Hawthorn Brings Retro Drinks & Modern Beats to the FiDi

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The latest lounge to target the downtown scene is Hawthorn, which opens today at Geary and Market, in the heart of the FiDi. It comes from Chadwick Baumbach (Kimpton Group, La Costanera) and Gabriel McWilliams, who are aiming to make it an after-work cocktail scene in the early hours and a full-on dance party in the later ones. With lots of swank seating and a booming Void Tri-motion sound system, which the owners say is the first of its kind in North America, getting the party started should be no trouble.

Jenny Kiely (Mars Bar) is leading front-of-house operations, and Alembic and AQ alum Ethan Terry devised the drink menu, which is all about reimagined '70s cocktails with updated ingredients. (With Claire Sprouse having taken on a similar project at The Square, updating fern-bar drinks might now officially be a trend.) A take on a Midori sour skips the saccharine melon liqueur in favor of a fresh cantaloupe-jalapeño juice and aloe liqueur, while the Nip Slip (otherwise known as a Slippery Nipple) features a housemade orgeat-horchata concoction. Tequila sunrises, amaretto sours, and blue Hawaiians are also prime update contenders. Here's the full cocktail menu.

The opulent space comes from Joshua Rowland Design, and features lots of gold, textured fabrics, heavy drapes, and other opulent trappings. They won't have a cover until later in the evening, and plan to host a mix of DJs and live acts curated by booker Nate Mezmer. Hours are Tuesday-Wednesday, 5 pm-12 am; Thursday-Friday, 4 pm-2 am; and Saturday, 7 pm-2 am. And yes, they will be open tomorrow, despite the holiday.

· Hawthorn Bar and Lounge Headed to Union Square [~ ESF ~]
· Ethan Terry and Other Bartenders On Favorite Hangover Cures [~ ESF ~]
· Hawthorn [Official website]