One of New York’s most famous and popular bars, The Dead Rabbit, is closed indefinitely after a fire in a neighboring building caused extensive damage.
At least five FDNY trucks responded to the two-alarm blaze on Sunday morning on Water Street in Lower Manhattan that caused “considerable fire and water damage,” according to a Twitter post from the bar.
“Closed until further notice. We’d a fire but don’t have much details apart from that,” co-owner Jack McGarry said on Instagram. “No one was hurt and we will bounce back but don’t know when.”
The Dead Rabbit opened in 2013 and was voted World’s Best New Cocktail Bar the same year, with a World’s Best Bartender accolade for McGarry to boot, and has continued to rack up awards since. Besides its noteworthy cocktails, it’s the traditional Irish atmosphere (the downstairs taproom even has sawdust on the floor), extensive whiskey collection and live music nearly every night that has drawn long waits even on weeknights.
The bar had just completed a major expansion this spring, doubling in size after taking over the space next door.
McGarry struck a hopeful note in his second Instagram post about the fire: “Fall down seven, stand up eight. We’ve come back from worse.”
While the Dead Rabbit is closed, visit McGarry and Muldoon’s latest project BlackTail on the second floor of Pier A Harbor House in Battery Park City. Inspired by Muldoon’s love of tiki drinks and Ernest Hemingway, the Cuban bar opened in August 2016. Famous for its expert daiquiri and rum collection, BlackTail has racked up its own accolades, including winning Best New American Cocktail Bar in 2017.
