We love a good pop-up bar. One minute you’re on a street you walk down every day, the next you spot a new storefront occupied by your favorite booze brand. Suddenly, your night gets a lot more interesting as you enjoy the coolest new bar that may not even be there tomorrow.
Grey Goose Vodka staged their own pop-up recently in New York City’s West Village, but they extended it far beyond your typical bar. Located at 632 Hudson Street, the “activation” ran from October 15 to 18 and brought in more than 2,600 people. The pop-up was part of the Grey Goose “Fly Beyond” brand campaign and it makes us wish we were in NYC last month.
The first part of the pop-up was a pastry and coffee shop. In fact, when people first saw the installation in their neighborhood, they thought a new French cafe may have opened. The outside was painted bright blue and there was a welcome mat introducing Boulangerie Picardie. There was hardly any trace of Grey Goose, aside from a small message on napkins and a hashtag written on a chalkboard behind the counter. Other than that, guests enjoyed fresh pastries and espresso from Brooklyn bakery Bien Cuit while they indulged in fresh baked bread and bouquets of lavender.
We know, we know – bakeries are great, but booze is better.
What most people didn’t know was there was also an exclusive back door where invited guests were immersed in the Grey Goose experience. They were educated about the history of Grey Goose and given sample packets of the milled wheat the company uses to make its vodka. Francois Thibault, Grey Goose cellar master, ran a vodka tasting and then invited the group downstairs to a speakeasy where they could order Grey Goose vodka martinis. Seriously, why weren’t we there?
Paul McDonnell, senior brand manager for Grey Goose, told BizBash that the event was their gift to New York because “it was New York that first embraced Grey Goose 16 years ago.”
We embrace Grey Goose, too. Can we have a party?