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Bar Snack opens in East Village
Iain Griffiths and Oliver Cleary have added another venue to New York’s bar scene, Bar Snack, which aims to be a ‘new iteration of the classic neighbourhood bar’.
The bar proclaims to offer ‘dressed-up classics for dressed-down people alongside beers, good wine and, of course, snacks’.
Speed and convenience will be a focus, with the bar to offer cocktails on tap, two frozen drinks and a seasonal house Daiquiri, available in a single serve, a pitcher or as a ‘Snaquiri’.
“I never had the intention to create another bar concept, but like any good hospitality professional, when the right opportunity comes your way with the right business partners, you have to seize the moment,” said Griffiths.
“We’re looking forward to being part of this new era of New York food and drink, especially with the variety of new establishments on Second Avenue and the East Village.
“Bar Snack is here to be a gathering place for all with tasty drinks and bites that we hope will allow guests to come back time and time again.”
Griffiths’ on-trade career started at Black Pearl in Melbourne, before they moved to the UK in 2012 to run Bramble in Edinburgh. They later met Ryan Chetiyawardana and worked with him on the development of White Lyan, Dandelyan (now Lyaness) and more.
In 2016, Griffiths partnered with Kelsey Ramage to create The Trash Collective (formerly Trash Tiki) to further the discourse about sustainability in bartending.
Most recently, Griffiths was head of brand for Empirical Spirits.
Bar Snack cocktails are divided between One & Somes, Crushers, and Big Licks.
One & Somes include: Ménage-a-Gavé, with strawberry and snap pea, Yola mezcal, agave wine, agave syrup, and sparkling orange wine; City Limits, with green chilli vodka, yuzu curd, sake, and ginger; and Big Twea Energy, a passionfruit ‘twisted tea’ cooler with Italian bitter and grapefruit.
Crushers include: the Melonade, with cantaloupe melon, fresh lemon, and Grey Goose vodka; Cannoli Pants, a cannoli-inspired Sour made with Lalo Tequila, pistachio and raspberry; and the house Snaq Daq 001m made with Diplomático rum, clementine, winter spices, and fresh lime.
Big Licks are spirit-forward cocktails, including: Good Gordo, a Margarita with apricot, Rancho Gordo hot sauce and a choice of Altos Tequila or Ilegal Mezcal; Phish Food Old Fashioned, which mimics the ice cream flavour, made with Bourbon, Tennessee whiskey, and fluff syrup; and a Salad Negroni, made with nectarine, basil and a touch of acid.
The bar’s two frozen drinks are Mama Tried, a triple-citrus sorbet with elderflower, pineapple Génépy, and coriander, and 1am Latte, an Espresso Martini made with Tequila and Pumpkin Spice 2.0, a spice blend made by food scientist Arielle Johnson.
Bar Snack will also offer shooters, including the 7th Chakra Purple M&M with Derrumbes mezcal and Montenegro Amaro, and the Vibes Provider, made with Mr Black coffee liqueur, blueberry vodka, bitters and soda.
Non-alcoholic options include the Phony Negroni and Dawn Patrol, a turmeric-rich taste on an Arnold Palmer, made with Seasn Dark.
The food menu will officially launch in January, with snacks such as pickled jimaca and Cool Ranch Deviled Eggs available from early December.
The design incorporates classic elements of a neighbourhood bar as well as ‘more colour, cheeky fun, and a small touch of glitter’.
The 50-seat venue features a white ash wood and walnut-stained bar top with a mustard and peach tiled base, surrounded by 16 orange vinyl bar stools. The rest of the bar features white oak wall panelling with a dark stain blend, olive-green walls, lime green velvet stools, and a two-seat vinyl loveseat.
Griffiths and Cleary worked with Chelsey Burger of Tchachke to select the decor, with window paintings by Doug Aldrich and graphic design by Kisira Hill.
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