A few weeks back I ordered some tickets for a hidden Alice in Wonderland cocktail event for myself and my recently engaged lady friend.
April 15th was finally the day we got to go enjoy it. My girls fiance gave us a ride downtown and even though there was no address listed, the place was easy enough to find with their landmark instructions.
My girlfriend made a beautiful little red waistcoat for the occasion, and I found myself a dress with a number of little symbolism tied to the book.
When we entered the venue it had a pretty themed setup. The waiting room covered floor to ceiling with flowered wallpaper, cards and keys hanging from a ceiling covered in lush green and the familiar bottom half of Alice’s gown and stockinged legs dangling down.
It’s 30 past the even start time when the white rabbit comes to collect the group of us gathered, pronouncing us all very late as he ushers us down a hallway covered in fairylights and into a tearoom filled with decorate colored flags, walls covered with shrubbery and mushrooms, behind which a large Cheshire cat smile emerges.
The white queen seats us at our table as an orchestral version of Queens Bohemian Rhapsody plays in the background. Alice lounges in a separate poll garden waving us in and eventually greeting us herself with lewd humor.
The event takes place after the slaying of the jabberwocky and red queen and leads us through a number of puzzles in celebration of the warriors return. The setup they provide us to mix our own cocktails is actually quite magical, my favorite concoction being a lovely blend of blackberry , sprite and whiskey.
Other music that I catch is another orchestral ensemble of Pumped up Kicks, and some lively Spanish jams as we cheer on a large family celebrabrating a birthday as they urge Alice to take more shots with them.
After our hour and a half is up, they gentle urge us on our way back down the path we came. We’re feeling a little pecking now though and decide to continue the party at Maggiano’s after the first restaurant pick of Firebowl turned out to be closed. It was a good time and gave us some great ideas for parties we could throw later on down the line when the conditions are ripe.