Ordinary

09/07/2026

🥊 THE BARTENDERS ARE STEPPING INTO THE RING.

Monday night of New Haven Cocktail Week , we’re taking over Ordinary for one of our favorite traditions:

🍸 The Annual NHCW New Haven Bartenders Competition

Some of New Haven’s best bartenders will go head-to-head through a series of challenges until only one is left standing.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14
📍 Ordinary
🚪 Doors open at 7PM

YOUR CO-HOSTS
Genna Bestmann from Owl Shop Cigar Lounge - Since 1934 @
Coach D.D.R. [Dr. Deon D. Ross]] from Olives and Oil New Haven

YOUR JUDGES
⚖️ Meaghan Dorman — Raines Law Room Dear Irving
⚖️ Frank Dean — 1928 Cocktail Club
⚖️ kayla mata — FORDS GIN

And because a bartender competition apparently wasn’t enough…

🎨 LIVE ART INSTALLATION
Joe Capobianco & Adam Harmon of Hope Gallery Tattoo will be creating live throughout the night.

🍴 FOOD
Mark Bestmann

🍸 COCKTAILS
The crew at Ordinary

🎶 VIBES
HughBetta™ spinning vinyl all night

A huge thank you to the brands making the competition possible:
Brown-Forman Brands • FORDS GIN • Diplomático Rum USA • Tequila Herradura • Old Forester

Come for the competition. Stay for the food, cocktails, art, vinyl and general Monday-night bad decisions.

New Haven Cocktail Week
September 13–19

See you at Ordinary. 🥃

08/15/2026

We were thrilled to host the cast and creative team of Yale Summer Cabaret’s Wonderland for their latest promo shoot, and we’re excited to share a little peek at the magic that happened here.
Step through the looking glass and into an updated take on the classic Alice in Wonderland story, where a night out with friends takes a very unexpected turn.
And while you’re here, try our Wonderland cocktail, inspired by the show and created specially for the occasion. Wonderland is playing now at Yale Summer Cabaret. Tickets are available at https://summercab-tickets.yale.edu/ or (203) 432-1566

08/12/2026

Some potions heal.
Some enchant.
Some… should probably come with a warning.

Our tavern has been busy mixing up something magical.

From glowing elixirs to cursed concoctions, every featured cocktail on our menu is inspired by the worlds of fantasy, folklore, monsters, and myth.

🎲 Roll for Initiative and let fate choose your drink.
🥃 Sip your way through enchanted cocktails.
🧙 Find your new favorite potion.
⚔️ Gather your fellowship and stay for second dinner.

The Realm at Ordinary is here through October 31.

📍990 Chapel Street • New Haven

We keep the drinks flowing.
We keep the stories alive.
We keep secrets.

Soooo… you walk into a tavern…

08/04/2026

Everyone wants a little magic in their lives.

From July 8 through October 31, Ordinary becomes New Haven’s tavern of fantasy, folklore, monsters, myths, and mystery.

A place where cocktails are chosen by fate, bards fill the room with music, wh***ey wizards share their craft, guilds gather for feasts, and every last Wednesday of the month the Blood Moon rises.

Whether you’re here for adventure or simply looking for a quiet corner by the fire, there’s always room at the tavern.

Your adventure awaits...

🎲 Roll for Initiative
For $13, cast a 20-sided die and let fate decide your cocktail. Roll wisely... fortune favors the bold, but beware the Evil Wizard.

🎵 Bard’s Time (Daily • 5–7 PM)
Enjoy a selection of tavern favorites at a magical price while the bard’s silver tongue and enchanting melodies fill the room.

🎶 Tuesday – Bard’s Night
Vinylry sets the soundtrack for the evening, and Bard’s Time specials continue all night long.

⚔️ Wednesday – Guild Night
Gather your party of four or more for Adventurer’s Feasts and large-format libations worthy of heroes.

🥃 Thursday – Wizards of Wh***ey
An evening dedicated to curated wh***ey flights for apprentices, adventurers, and archmages alike.

🌕 The Blood Moon Ball
The last Wednesday of each month (July–October)
Hosted by Eric of ☠ Weirdo Wonderland ☠ , gather your guild and test your knowledge of myths, monsters, fantasy, folklore, cryptids, and legend. Prizes await those worthy enough to claim them.

