Will we all go on to enjoy the heavenly Hereafter and its celestial delights? Well, if you’re anywhere near Hudson, you can savor afterlife-worthy libations as a mortal firmly planted on Earth.
Partners Jeremy Dubroff and Isi Laborde have opened up a conceptual cocktail emporium at 721 Columbia Street in Hudson that feels firmly rooted here in Upstate New York, even as it draws inspiration and flavors from the Big Apple’s food and beverage scene. The pair are transplants from New York City, landing here the way so many do—by way of a serendipitous weekend in the country.
“We were up here visiting friends and loved the vibe and the town of Hudson itself,” says Dubroff, who was born and raised in New York City. Both he and Laborde had years of experience working in the hospitality game downstate in the boroughs, with Laborde also paying her dues as a film and stage actress (she had roles in Jay-Z’s music video “Smile,” Paramount’s Younger, and onstage at La Mama Experimental Theatre Club).
“Isi and I met working at Blueprint,” Dubroff says of the upscale Park Slope lounge where he spent seven years as an operating partner—during his tenure, it became a draw for its meticulously crafted cocktails and thoughtful bites. “We always planned to open our own bar, and we considered doing it in Brooklyn. But once we discovered Hudson, we knew we wanted to do it here.”
They were eager, but patient, taking the time (about six months, in the end) to find a space that felt just right.
“Several places that we liked either fell through or weren’t totally feasible,” Dubroff says. Then, one day, the duo ventured just off the beaten track and noticed a small shop on Columbia Street. “It was a little beat up—we actually didn’t think it would work—but we checked it out,” Dubroff continues. “Once we were inside, we realized that with work it could be a nice, interesting space, especially with the additional back area that we built out for storage and our kitchen operation.”
Previously, the space was occupied by Golden Grains Pizza—not exactly the vibe they were going for. So they enlisted Christian Garnett, who they met through an old business partner of Dubroff’s, to collaborate with them on a gut reno. Garnett, an artist as much as a craftsman, has helped design dozens of progressive hospitality spaces—including NYC’s Pastis, Balthazar and Morandi, bastions of chic that are somehow both trendy and timeless. Since it opened earlier this year, The Hereafter has been off to the races, quickly becoming one of the most talked-about bars in Hudson, a true hotspot that never feels overcrowded thanks to the carefully calibrated seating and
bar area.
The bar occupies the former pizza oven perch, and serves as the visual and physical anchor to the space. The bar is made from walnut wood polished until it gleams, with copper-plated panels and fabricated blue steel. On the beautifully lit copper-golden back shelves, even the most knowledgeable cocktailers will find the esoteric mix of classic, obscure and hyper-local spirits (think Little City Vermouth, Faccia Brutto Spirits, Branchwater Farm) refreshing.
Reclaimed white oak wood and materials (such as wainscoting) were used whenever possible to build out booths and banquette seating.
“We wanted it to be a gorgeous space that also felt like a classic, timeless bar,” Dubroff says. “And we wanted it to be approachable.”
After all, it’s—at least nominally—all about the drinks.
The cocktails are divided into four surprisingly helpful (why don’t more places do this?) categories: Fun, Classy, Eccentric and Deep.
Even the Fun category will make you think. Take the No Strings Attached—vodka, cherry shrub, Hiemat elderflower liqueur, lemon, citrus bitters and pink salt topped with tonic and and orange zest. It certainly makes not committing feel downright aspirational. Come for the Fun, stay for the Deep—Drink Like a Writer is a blend of two Haitian clairin rums, bergamot liqueur, clove-infused honey and coffee bitters, stirred and garnished with a house-brandied cherry. Take this from someone who’s had cocktails with her share of the kind of writers this cocktail is named for—drinking like a writer isn’t always advisable, but in the case of this libation, I’d recommend it.
And once you’re hooked on those cleverly named cocktails, there are still the seasonal small plates carefully curated by Dubroff and Laborde. “Being in Hudson made great food seem essential,” Dubroff says, admitting he was somewhat surprised by he and his partner’s dedication to the edible end of the menu.
The food on tap is ever-changing, but promises to always be as well-crafted as the cocktails. (Think steak tartare with guajillo chile and sourdough crackers, poached baby artichokes with lemon and ramp gremolata, and potato and liver dumplings.)
And for the thirsty but cocktail-averse, there are plenty of wines (Pierre Caizergues Pet-Nat), beer (Suarez Family River Czech Dark Lager) and n/a drinks (the rotating seasonal shrub soda is refreshing) to choose from.
An evening at The Hereafter feels almost like you’re at a party in someone’s living room. You leave remembering that the décor was tasteful, the food original, and the drinks made with care and real skill. But what sticks with you is the way it all made you feel. And thanks to Dubroff and Laborde’s true hospitality chops, that’s pretty dang good.
