Over a year after his announcement, “Summer House” star, Carl Radke, opened up his non-alcoholic joint, Soft Bar, to the public on September 18.
“It’s official. Soft Bar is OPEN! The inspiration for Soft Bar came from a desire to redefine socializing, to build a space that celebrates mindful consumption and connection without alcohol. Now, that dream is a reality, and you can visit Soft Bar daily here in Greenpoint, Brooklyn,” he shared on Instagram.
Radke continued, “When envisioning the design, we wanted the space to evolve throughout the day: a welcoming café in the morning, a functional workspace during the day, and a lively bar and event space at night. We approached design with sustainability in mind: minimizing waste and ensuring every material found a purpose.”
He revealed that his team worked with a stone company to help design his interior to create a space that felt “warm and welcoming.”
Some elements included round tables with a marble finish, brown leather chairs, and a bar with ingredients to make non-alcoholic drinks.
“For anyone looking for a moment off of drinking, a productive morning or anything in between, come as you are, to Soft Bar,” Radke wrote.
The reality star celebrated his big moment with the “Southern Hospitality” cast, which included Joe Bradley, Maddi Reese, and Michols Peña, per Radke’s Instagram Story.
Radke’s ‘Summer House’ Co-Stars Supported His Soft Launch
Radke opened up Soft Bar to close acquaintances and friends on August 27, and it’s not your usual non-alcoholic establishment.
Attendees included his “Summer House” castmate, Kyle Cooke, Amanda Batula, Jesse Soloman, Ciara Miller, and West Wilson.
“We’re really about ‘soft cocktails,’ It’s not, ‘Oh here’s a version of a margarita without tequila.’ Or some joke of an after-thought, like the term ‘mocktails’ implies. These are drinks that are designed intentionally to give you the same kind of experience you would have at a really cool cocktail bar,” he told People.
Soft Bar’s menu also includes coffee, non-alcoholic pre-made drinks, and concoctions infused with non-psychedelic mushrooms.
“This isn’t a ‘sober bar.’ This is a space for everyone,” Radke shared with People the year prior.
Radke’s Soft Bar Got Rave Reviews
A sober bar in NYC is no new concept, but Radke has set himself apart with his specialty drinks. “The soft cocktail program we have here is really intentional. It starts with specific ingredients,” Radke told Us Weekly on the day of Soft Bar’s launch.
[“One of our bartenders] Jamie does a lot of pre-batching and prep work before the drink even reaches your hand — it’s advanced bartending. So either milk-punching, fat-washing, clarifying our drinks with different ingredients and filtering them, he’s also adding on additional functional ingredients,” the “Summer House” star continued.
Radke added, “We’re trying to add these more therapeutic, functional ingredients that you might find at, like, a Whole Foods supplement section. A lot of people take daily vitamins or other supplements. We’re taking some of those supplements and applying them to our non-alcoholic drinks — you’re getting something that’s actually functional and providing health and benefit to you.”
