Let's face it, we've always wanted to be part of an exclusive club. The great drinks, the elite crowd and the bragging rights make it more than worth it. And bringing that access to the masses is a new app called Wine & Whiskey.
The Chicago-originated app was created to curate small events centered around creative drinks that experience-seekers and foodies will love.
What if I'm More of a Tequila or Vodka Fan?
Not just whiskey, the club creates themed nights that cost wayyyyy less than any tasting menu at an NYC restaurant and offers sips and snacks that will light up your Instagram feed.
Set in an intimate setting, they take over a private room or floor in a venue or a space with a different menu, different cocktails and different bartenders each event.
Basically it's an affordable way to try new drinks and meet new people with a less sweaty and clubby feel than most places in the city. So basically a win-win.
Creator and Founder, Owen Meyer, spoke to us about the new program and explained the easy concept.
"It's like an underground dining club, but more for beer, wine and spirits," Meyer told us.
If you've ever been to an underground dining club dinner like the Gastronauts, you know how pricey these themed 10-course tasting menus can be. Wine & Whiskey slims the price and focuses on tasting menus for drinks.
What Makes it Different Than Other Drink-related Memberships?
The great thing about it is that it's not just for the drinkers, but just as much for the curators. The bartenders usually work at places with beverage directors who curate the menu, but with Wine & Whiskey, they get to express themselves and be creative.
So what do you get if you apply?
Expect to pay a $185 fee for the whole year as a cover, which may seem steep, but you can split it among friends who you may bring with you to some events. So if you split between 3-4 people, the fee is barely there. And non-members can attend events too as long as members get tickets for them.
And event prices are usually no more than $30-40 and come complete with entry, about 5 drinks per person and some bites too.
Plus, you have the knowledge that you'll be one of the few who get to taste this menu as they are all original and never repeated.
You also will soon be privy to certain member benefits, like discounts at the soon-to-open sister company, a makeshift "lab" where you can learn to create your own cocktails, beers and other beverages. Another great benefit they are working on is a selection of bars that offer a free drink to members and member's friends.
As of now they are hosting about two events per month, but soon there'll be about 1 per week, which will definitely even out the money you're paying on membership fees. Check out the menu from the event they hosted at The Ricky, called "Scotch, Cocktails and Fine Cigars", where members sipped cocktails while also trying their hand at some fancy cigars.
"Everybody likes to go to a private party but this takes away the riff-raff like splitting the check or paying over $100 for the menu and lets them try new things," says Meyer. I'm sure we can all appreciate that they're taking the grunt work out of our hands.
So what are you waiting for? Gather some of your fanciest friends and grab some creative concoctions at a fraction of their normal price.