Sadie's Ward officially takes over from the Whiskey Ward

Photo by Stacie Joy 

A new era officially begins tonight at 121 Essex St. as Sadie's Ward takes over from the Whiskey Ward here between Rivington and Delancey. 

Last fall, Whiskey Ward co-owner Sandee Wright decided that it was time to move on from the neighborhood bar after 24 years in service. 

The new owner, Stephanie Watkins, is a hospitality vet who served as the Whiskey War's bar manager.

You can find the Sadie's Ward website here. (And Instagram here.)

Oh, and you can read about the legend of Sadie "the Goat" Farrell here. Or the Comedy Central version here.

Cheers to The Whiskey Ward

Photos and reporting by Stacie Joy 

Regulars and employees, past and present, gathered last Wednesday night for a farewell to the Whiskey Ward. 

The low-key neighborhood bar at 121 Essex between Rivington and Delancey has been on the Lower East Side for nearly 24 years. 

I arrived as co-owner Sandee Wright was prepping to open on this special night...

... along with bartenders Chloe Troy...

... and Chelsea Pinchera ...

Wright said the closure had nothing to do with a landlord or rent increase. "We're going out under our own terms."

Why are they closing? "It's time," said Wright, a longtime Lower East Side resident who relocated a few years ago. 

"Things changed a lot after COVID, and people had less disposable income...and whiskies were hard to come by, especially ones like Pappy Van Winkle. It's impossible to get the good stuff — the bottles no one else has."

"I'm going to miss this place terribly," she said. "Every brick of it."

"I love everything about this place and the people," Wright said. "They are my family."

~~~Postscript~~~ 

As we understand it, a friend of Wright's plans to apply for a new liquor license and take over the space — operating under a new name — in the months ahead.

The Whiskey Ward set to close next month on Essex Street

On the Lower East Side, the Whiskey Ward will close in the middle of September — three months shy of its 24th anniversary, according to co-owner Sandee Wright.

As for a reason for the closure, Sandee said simply in an Instagram message that "it's time."

The no-frills neighborhood bar with a pool table, free peanuts, and an extensive menu of whiskeys has been a solid, low-key hangout through the years at 121 Essex between Rivington and Delancey. They will be missed.