DJ’s, Disco, and Drinks on Tap at NYC’s Wiggle Room

Taking the place of the former Drexler’s space in the East Village of New York City is Wiggle Room, a new hotspot for New Yorkers who enjoy music, dancing, tasteful design, delicious drinks, and a great time.

 

 

Wiggle Room’s space is located at 9 Avenue A and features two floors. Soft shapes and fluid lines are a focal point throughout the entire space, but each floor brings an entirely different experience. Upstairs, subtle hues and textured fixtures sourced from around the world create a sleek yet intimate environment for cocktails and conversation. Downstairs is all about getting rowdy and letting loose, with a disco ball, playful neons, and ‘melting’ Tom Dixon light fixtures.

 

The first floor offers a weekly rotation of noteworthy and up-and-coming DJs curated by Another Agency. The genres typically played are funk, disco, soul, and house. In the event where one’s downstairs energy dwindles, a few steps upstairs tones things down, leaving some room for audible interaction and world-class cocktail sipping.

 

Speaking of concoctions, the beverage program at Wiggle Room is intended to be playful, yet approachable; colorful, yet recognizable. Those are the characteristics that Will Krepop, the GM and Beverage Director (formerly of Cote), had in mind when crafting the menu. Mimicking the environment, the drinks are clean and free of garnish yet pack a flavorful punch.

 

Every aspect of the modern space has been thoroughly planned out and deliberate. The drink menu is no exception; All glassware adopts playful, organic shapes. Color comes into play with peony-tinted rocks glasses, cherry blossom vermouth in the Wiggle ‘Tini, and light pastel green imparted by Midori in the Tennis Club Colada.

 

 

Fulfilling the New York Espresso Martini trend, Wiggle Room’s version is nitrogen charged, and served on draft for a silky-smooth mouthfeel. It’s one of three innovative cocktails on tap, along with playful spins on classics created by Krepop. Another drink on tap is the Dog Balloon Animal made with gin, rhubarb, pepperberry, vanilla, cocchi rosa vermouth and tonic.

 

We asked Krepop to offer advice to bartenders hoping to create a successful beverage program. “Empathy, patience, and the ability to multitask,” he lists as necessary skills to running a successful bar. “So much of what makes a bartender great comes down to personality and has very little to do with the drink actually being made.”

 

And wrapping up with some important general things to consider, he went on “My advice is that you intend for this to be your career, treat it as such. Set up a savings account. Make sure you have health insurance. Make sure you’re taking care of yourself, especially when you’re finishing work late at night.”