Ordinary's Spirits of Christmas Past

Ordinary, New Haven’s oldest tavern, will be celebrating the holidays with “Ordinary’s Spirits of Christmas Past” activation.  Starting on Tuesday, November 5, this year’s celebration will offer a playful homage to Scrooge, including spook components to the pop-up food and beverage menu, and skeletons and ghosts, all intertwined with holiday lights, trees and festive decorations.  The activation will run through December 31.

The special pop-up cocktail menu includes:

• Holiday classics, spirit-forward cocktails with a seasonal twist, such as Old Man Winter Fashioned, Festivus Sazerac and Krampus in Manhattan.
• Symphonic Sours including Bells on the Bees Knees and Slice of Pie.
• Bubbly options such as Holiday Collins, Bad Santa and Brick Top.
• A candy bar menu, featuring options for the discerning sweet tooth, including Brandied Nog, Switch Cider, Midnight Sleighride and Stocking Stuffer.

The seasonal pop-up food menu includes new additions such as:

• Garlic Butter Candles (Confit Shallot, Focaccia).
• Thanksgiving Sandwich (with Turkey, Cranberry, Stuffing).
• Roast Pork Sandwich (with Braised Collards and Provolone).
• Banana Bread Skulls.

This holiday activation will also incorporate the season of giving.  In November, Ordinary will donate a portion of every “Tinsel Kittens & Stocking Puppies” cocktail that sells (Bumbu Rom, Orgeat, Orange Juice, Liberation Bitters) to the Woodbridge Animal Control, well as collecting food and toy donations for the shelter.  In December, a special cocktail (TBA) will benefit Yale Children’s Hospital, and Ordinary will be collecting toy donations from December 5-22 for the hospital.

“Ordinary’s Spirits of Christmas Past” will be open Tuesday-Saturday from 5pm-12am.  For more information, visit www.ordinarynewhaven.com.

Ordinary is New Haven’s oldest tavern, originally serving as the taproom of the former Hotel Taft, which opened in January of 1912.  Located in the heart of historic downtown New Haven at 990 Chapel Street, the space also was known as Richter’s before the current owners took it over in 2012.  After a careful restoration, preserving the space’s historical character and architecture, including the original bar, wood paneling and ornate plaster ceilings, Ordinary opened in April 2013.  The menu offers a mix of both classic and innovative cocktails, wine and beer, and shareable food plates.  Open Tuesday-Saturday from 5pm-12am, Ordinary hosts happy hour daily from 5-7pm, as well as other weekly specials including half priced wine bottles on Tuesdays, educational tastings with industry experts on Wednesdays from 5-7pm, and Break Even Versus on Thursdays, offering a pour from 2 bottles weekly at cost.  For more information, visit www.ordinarynewhaven.com.