Hudson has steadfastly held onto its reputation as a community where experiential bar concepts are appreciated and eccentricity is almost expected.
That allure drew Jeremy Dubroff and his partner Isi Laborde to choose Hudson as the home for The Hereafter, a chill-yet-hip new cocktail bar on Columbia Street that’s Warren-adjacent and open late.
“We tapped into something that we didn’t realize people were looking for around here: a late-night place to grab a drink or bite near upper Warren Street,” Dubroff says. “But our main goal was to offer an elevated cocktail experience in a warm and inviting space that maybe feels a little quirky.”
Dubroff met Laborde, who is also a stage and film actress, while living in the city and working together at a bar in Brooklyn where Dubroff was a partner. “We thought about opening in Brooklyn, but that felt like a grind. I ran a bar in the city for 12 years and needed a change of pace,” Dubroff says. “We love Hudson—there’s still a lot of city connection, but there’s a better quality of life. We knew this is where we wanted to be.”
The Hereafter opened mid-February, but was designed to give the appearance of a timeworn watering hole that’s been around for much longer. While the term “hereafter” generally refers to the afterlife, the name of the bar is a play on words for a place you can go after life: a hideaway from the everyday. “We wanted to create a space where you can leave the outside world behind and feel transported,” Dubroff says.
Those who recall the building’s former iteration as Golden Grains Pizza will certainly have that transported experience. The pair worked with designer Christian Garnett to gut and reimagine the space. The pizza oven was removed from the center of what’s now a barback of wood-and-brass shelves lined with uncommon spirits. A plaster wall with a kitschy, red, plastic brick design was torn down to open up the still-intimate space, now accommodating custom booths and banquette seating made from reclaimed white oak. Even the floor is new—laid after removing six layers of linoleum—yet seemingly timeworn. They kept the original tin ceiling (of course), but painted it a dark green that matches the padded leather seats of wooden barstools.
“We worked in conjunction with Christian and aligned our visions to create a unique space that’s a little quirky with a lot of stories behind it,” Dubroff says. “Take the wainscoting—Isi and I obtained it from a Harlem church and started to strip away four layers of paint, but decided to let the colorful layers show through.”
Menus feature their own thoughtful design—open the stitch-bound cardstock booklet and you’ll find a library checkout pocket that holds a short beer and wine list, with fewer than 10 of each (wines $14-$15 per glass; beers around $10). Cocktails are presented next in fun personified categories like classy, deep, and eccentric—appropriate for drink recipes inspired by experiential concepts. For example, the popular Trail Blazer ($17) was crafted by Laborde based on the idea of what it feels like to go for a walk in the woods. With a single malt whiskey, pine liqueur, juniper and rosemary syrup, juice from a lemon charred on a cast iron pan, and a burned rosemary sprig garnish, the drink offers a smokey, piney aroma and taste that Dubroff describes as “like exploring the woods in that old Americana way.”
Drink Like a Writer ($16) plays on the idea of incorporating coffee and tea—caffeinated writers, unite—with the strong bite of two Haitian rums softened by perfumey bergamot liqueur, clove-infused honey, and coffee bitters, garnished with a house-brandied cherry. Hellcat ($16), a popular tequila drink, features mezcal infused with three spicy peppers, plus guava puree and strawberry amaro.
“Neither of us have specific culinary training, but we both worked in the restaurant industry alongside those who do, long enough to have picked up various tricks of the trade. With a little trial and error thrown in,” Dubroff says.
A small selection of light bites and shareable dishes was developed by CIA-trained chef Michelle Hunter, who previously worked at lauded Saratoga cocktail bar Hamlet & Ghost. With an emphasis on local, seasonally available ingredients, the menu features must-haves like a local cheese board ($20) with warm crusty bread, spicy pickled peppers, hard and soft cheeses from nearby producers, a dab of honey, and chewy Turkish figs in a thoughtfully curated plating of flavors and textures. A rich steak tartare ($17) includes egg yolk, herbs, guajillo chile, and sourdough crackers.
“So far the response has been really exciting,” Dubroff says. “In the city you meet someone and then never see them again; here, we’re welcoming the same people over and over. It’s becoming a community that feels bigger than the bar—it’s exciting to be a part of.”
The Hereafter721 Columbia Street, Hudson
www.thehereafterhudson.com
