Strip club set to serve 'Drunken Captains' for Fleet Week '09, with proceeds going to

[thedrifter]

Strip club set to serve 'Drunken Captains' for Fleet Week '09, with proceeds going to the troops

BY Stephanie Gaskell
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Tuesday, May 19th 2009, 4:00 AM

Welcome to New York, sailors!

As Fleet Week rolls into town Tuesday, one Manhattan strip club will be waiting with a special drink called the Drunken Captain and, the owners say, all proceeds will go back to the troops.

HeadQuarters, located just blocks from the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum on the West Side, is selling the cocktail for $16 during Fleet Week. Military personnel can buy it for $10.

"All of us here at HeadQuarters appreciate all the men and women who put themselves at risk every day to allow us to have the freedom to express ourselves," general manager Serafina Fiori said.

"We welcome them always so they can see firsthand what they're fighting for!"

The Drunken Captain is a mixture of coconut, mango and pineapple rums with a little pineapple juice and a splash of cranberry.

Fiori said proceeds from the sales of the drink will go to the Soldiers', Sailors', Marines', Airmen's & Coast Guard Club in Murray Hill. The club has been housing soldiers and veterans while they visit the Big Apple for the past 90 years.

The annual Fleet Week celebration isn't all about letting loose. It's also a chance for the Navy to show off some of its finest war ships.

This year's main attraction is the amphibious assault ship Iwo Jima. The vessel has been deployed in support of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and responded during Hurricane Katrina. This is its third appearance at Fleet Week here.

The week is filled with events for the public, including search-and-rescue demonstrations, tours of the ships, concerts and crew competitions.

"Fleet Week is a salute to the sea services," said Lt. Jonathan Blyth.

It's also an opportunity to "thank the citizens of New York City for showing their appreciation to those of us who serve and protect our nation," he said.

sgaskell@nydailynews.com

Ellie