History of Bars in New York

Join author and deputy editor at the New York Times, Dan Saltzstein, along with St. John Frizell of Gage & Tollner and the Sunken Harbor Club, and master mixologists Jack McGarry of the Dead Rabbit and Barry Smyth of Fraunces Tavern. Not only will we enjoy a thought-provoking discussion that will unspool the history and evolution of bars in New York City — from the taverns of the Revolutionary War to today’s craft cocktail revival — but we will explore the stories behind historic spaces like Fraunces Tavern and Brooklyn's Gage & Tollner and the impact of newer spots like the Dead Rabbit and Overstory.

Two special cocktails are being created for the evening and light bites are also included with your admission. Additionally, books by our presenters will be available for sale. Non-alcoholic beverages are available for those who wish to abstain.

Details

Doors open at 6 p.m. at Fraunces Tavern.

Admission is $30. All proceeds go to City Harvest.

Event Length 2.5 hours

Panelists

Dan Saltzstein is currently the deputy editor for projects and collaborations at the New York Times. He conceives and edits series and projects on a variety of topics, including, of late, the future of New York, eldercare and the art of craftsmanship. He was previously an editor at the Travel section. His writing and photography have appeared in the Arts & Leisure, Food, Travel, Book Review, Obituaries, Metropolitan and City sections of the Times, and he has also written for LuckyPeach.com, Bon Appetit and Punchdrink.com. He is the author of "That's So New York: Short (and Very Short) Stories About the Greatest City on Earth"

Belfast-native Jack McGarry is managing partner of the Dead Rabbit, where he oversees all operations and business expansion. Under his stewardship — and now in its 10th year — the Dead Rabbit has become one of the world’s most awarded and globally recognized pubs, winning eight Tales of the Cocktail awards and five World’s 50 Best Bars awards, including World’s Best Bar twice. He is the youngest ever recipient of International Bartender of the Year and is recognized as an expert on Irish Whiskey, Irish spirits overall, cocktail development, and world-class pub operations. Thus far, he has authored five books on the subject.

Barry Smyth is the beverage director of the Fraunces Tavern. As beverage director, he selects the 650 whiskies and all the local craft beers and wines that are served at the tavern. Barry has been at Fraunces for over a decade and invented Fraunces' famed Presidential Punch.

St. John Frizell is an award-winning writer, bartender, and co-founder of landmark chop house Gage & Tollner and Sunken Harbor Club, a tropical cocktail bar, both in Downtown Brooklyn. Frizell's writing on food, travel and cocktails has appeared in many publications, including Bon Appétit, Saveur, Imbibe, PUNCH, Gourmet.com, Fine Cooking and Oxford American, and his work has been collected in the Best Food Writing series.