Existing Conditions Long Island NY
Architectural designer · Commack ·
Innovative booze-free cocktails using bitters and fresh juices
Innovative booze-free cocktails using bitters and fresh juices
"An acclaimed Greenwich Village experimental cocktail bar, Existing Conditions announced it is permanently shutting down after a two-year run, unable to stay afloat due to financial strain from the coronavirus crisis. Known for a menu of involved, technical drinks served in a relaxed atmosphere, the bar's inventive program—spearheaded by co-owners Dave Arnold and Don Lee, who previously worked at Booker and Dax and PDT—focused on highly technical production methods, including pressure-cooked and clarified ingredients and a custom carbonation system. The owners offered takeout cocktails and outdoor dining during the pandemic, but those restricted operations did not bring in enough sales; as co-owner Greg Boehm said, "Running a bar in New York City is incredibly challenging, even during the best of times," and the pandemic exacerbated that. Drinks International named Arnold one of the industry's most influential figures in part for his work at Existing Conditions." - Erika Adams
"A cocktail bar known for innovative booze-free drinks that foregrounds flavor depth and inventive pairings. Management highlights the use of bitters (Fee Brothers is a favorite, with grapefruit and black-walnut among preferred flavors) to add complexity to nonalcoholic cocktails, demonstrating that a few dashes can markedly transform a drink. The venue’s work illustrates how thoughtful nonalcoholic spirits, shrubs, syrups, and bitters can create memorable, grown-up alternatives for people avoiding alcohol." - Dominique Pariso
"A New York venue that gives nonalcoholic cocktails top billing, positioning spirit‑free drinks as centerpiece menu items; one standout, the savory Serendipity, uses clarified tomato and passionfruit juices with a grapefruit twist to showcase how acidity, clarification, and creative juicing can produce complex, restaurant‑worthy nonalcoholic offerings." - Lia Picard
"Opened in the West Village as part of Cocktail Kingdom's expansion, Existing Conditions channels a science-based cocktail approach—influenced by Don Lee and Dave Arnold's experimentation—while remaining approachable, balancing high-concept technique with fun nightlife energy." - Alicia Kennedy
"I went for the cocktails at Dave Arnold’s return project and while the drinks were enjoyable, the Sioux City sandwich ($21) is what I remember most: a massive boneless rib chop cutlet topped with gribiche, pickled tomato paste, shaved red onions, and bulldog sauce on toasted white bread — the contrast of crispy pork, saucy egg-salad–like topping, and soft bread made for very pleasing textures akin to katsu sando." - Eater Staff
