dining
SECRET SUMMER The Ultimate Summer Soiree By jennifer hedley
I
magine being transported to a different world, yet still remain in NYC. A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream in Long Island City or a Great Gatsby-esque garden party filled with a multitude of flowers inside a 100-year-old factory overlooking the Queensboro Bridge. Secret Summer does just that. Now in its fourth year, this one-of-kind cocktail festival hosts close to 1000 attendees and features seasonal farm-to-bar cocktails, unique food vendors and musical performances at The Foundry in Long Island City on Sunday, August 12 from 2pm - 8pm. Secret Summer is the first and only farm-to-bar cocktail festival where the focus is on fresh, organic, delicious cocktails that celebrate sustainability and local farming. The annual fete, produced by Tyler Hollinger (HighLife Productions) and Andy Maturana (RAPT), allows spirit brands the opportunity to showcase their finest drinks, each in a different room. Highlights this year include a Toki Whisky Washitsu tasting room and a Japanese Yatai highball cart featuring handcut ice spears. In addition, there will be the
80 | resident.com
Brugal 1888 rum tasting experience complemented with dessert, and a Brockmans Gin Juniper Forest where revellers can taste, smell and experience an atrium filled with foliage and juniper. Lastly there will also be a Blue Point Brewery Toasted Yacht where guests are invited to sip on Blue Point beer cocktails from a boat in the middle of The Foundry’s courtyard. Musical performances this year include headliner Moon Hooch, a Brooklyn-based band comprised of two saxophonists and a drummer, a traditional Sitar and Tabla Indian heritage music, a bespoke trumpeter and a secret marching band (oops not so secret). Food at the event includes The Choripan, Sophie’s Cuban, Empanadas and Wisefish Poke to satisfy everyone’s appetites. And, Man vs Food host Casey Webb will be on hand to judge the best cocktail at Secret Summer this year. Tyler Hollinger and Andy Maturana first produced Secret Summer four years ago after they noticed there weren’t events like this, which allowed brands to tell their story and activate in an immersive, experiential way and
they are proudest of their following, as 95 percent of past attendees are returning this year. Tickets were released to past attendees first and first-day tickets sold out within two hours, a testament to their fan base. The producers create specific experiential activations for brands, and as Tyler explains, “We believe in depth as opposed to width. Your brand is able to tell its story and touch people with all five senses while putting together an immersive experience tailored to each brand or story. Guests are able to experience and taste the products, as well as become a fan for life because of their day at Secret Summer.” In addition to Secret Summer you can catch Tyler and Andy at their winter event, Aquarius, which celebrates sustainable fish and the environment, every January.
8-03 43rd Avenue, Long Island City, NY 11101 646.648.0422 secretsummernyc.com