pay $20, which includes party favors and access to the band.

Iota Club and Cafe — (2832 Wilson Blvd) The music venue presents the bands The Beanstalk Library, Ugly Purple Sweater and Alex Vans & the Hideaway. Tickets are $18 and include music, party favors and a midnight toast. Bands are scheduled to begin at 9:00 p.m.

Signature Theatre — (4200 Campbell Avenue) Take in a special performance of Dreamgirls at 8:00 p.m. and then stay for heavy hors d’oeuvres, a midnight champagne toast and music from a DJ. Tickets to the musical start at $40; tickets for the after party are $75 for subscribers and $100 for non-subscribers. Tickets for the party can be purchased by calling 703-820-9771.

Union Jack’s — (Ballston Common Mall) The annual Little Black Dress Ball includes a dinner buffet from 8:00-10:00 p.m., live entertainment, a midnight toast, party favors and a late night continental breakfast. Tickets are currently $20 but will increase, and can be purchased online or by calling 703-778-3568.

Around the world, revelers will be staying up until the wee hours, boozing and partying. Then again, there are those who aren’t as festive — who might not even bother staying up late enough to see the clock hit midnight and the year change to 2012.

Where do you fall on the revelry spectrum? Which of the following best describes how late you’re planning on staying up?

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day fall on a Saturday and a Sunday, as does New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Obviously, most people already get weekends off as a matter of course. Most Arlington County workers, however, will get an extra day off on the Monday following both holiday weekends.

Arlington County administrative offices, libraries, schools, courts, human services offices and nature centers will be closed on Monday, Dec. 26 and Monday, Jan. 2, in addition to being closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

The courts, which are usually closed on weekends, will be closed on Friday, Dec. 23 and Friday, Dec. 30 in addition to the Monday closures. The Arlington Public Schools winter break will keep students out of classrooms from Dec. 23 to Jan. 2.

Several Arlington community centers will be open on Dec. 26, though most — with the exception of Barcroft — will be closed on Jan. 2.

Trash and recycling collections will proceed as usual on Dec. 23, Dec. 26 and Jan. 2.

See more details on the holiday closures on the Arlington County website.

Here are some of the larger or unique New Year’s Eve events happening around Arlington. This list is by no means exhaustive, but provides some interesting options from places that have already announced their celebrations.

1. Hyatt Regency Crystal City — Professionals in the City is hosting its annual “Passport to the World Gala” at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City (2799 Jefferson Davis Hwy). In addition to food, drinks and a DJ, the event has entertainment featuring various cultures around the world. Some highlights include the Japanese karaoke room, Red Light District adult-content comedians, Caribbean steel drums and Bollywood Hills Underground Club.

The $99 ticket option allows entry at 10:30 p.m. and includes six drink tickets. The $139 ticket option allows entry at 9:00 p.m. and includes eight drink tickets. Prices will increase after Friday, December 9.

2. Signature Theatre — Guests can take in the 8:00 p.m. performance of “Hairspray” at the Signature Theater (4200 Campbell Ave) and then stay for a countdown to the new year with the cast of the musical.

Tickets are $100 ($75 for Signature Theatre members) and include two drinks, hors d’oeuvres, a champagne toast and dancing to music from a DJ.

3. Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse — Ring in the new year at the Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse (2903 Columbia Pike) with a 1980s themed bash. Watch New York City’s Times Square celebration live on the big screen while dancing to ’80s tunes from a DJ.

Tickets are $15 and include admission and party favors.

4. Northside Social – The folks at Northside Social (3211 Wilson Blvd) are doing things a little differently for New Year’s Eve. According to their Facebook page, they’re auctioning off the use of the facilities to the highest bidder. The winner gets to throw their own party, fully customized by Northside Social.

Contact Sean Lowder at 804-305-0402 or email sean.lowder@thelibertytavern.com for more information or to place a bid.

