All Photos by Bryan Sargent
The Grand Paradise, Bushwick’s larger than life “immersive theater experience” at 383 Troutman St, has its own bar open for theater goers directly after performances, but on Friday, February 26th, they opened its doors to the public for a peek inside. Now, on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights exclusively from the hours of 1am-4am, anyone can enjoy.
The Shipwreck Lounge is a 1970s-style tiki bar and lounge featuring beach-inspired cocktails, designed to make you feel like you’re sipping drinks in a tropical paradise. The theme is meant to mirror the experience of The Grand Paradise performance, which is described as “a late 70’s tropical resort”. The bar is located inside the venue where the show takes place, underneath the pieces of the hull of the SS Elizabeth.
The bar is the joint creation of Brooklyn-based performance company Third Rail Projects and the mixologist of Tuffet, the meat/cheese/beer/wine bar on Graham Ave. During the hours that the bar is open to the public, a late-night happy hour will be on offer: $1 off beer & wine and $2 off the tiki cocktail menu.
The cocktail menu includes options such as “The Cabana Boy aka Passionfruit Absinthe Punch”, “The Beach Party aka Spicy Piña Colada” or “The Dunes aka Spiced Coconut Rum Punch” which all go for $14 or $12 during happy hour. Beer ranges from $5-8, and wine is $9-11, including a “Chili-Mango Sangria.”
Mixologist and bar proprietor Alicia Rebensdorf describes the drinks as “fun and garnish-heavy”. Much like the bar itself, the cocktails are filled with color and decoration. Most of the cocktails have multiple fruits and fake flowers overflowing out of them. There are also light bar snacks, including plantain chips and chili-lime peanuts.
The Shipwreck lounge will be open “for now” to the public Thursdays-Saturdays from 1am-4am. No word on what exactly “for now” means—this spot won’t be here forever—, so check it out, Bushwick night owls. For those among us who do not plan on having the full Grand Paradise experience, the bar will give you a taste of it and makes for a great time in its own right.
The Shipwreck Lounge is located at 383 Troutman St between Irving Ave & Wyckoff Ave. It is open to guests of The Grand Paradise immediately after every performance or to the public Thursdays-Saturdays from 1am-4am. Tel: (718) 374-5196