Who better to sample fermented grapes at Gordon’s, London’s oldest wine bar, than the man behind Straight No Chaser? Raise a glass to musician Mr Hudson, Kanye’s newest protégé. Ben Hudson, the Birmingham-born frontman for Mr Hudson, has earned the right to relax with a glass (or eight) of wine. In the past year, he appeared on Jay-Z and Kanye West’s latest records, traveled the world as part of West’s crew (“He’s like the Kofi Annan of pop,” Hudson says of his friend and mentor) and saw his smash single -- the glorious, West-assisted “Supernova” -- climb to the top of the U.K. charts. Still, Hudson isn’t yet ready to toast his good fortune. “As an Englishman,” he says, “I’m allergic to bombast. It’s up to the people at home to decide if I’ll be playing at Wembley in 10 years, or if I’ll be back on the dole.”

New York nightlife sensation and David LaChapelle muse Amanda Lepore tipples some whimsical (and surprisingly healthy) concoctions from Chinatown’s exotic Apothéke den, adding new favorites to her already worldly palate.