PDT, also known as Please Don't Tell, is a
speakeasy
A speakeasy, also called a beer flat or blind pig or blind tiger, was an illicit establishment that sold alcoholic beverages. The term may also refer to a retro style bar that replicates aspects of historical speakeasies.
In the United State ...
-style cocktail bar in the
East Village of Manhattan, New York City. The bar is often cited as the first speakeasy-style bar and thus originator of the modern speakeasy trend,
and has influenced the American bar industry in numerous ways,
including beginning a sea change in New York City's cocktail culture.
In 2010, GQ rated it one of the top ten bars in the United States.
Attributes
The speakeasy bar is located in a hidden space alongside the hot dog shop Crif Dogs.
Inside the shop is a wooden phone booth, which patrons use to be let into the bar; the back wall of the phone booth serves as the main door into PDT.
The unmarked, complex way of entering that PDT employs is considered the ideal element of a speakeasy-style bar.
Inside, the bar has a small amount of space, for no more than four dozen people. The space has bar stools as well as a few booths and tables. The bar's menu includes craft cocktails and snacks, including gourmet hot dogs, tater tots, and french fries.
History
The bar was founded by Jim Meehan, Brian Shebairo, and Chris Antista in 2007. The three began work in March; the bar opened three months later, on May 24, 2007.
The bar's origin was partly due to the space the next-door hot dog shop had a liquor license, and the bar owners found a legal way to make the liquor license extend into the bar, with the entrance from within the hot dog shop. There is a separate door to PDT, but if it was in use, the liquor license would not have been valid.
The bar became influential, including its co-founder Jim Meehan. Meehan was named best American bartender in 2009 at industry conference
Tales of the Cocktail
Tales of the Cocktails (sometimes shortened to Tales or TotC) is an annual trade conference, festival, and gathering of cocktail and Distilled beverage, spirits industry professionals in New Orleans, Louisiana. The conference was founded in 2003 b ...
, and PDT earned the first-ever James Beard Award for outstanding bar program in 2012. Meehan went on to write the ''PDT Cocktail Book'', containing some of the bar's recipes,
along with the PDT Cocktails app. Both are frequently-used tools in many high-end bars.
In 2014, Jim Meehan, who was overseeing the bar's operations, moved to Portland, Oregon, to raise his family. Meehan's responsibilities then passed onto Jeff Bell.
Jeff Bell, a celebrated bartender, began his journey at Please Don’t Tell (PDT) as a barback in 2010 before rising to head bartender. During his tenure, PDT earned the James Beard Award for Outstanding Bar Program in 2012, solidifying its status as one of the world’s top cocktail destinations. Bell's talent and dedication earned him the title of Bartender of the Year in Diageo’s World Class competition in 2013, followed by the prestigious Best American Bartender award at Tales of the Cocktail in 2017. In 2020, he took the next step in his career by purchasing PDT and its iconic counterpart, Crif Dogs, from Brian Shebairo, ensuring the legacy of these beloved institutions while continuing to innovate in the craft cocktail industry.
A second location, PDT Hong Kong, is located in the landmark
Mandarin Oriental
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group International Limited is a multinational hospitality and management group focusing on luxury hotels, resorts, and residences, with a total of 43 properties worldwide, 20 of which it either wholly or partially owns ...
hotel. The bar is also hidden behind a phone booth, and as of 2019 includes managing partners Jeff Bell, Brian Shebairo, and Jim Meehan.
See also
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Craft cocktail movement
The craft cocktail movement is a social movement spurred by the cocktail renaissance, a period of time in the late 20th and early 21st century characterized by a revival and re-prioritization of traditional recipes and methods in the bar industr ...
*
The World's 50 Best Bars
The World's 50 Best Bars is an annual list that celebrates the best of the international drinks scene, providing a yearly ranking of bars, voted for by more than 650 drinks experts from across the globe. History
The list was first announced in ...
References
External links
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{{East Village, Manhattan
Drinking establishments in Manhattan
East Village, Manhattan
Speakeasies