Existing Conditions opened in 2018 from Don Lee (formerly of Momofuku Bar), Dave Arnold (Booker and Dax, author of Liquid Intelligence), and Greg Boehm. The bar is committed to advanced cocktail technique: centrifuges, rotary evaporators, controlled-temperature dilution, and pre-batched-but-aerated drinks.
The cocktail menu reflects the lab. The Polynesian — pre-batched, centrifuged, pre-diluted — is served at exactly the right temperature with carbonation injected at order time. The Carbonated Negroni is a signature. The cocktails sound gimmicky but the execution is precise and the drinking experience is unique.
The crowd is mid-thirties cocktail nerds and visiting bartenders. Pair with Dante a few blocks away for a complete Greenwich Village cocktail evening.