5. Arlington Rooftop Bar & Grill – In Courthouse, Arlington Rooftop Bar & Grill (2424 Wilson Blvd) touts a dinner and dessert buffet, midnight champagne toast, music and party favors. They also offer party-goers the option to watch bowl games and the New York City ball drop on the 50 flat screens.

Tickets are $40 in advance and $55 at the door.

6. Clarendon Ballroom — The annual New Year’s Eve Gala at Clarendon Ballroom (3185 Wilson Blvd) will feature entertainment from cover band Liquid A and DJ Flex.

Tickets are currently $65, but will increase, and include a dinner buffet and four drink tickets.

7. Gulf Branch Nature Center — The whole family can attend the New Year’s Eve Stroll and Campfire at Gulf Branch Nature Center (3608 Military Rd). Attendees can explore the park then toss resolutions into the “wishing campfire.”

Registration is required, and costs $5.

Flickr photo by Dave Hunt

Via YouTube user NovaPJ comes the following video, which purports to show the aftermath of some sort of New Year’s Eve incident at Mister Days in Clarendon.

Officers in the video are shown talking with two young, cigarette-smoking men who seem upset about something that happened in the bar.

The cops apparently weren’t giving the men whatever resolution they were seeking. Instead, one officer encouraged them to “go home and sober up.” That led to the following exchange at 1:40 in the video.

Smoking Guys (starting to walk away): F— you. You did a hell of a job, D.C.’s finest. F—ing cops.

Female Officer: Have a good night.

Smoking Guys: Go to hell. F— you. Go f— yourself. C–t! You stupid bitches!

It’s at that point that one of the pair threw his lit cigarette at the officers. Needless to say, the dynamic duo walked about half a block before having the cuffs slapped on ‘em.

See a longer version of the video here. Obviously, you won’t want to play it at work with the sound up.

It’s fun to make New Year’s resolutions. It’s not as fun, however, to keep New Year’s resolutions.

If you’ve made a resolution, what are the chances that you’ll keep it? Approximately 360 days from now, we’ll check back and compare our personal predictions with the actual resolution success rate.

Area Bars Ring In New Year’s With Ringing Cash Registers — Initial reports from the field suggest Arlington bars and restaurants did big business on New Year’s Eve. In particular, two Irish bars brought in plenty of green. Ireland’s Four Courts in Courthouse was crowded, he hear. Another tipster tells us that the cavernous Columbia Pike watering hole P. Brennan’s — which charged a $5 cover for an evening that included a champagne toast and live music — was so busy that it apparently ran out of glasses. Said our Pike partier: “Congrats to them… higher cover next year?”

HGTV Couple Moves to South Arlington – A recent episode of HGTV’s House Hunters featured a couple who ended up moving from a condo in the District to a house in the Shirlington Crest development, reports Shirlington Village Blog.

Arlington Man Arrested in N.C. Over Hair Gel Purchase — A 23-year-old Arlington man has been arrested in Burlington, N.C. and accused of trying to buy goods with counterfeit $100 bills. The man bought hair gel and conditioner at one store and was attempting to buy hand lotion at another store when he was arrested, police said. A local newspaper that reported the arrest listed an Arlington address for the man that, as far as we can tell, does not exist. More from the Greensboro News-Record.

Flickr pool photo by Mark C. White

Arlington Place and Street Names Explained — Ever wonder how Rosslyn, Clarendon, Aurora Hills, Lorcom Lane and other county neighborhoods and thoroughfares got their names? The Falls Church News-Press’s Arlington correspondent has the answers, courtesy of a new book from the Arlington Historical Society. More from FCNP.

New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day Events in Shirlington — Check out this comprehensive list of the New Year’s Eve happenings in Shirlington Village (via Shirlington Village Blog). After you party all night, feel free to lounge all day at Busboys and Poets’ New Year’s Day pajama brunch (via Shirlington Village Blogspot).

Two Die in AHC-Owned Building — Carbon monoxide poisoning is suspected in the deaths of two people in a Baltimore rowhouse. The home is owned by Arlington-based affordable housing organization AHC Inc. More from the Baltimore Sun.

