Luxury stores and select specialty stores often celebrate their most esteemed customers by uncorking a bottle of Champagne. Nordstrom is introducing a twist to this alcohol-infused shopping experience by partnering with experts from the New York Cocktail Company and the iconic Greenwich Village café Dante. This collaboration has led to the creation of a speakeasy-style bar in the Clubhouse area of Nordstrom’s NYC men’s store. Available until November, patrons can enjoy a drink while browsing the men’s collection on the second floor.
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The pop-up is an extension of the Nordstrom and Dante partnership highlighted in the “Nordstrom for Everything New York” campaign, which celebrates Nordstrom as a destination for everything a New Yorker would need. Created by the New York-based agency Mojo Supermarket, the campaign was unveiled May 27. Along with Dante, the ads play up three other New York City destinations — the historic Apollo Theater in Harlem, the Upper West Side restaurant Barney Greengrass, and Casa Magazines. The campaign, and the activations, are meant to not only raise awareness for these only-in-New York businesses but also to drum up interest in the retailer’s flagship at West 57th and Broadway, which opened in October 2019.
The just-opened pop-up has been seeing a good amount of interest in NYCC’s ready-to-serve classic Negronis but browsers or buyers can also can enjoy NYCC’s Mezcalito, chocolate, and espresso Negronis. There are also pick-me-ups from Dante like cheese and charcuterie boards, Marcona almonds, and marinated olives. Having first welcomed diners in 1915 to its Greenwich Village eatery, Dante is a New York institution.
Linden Pride, an owner at Dante and a cofounder of NYCC, communicated through email, “This collaboration was a natural fit given Nordstrom’s renowned status in New York and beyond. Our involvement with Nordstrom to develop New York Cocktail Company and Dante within their premises has been a rewarding experience and we believe it will be a cherished sanctuary for lovers of cocktails and Negronis.”
The Negroni, a cocktail composed of gin, vermouth, and Campari in equal measures, topped the list as the most frequently sold drink in 2022, according to the Drinks International’s 2022 World’s Best-Selling Classic Cocktails.
No reservations are required for the 300-square-foot space dubbed New York Cocktail Company Presents Dante at Nordstrom, conveniently located near the men’s tailoring area. While the assistance from sales staff may be complimentary, the Negronis are priced between $18 and $20. Similarly, the Dante bar snacks cost between $7 to $47, varying with the patrons’ appetite.
There is a historical connection between department stores and alcoholic beverages. Back in 1920, during Prohibition, when numerous liquor establishments were shut down and speakeasies emerged, major department stores advertised the latest cocktail shakers and related accessories through newspaper ads.
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