Al Jazeera America, the money-losing cable network, went dark on Tuesday at 9 p.m. Many of the out-of-work staffers convened at Studio 450 in Hell’s Kitchen for a party that lasted well into the night. The boozy sendoff stood in stark contrast to the no-alcohol policy of Al Jazeera’s owners.

One insider recalled being at a board meeting dinner where the owners were uncomfortable that they were in a private room where there were bottles of wine out in the open.

“They sat as far away from the dreaded grapes as possible,” said the source.