Flickr pool photo by BrianMKA

1. Clarendon Ballroom

The annual New Year’s Eve Gala at Clarendon Ballroom (3185 Wilson Blvd) features a large dinner buffet, four drink tickets, a champagne toast, midnight balloon drop and more.

Entertainment comes from high-energy cover band Liquid A, with DJ Image spinning party music on the lower level all night.

Tickets started at $65 and will rise in $10 increments as the date gets closer. Held from 8:00 p.m. until 2:00 a.m.

2. Arlington Cinema Drafthouse

If you like watching the ball drop in Time’s Square but you don’t actually want to go to NYC, this is the next best thing. Arlington Cinema Drafthouse (2903 Columbia Pike) will be showing New Year’s celebrations in NYC and around the world live on the big screen. The 80′s themed party includes a DJ, entertainment and party favors. Admission is $14.

Food and drink must be purchased separately from the table-side wait staff. This event sold out last year.

3. Caribbean Breeze

If you want to ring in the New Year Caribbean style then the Caribbean Breeze (4100 Fairfax Dr) is the place to be. Bring in the New Year dancing to Latin beats, eating island food or just hanging out with some friends.

9PM to 3AM, $25 per person (party only) before Dec. 25th. $69 Dinner/Dance VIP Package before Dec. 25th. For more info call Padrino at 703-402-2608 or 703-812-7997.

4. Dance Factory

If you really like to dance then the Dance Factory (954 N. Monroe St) is the place to be. Join them for an elegant evening of ballroom, Latin, and swing dancing as they waltz into 2011. Singles and couples welcome, open to all. Door prizes, party favors, and much more.

$19 if paid by December 29th, $24 at the door. Held from 9:00 p.m. until 12:30 a.m. Call 703-528-9770 for more info.

5. The Clarendon Grill

C-Grill (1101 N. Highland St.) is throwing a New Years Eve party featuring the ever-popular cover band Gonzo’s Nose and DJ 2 NUTZ, who will be spinning during band breaks. Tickets start at $45 and come three drink tickets, a champagne toast and party favors. For those who like the outdoors, the Grill’s patio will be open and heated. Event will be held from 8:00 p.m. until 2:00 a.m.

6. Whitlow’s on Wilson

If you would like to listen to a live band while you eat and drink the night away then head on over to Whitlow’s (2854 Wilson Blvd). Local party band Back to Zero will rock the house while you enjoy drinks and Whitlow’s appetizer buffet. Cost is $25, which includes the buffet and a champagne toast at midnight.

7. Crystal City Sports Pub

Whether you want to dance, play pool, watch sports or just hang out for New Year’s Eve, the Crystal City Sports Pub (529 S. 23rd St.) has something for everyone. The best thing is that there’s no cover, but if you want to enjoy their custom dinner deal then that will cost you a cool $39.99. The price includes a three course meal, champagne toast and party favors. Held from 8:00 p.m. until 2:00 a.m.

8. 3 Bar and Grill

3 Bar and Grill (2950 Wilson Blvd) is hosting a “no drama” New Year’s Eve event, featuring a DJ, a complimentary toast and party favors. There’s no cover, but reservations are suggested for the dining room.

9. The Melting Pot

Come ring in 2011 with fondue at The Melting Pot (1110 N Glebe Rd) in Ballston. They will also serve a complimentary champagne toast with the dessert course. Party favors and souvenir photo of the evening will be available.

10. Fort Myer Officer’s Club

If you’re a commissioned officer in the military or a GS-7 or higher DoD civilian, this swank party at the Fort Myer Officer’s Club (214 Jackson Ave, Fort Myer) is literally just for you. Renowned singer Nancy Scimone will lead a dance-loving crowd into a spirited new year with her Red Bird Jazz Band. Reservations are $90 for club members or $100 for non-members. There will be a cash bar starting at 6:00, followed by dinner at 7:00, music and dancing at 8:00, a champagne toast at midnight and a light continental breakfast.

Flickr photo by Dave Hunt