Greenwich House Raises the Bar (Literally) with New Taste After-Party Cocktail Competition

By Joe Salas

SOME OF NYC’S BEST BARS WILL BE CRAFTING CUSTOM COCKTAILS: At the first-ever Taste After-Party Cocktail Competition, mixologists will make their best drinks to win your vote. Photo by Kris Mae.

What do a bar on the 65th floor of Rockefeller Center, a Fashion Week hangout, and a restaurant deemed one of the 10 most romantic in the world have in common? They are all among the participants helping to raise money for the local, nonprofit social service organization Greenwich House at its first-ever Taste After-Party Cocktail Competition, sponsored by Tito’s Handmade Vodka, on March 13th.

Over the past 15 years, many Greenwich Villagers have come to know the annual Taste of Greenwich House as a Village-focused food extravaganza, supporting an important neighborhood organization. Each year, more than 30 restaurants and food purveyors, including Village staples like The Clam, dell’anima, Cornelia Street Café, and Little Owl, come together to offer tastes from their menus to raise money for Greenwich House.
Greenwich House serves 12,000 individuals a year through its arts education, behavioral health, and senior services programs, including Greenwich House Pottery, the Greenwich House Music School, the senior centers at Center on the Square and Our Lady of Pompeii, and the Children’s Safety Project.

This year, Greenwich House is raising the bar (literally) by introducing the Taste After-Party Cocktail Competition. (It will be held in a special lounge upstairs, away from the main event.) At the After-Party, mixologists from some of New York’s best bars, including Bar SixtyFive at the Rainbow Room; Seamstress NY; and One if by Land, Two if by Sea, will craft custom cocktails featuring Tito’s vodka to compete for a cash prize.

“Taste of Greenwich House has developed such a reputation in the Village as a fun event for a great local cause,” said Andrea Newman, Greenwich House’s Development Director. “We started getting requests from more local businesses, not just restaurants, wanting to get involved. With the After-Party, we’re hoping to be able to engage more of our community—residents and businesses alike.”

So far, the plan is working. In addition, neighborhood watering holes like Bodega Negra, Daddy-O, and Carmine Street’s Giulietta’s Cantina Club will provide after-dinner bites. Local DJ, Cochon de Lait, will spin funk and soul.

At $50 a ticket, the Taste After-Party Cocktail Competition has also been attracting a new group of Greenwich House supporters, including students and artists looking to engage with an organization that serves their neighborhood. Individuals attending the Taste main event can upgrade their ticket to include After-Party access for just $20.

“We’re very excited at the momentum for both events—Taste and the After-Party—as well as for the organization, Greenwich House, in general,” finished Newman.

The Taste of Greenwich House and the Taste After-Party Cocktail Competition will take place on Tuesday, March 13th at the Metropolitan Pavilion, 125 West 18th Street (between 6th and 7th Avenues). The Taste begins at 6:00 p.m. and the Taste After-Party begins at 9:00 p.m.

For tickets and more information, visit greenwichhouse.org/taste or call Diane Perrin, the Greenwich House Events Manager, at (212) 991-0003, Extension 402.

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