The Hereafter

When you step into The Hereafter cocktail bar at 721 Columbia Street, nestled between the St. Charles Hotel, the CITCO station, and Vasilow's Confectionery, you'll think you're entering a speakeasy that's about a hundred years old, and not the former Golden Grain Pizzeria. For a newly-opened bar, that only has a small sign to let people know where they are, The Hereafter was packed on a Friday night.

The Hereafter took over nine months of renovations and hard work to achieve it's 'been-here-forever' look and feel. You can tell that the owners, Jeremy Dubroff and Isi Laborde, are going to fit right into the Hudson community as soon as they start talking renovations. "There were twelve layers of linoleum." "The tin ceiling, we saved." "We salvaged the wood out of dumpsters." "The speakers are vintage jazz speakers, that kinda work." "The wainscoting is from an old church in Harlem."

When they told me that the copper plating against the bar was purposefully dented and dinged so that it looked like it's been in use for years, I realized I was in "renovation porn".

The designer, Christian Garnett of Grayling Design, knows how to make a place feel lived-in and warm.

The bar's name, "The Hereafter" challenges people to leave their worries at the door, and be open to what comes next when the step inside. They have a wide selection of cocktails and mocktails, most from small distributors with names and brands you may not find elsewhere. "We'll make you a pot of tea, and you can sit and talk," says Jeremy. Jeremy and Isi have over ten years experience managing bars in New York, and decided to move to Hudson because the city's art and food scene and creative flavor.

The drinks are carefully crafted. A night out at The Hereafter is a special night. The menu has an assortment of tapas-like plates and small slightly-elevated meals, under $25. Order a few different options and share among friends. All dishes are prepared in the back kitchen by Chef Michelle Hunter with a focus on farm-to-table and zero waste.

Hours: Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday - 4pm-12am Friday and Saturday - 4pm-1am