Spirits Brand Hercules Mulligan to Open First Taproom at Seaport’s 220 Front Street
By Isabelle Durso July 26, 2024 10:39 am
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Cocktail and spirits brand Hercules Mulligan will open its first taproom called The Herc in Manhattan’s Seaport District.
Hercules Mulligan signed an 800-square-foot lease for 10 years on the ground floor of The Durst Organization’s 220 Front Street. A spokesperson for the landlord declined to provide the asking rent, but the average asking rents for retail space in a nearby retail corridor downtown was $256 per square foot in the second quarter of 2024, according to a CBRE report.
The Herc will feature all of the brand’s spirits, wines and beers, which are produced by the company in Upstate New York, according to Hercules Mulligan co-founder and CEO Steve Luttmann. The taproom is scheduled to open in August for its first tastings, with a grand opening planned after Labor Day.
Luttmann said in a statement the Seaport storefront was a “fantastic fit” for his spirits brand since its namesake, a tailor, spy and hero of the American Revolution, had his tailor shop blocks away in the 18th century.
“During the British occupation, [Hercules] would entertain British officers at his tailor shop and serve them drinks such as rum and rye,” Luttmann said. “The twist was that he was a spy for General Washington — he was America’s first spy — and was instrumental in securing secrets that won the war. The Herc will be a homage to Hercules Mulligan.”
Ripco Real Estate’s Dillon Ross, who brokered the deal for the tenant with Jon Paul Pirraglia, said in a statement to Commercial Observer that the Seaport’s “steep history” makes it “the perfect location for Hercules Mulligan’s first tasting room.”
“Being close to where Hercules Mulligan lived and worked adds a unique historical connection for patrons,” Ross added. “We are excited to bring this iconic brand to a historic setting.”
Durst’s Karen Rose handled the deal in-house along with Lee & Associates NYC’s JP Sutro, Brad Schwarz and Olivia Hwang. The Lee brokers did not respond to requests for comment.
Hercules Mulligan launched in 2019, and its products are now available in over 40 markets across the country. The brand will have its first brick-and-mortar location at 220 Front, where Durst has “carefully restored a large stretch of buildings to preserve their historic character while modernizing them to be great places to live, shop, sip and dine,” Durst President Jonathan “Jody” Durst said in a statement.
The Herc will join a diverse group of retail tenants on historic Front Street, including The Dermatology Specialists, dog groomer Seaport Paw, and restaurants Il Brigante and SUteiShi.
Isabelle Durso can be reached at idurso@commercialobserver.com.
