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When Eater Denver broke the news that the RiNo Yacht Club would be leaving the Source on Brighton Boulevard for a permanent spot elsewhere, drinkers across Denver wondered: Where will cocktail darlings (and husband-and-wife team) Mary Allison Wright and McLain Hedges land next? What will the new iteration of the RYC be like? Wright shared a few juicy details with us (with more to come when they’ve secured a space).
5280: How does it feel to be saying goodbye to the Source?
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Mary Allison Wright: It’s very exciting because we finally get to create something that we’ve had a vision and a hope for… but we didn’t anticipate being so emotional. This was our last week in our home! [The Source] is where we were born, in a way.
The RYC farewell party is on Friday, February 1. What can we expect?
MAW: We’ll kick it off at 6 p.m., but from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. we’ll hold the last “Source After Hours” party hosted by the RYC. Bartender friends from around the globe are coming in to help us: Kelsey Ramage and Iain Griffiths from Trash Tiki and Dandelyan [Modern Botany], Chris Elford [from Navy Strength in Seattle], Curt CaRillo from Sweet Liberty’s opening crew in Miami, and Death & Co.’s David Kaplan are all going to be there. Musically, there are two groups and a single person who have done cameos at our previous late nights that are returning; the lineup is a surprise! We’ll also be doing some of our greatest hits: batched Champagne bottle cocktails, a limited run of farewell T-shirts and coasters designed by Wonder Works… all the best RYC shenanigans. There will be Smōk fried chicken at 10 p.m. as well.
What can you tell us about the forthcoming RYC brick-and-mortar?
MAW: It’s not too far off! We’re still looking for our new home, but we know that we want to take everything we’ve seen and done and learned at the Source and envelop it into a community center/club/bar. During the day, there will be community activations when we’ll host people and other clubs that might not have the money for their own space; for example, we want to bring Heather Haas [of H. J. Haas] back so she can sell her knives out of the space. Everyone will be welcome, and there will be an easy transition from day to nighttime rowdiness. It’ll be the anti-club club.
Until the doors open, where can Denverites find you?
MAW: We’re taking RYC on the road! We’ll do pop ups in Denver and around the country. We’ll announce a few dates at the farewell party and let people know how to follow us. We’re going back to that first description of who RYC was: Like the East Coast and Southern yacht clubs where all are welcome, serving different types of needs for going out. With our classic yacht club-gutter punk vibe, of course.
If you go: The RiNo Yacht Club’s farewell party at the Source takes place on Friday, February 1 from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m., 3350 Brighton Blvd. Admission is free.
