Food and beverage pop-ups are fun, fleeting chance to escape one’s culinary comfort zone with delicious limited-offer food in a new location. In the case of the nomadic Catskills Cocktail Club’s summer-long residency at the Starlite Motel, two powerhouses of the Hudson Valley come together for a reliable food and drink pop-up taking place every Friday, except when the Motel is closed for private events.
Driving up the property on Friday night, you’ll find tables and tents dotting the property while music streams from the Catskills Cocktail Club’s record player, and people hang around the scattered fire pits, chatting with old friends and making new ones. According to Starlite Motel co-owner Alix Umen, “The vibe is very chill. It’s not a super rowdy crowd. I would say it’s a much more friendly crowd.” Catskills Cocktail Club owner Brendan F. Casey adds, “It’s a great place to meet your neighbor.”
The Starlite Motel in Kerhonkson, winner of the 3rd annual Chronogram Readers’ Choice Awards in the hotel category, has already established itself as a venerated host of the region’s food pop-ups. Since its renovation, rebranding, and reopening in 2020, the motel has hosted a rotating slate of popular Hudson Valley food trucks and ghost restaurants, including Misto, and it’s popular Brazilian and Ukrainian fusion food.
The Catskills Cocktail Club, launched in 2022 by Casey, has continually worked in collaboration with the Starlite Motel. “It’s such a good partnership,” he says. On its own, the Catskills Cocktail Club is a concierge bar service that brings both the bar, the flavor, and the fun to any event, popping up at locations throughout the region like Hasbrouck House, Ollie’s, and Glynwood. Their rotating roster of craft cocktails include the Spicy Mezcal Daisy: mezcal, agave, fresh lime juice, smoked salt rim, and pickled jalapeños; and Millhook Bramble with muddled blueberries with basil, herbal syrup, fresh lemon juice, gin, and club soda.
According to Casey, however, the star of this summer is sure to be the slushy machine they recently added to their repertoire. As the “only slushy machine in a 40-mile radius,” according to Umen, it allows for people to get their tropical pina-colada fix in the Hudson Valley. Casey also mentions a special drink that will be available only while strawberry season lasts: a frozen strawberry tequila cocktail, made with fresh, local strawberries.
While the Catskills Cocktail Club has the drink portion of the evening covered, the pop-up extravaganza wouldn’t be complete without a dinner option as well. With this in mind, a different local food pop-up will be joining the Catskills Cocktail Club every Friday for the upcoming summer. These pop-ups include Forno Rosso Hudson Valley’s innovative wood-fired pizza on June 27; Meat Things’s whole butcher pop-up shop on July 4; Oyster Party’s fresh and summery oysters and lobster rolls on July 11; and Diego’s Taqueria’s authentic street style tacos on July 18. Future collabs will be announced via social media.
“We really want to continue to create a welcoming experience for anyone who is in the area,” Umen says. From long-time locals, to visiting hotel guests, to people who just moved to the area, these Friday night pop-ups are meant to bring people together in appreciation of delicious local food and drink.
Drinks are available every Friday from 5-10pm and food from 5-9pm.
