As 65-Foot Hot Dog Looms Large Over NYC, Local Bars Take Advantage of the Zeitgeist With Weenie-Themed Cocktails

Giant 65-foot-long Hot dog artwork by Brooklyn-based artist duo Jen Catron and Paul Outlaw stands in the middle of Times Square in New York City, NY, USA on April 30, 2024. (Photo: Charles Guerin/Abaca/AP Images)

At the beginning of May, tourists and locals stood in awe as a 65-foot-long hot dog was wheeled into the center of New York City’s Times Square. A launch event organized by creators Jen Catron and Paul Outlaw — who simply titled the installation “Hot Dog in the City” — was attended by thousands. Surrounded by glittering neon signage, wrestlers in drag duked it out in a “Condiment Wars” ring match.

The ceremonies marked the beginning of a month-long journey for the world’s largest hot dog sculpture. The giant dog will reportedly be on display until June 13th, commemorated with a daily confetti pop at noon. In case you’re wondering, the confetti comes from inside the weenie, which tilts itself upward at a 45-degree angle.

Since touching down, the meaty installation has inspired its fair share of strongly-worded think pieces (both for and against) as well as the expected variety of memes. At one Williamsburg bar, it’s also given life to a signature cocktail.

30 minutes across the Brooklyn Bridge, rooftop lounge LilliStar has unveiled the aptly named Hot Doggin It. The $18 concoction mixes Vida Tequila Blanco, Lustau Vermut, tomato water, mustard seed and agave. If we were to draw comparisons, we’d say it sounds like a savory negroni. Completing the picture, the cocktail is served to guests inside a bag that resembles a mix between a Capri-Sun pouch and a fast food wrapper.

“One of my bosses and I were just riffing on some stuff and he was like, ‘Make a hot dog cocktail.’ And I was like, ‘What the f–k?’” Christine Wiseman, beverage director for the bar’s parent company told the New York Post.

“Then I made a mustard-seed infused agave, and then I just added a little bit of mezcal and for the smokiness of the grilling, and then added in some vermouth and sherry to kind of give it that saltiness and a little umami flavor.”

 

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In all fairness to the bizarre concept, LilliStar is far from the first establishment to put a boozy twist on a local culinary favorite. Double Chicken Please — voted North America’s #1 bar in 2023 —  has built its entire reputation on this very idea. Guests at the Lower East Side hideaway might order a NY Beet Salad mixed with gin, yogurt and dill or a Cold Pizza Margarita consisting of cheese-infused tequila, tomato water and egg whites.

Even hot dog-inspired cocktails have had their fair share of gourmet representation. New York and Los Angeles’ The Tuck Room once debuted a bombastic Chicago Dog-style recipe mixed with all the favorites. In photos shared by Bon Appetit, you can find bartender Adam Seger infusing Templeton Rye with an outlandish mix of boiled hot dogs, mustard powder, raw white onion and pickle relish. The result was described as “a pickleback meets a Bloody Mary.”

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