Whisky Park throws "Did You Get Shanghaied?" NYE do-over party

Whisky Park wants to un-Shanghaied you.

Whisky Park owners Phil Immerman and Gene Suh heard about the catastrophic Thrifty Hipster-sponsored New Year's Eve party from patrons griping at their happy hour.

"We just heard everything that happened," says Immerman. "New Year's was such a fun time at our bar, we thought we'd try to make it up to these guys."

As a result, Whisky Park is throwing a special New Year's do-over party this Friday, with some extra special deals for anyone who got caught at the Graves Hotel on New Year's Eve as the "Shanghaied" party imploded.

"Shanghaied" had promised its guests an over-the-top evening at OM restaurant in downtown Minneapolis, replete with multiple DJs, geishas, gambling, and acrobats. But after OM-owner Vik Uppal failed to get the permits necessary to host Shanghaied, the party became homeless the day before New Year's.

It was moved with just hours to spare to the Graves Hotel, where guests who had paid $45 to $95 per ticket found that the feast of spectacles had been whittled down to a snack. Contortionists, acrobats, and DJs had been canceled, and the bar began running out of booze before the clock struck midnight. Guests have been clamoring for refunds ever since.

Whisky Park's invite borrows the babe from Thrifty Hipster's original invite and the verbage from our original post on Shanghaied.

Meanwhile, Suh thought of a way to capitalize on the debacle--throw a do-over party for those whose New Year's started off on the wrong foot.

"It sucked for them," says Immerman. "If we can give them more than just a regular Friday night, get something going on, it'll be worth it."

Though anyone is welcome at the "Did You Get Shanghaied?" party on Friday night, guests who can prove they bought tickets to the Thrifty Hipster event will drink free from 6 until 10 p.m. In the lead-up to midnight, there will be free champagne, a balloon drop, and another countdown. As if it had all been a bad dream!

"There's no fire-breathing dancers," says Immerman. "We just want to help downtown."

WHISKY PARK
15 S. 5th St., Minneapolis
612.545.5235; website

Additional coverage

* Thrifty Hipster botches Shanghaied New Year's Eve party

* More complaints from unsatisfied "Shanghaied" attendees

* Thrifty Hipster responds to complaints