We keep the drinks flowing.
We keep the stories alive.

We keep secrets.

📍 Ordinary
990 Chapel Street
New Haven, CT

Adventure doesn’t always begin with a quest...

Sometimes, you just walk into a tavern.

07/23/2026

THE BLOOD MOON BALL
When the Blood Moon rises, the tavern fills with scholars, adventurers, hedge witches, cryptid hunters, and those foolish enough to believe they know the difference between myth and history.
 
Join us on the last Wednesday of each month (July–October) as Eric of ☠ Weirdo Wonderland ☠ hosts an evening of fantasy, folklore, monsters, myths, and magical mayhem.
 
⚔️ Test your knowledge of:
🐉 Fantasy worlds
👹 Mythical creatures
🧙 Wizards & witches
🦇 Vampires & monsters
👣 Cryptids
📖 Legends, lore, and folklore
 
Gather your party wisely.
🕖 Sign-ups begin at 7:00 PM
📜 Quiz begins at 7:30 PM (and concludes around 9:30-ish)
👥 Teams of up to 6 adventurers
🏆 Prizes from Ordinary & Weirdo
Wonderland
 
🪪 Must be 21+ with valid ID to enter
Space inside the tavern is limited, so arrive early if you hope to claim a table before the realm fills.

07/08/2026

SOOOO... YOU WALK INTO A TAVERN.
Hidden in plain sight, down an ordinary street in New Haven, lies a place whispered about by adventurers, witches, wandering bards, cryptid hunters, and those wise enough to seek a proper drink after a long journey.
For the next four months, Ordinary leaves this world behind.
Step inside a tavern where monsters are welcome, legends come to life, and every candlelit corner has a story to tell. Expect enchanted cocktails, curious creatures, forgotten relics, fine w**e, craft b**r, and enough magic to make you question what’s real.
Your adventure begins tonight.
* Roll for Initiative – Cast a d20 and let fate decide your cocktail. Fortune favors the bold... but beware the Evil Wizard.
* Bard’s Time – Daily from 5–7 PM, enjoy tavern favorites at a special price while the bard’s charm works its magic.
* Tuesdays: Bard’s Night – Vinylry provides the soundtrack while Bard’s Time specials last all evening.
* Wednesdays: Guild Night – Gather a party of four or more for Adventurer’s Feasts and large-format libations worthy of the guild hall.
* Thursdays: Wizards of Wh***ey – Journey through wh***ey flights curated for apprentices and archmages alike.
* The Blood Moon Ball – On the last Wednesday of each month, enter a world of myths, monsters, fantasy, and folklore with trivia hosted by Eric Bruce of Weirdo Wonderland.
Along the way you may encounter:
• Goblins.
• Witches.
• Vampires.
• Forgotten kings.
• Cryptids.
• The occasional portal.
One bathroom may lead to the Labyrinth.
The other... well... you’ll find out.
We are not a speakeasy.
Though if the King’s Men come looking, we’d appreciate it if you forgot you were ever here.
We keep secrets.
Welcome to the tavern.
Your seat by the fire is waiting.

07/03/2026

The veil grows thin.

On June 28th, Ordinary will close its doors and slip quietly into the shadows.

For ten days, strange things will happen behind these walls. Goblins will move furniture. Wizards will argue over candle placement. Questionable alchemists will bottle mysterious elixirs. At least one portal to another realm will be discovered (and immediately ignored).

When the doors reopen on Wednesday, July 8th, the tavern you know will be gone.

In its place: a hidden realm of magic, mystery, monsters, cryptids, forgotten legends, curious cocktails, and the occasional second dinner.

So... you walk into a tavern.

The fire is warm. The w**e is good. The stories are stranger than usual.

Ordinary will be closed June 28th through July 7th as we prepare for our summer transformation.

Reopening Wednesday, July 8th.

We keep secrets.

See you on the other side.

06/17/2026

06/11/2026

Coming Soon!  Check out the new cocktail event theme coming in July.  We’ve done Twin Peaks, Clue, Wes Anderson and you found out What We Drink in the Shadows last summer.  More to come as button up the rest of the drinks, décor, art show, monthly trivia and more. Another fun summer in New Haven!
☠ Weirdo Wonderland ☠ Joe Capobianco