At a dinner on a Friday night, it was all-things Wyoming as far as the eye could see.
The Wyoming Whiskey was flowing, while long tables were stacked high with ribeye and hanger steak straight from Mead Ranch in Jackson.
While a few diners did wear cowboy boots and took in some bull riding that weekend, this January feast was happening some 2,000 miles away from the Cowboy State in — in New York City.
“New York City?” One might exclaim, channeling those famous Pace picante sauce ads of the 1990s.
Indeed, New Yorkers ate up the opportunity to feast on some of Wyoming’s finest fare and the $295-per-seat tickets sold out quickly.
Though the first to feature Wyoming brands so prominently, this wasn’t the first rodeo for renowned chef and restaurateur Marc Murphy.
He’s hosted a handful of prior beefsteak dinners, a New York tradition dating back to the 19th century when men (and only men) gathered around long tables to binge on as much beef and beer as they could stomach, and typically without burdening themselves with any utensils.
Murphy’s interpretation of these feasts is a bit less boorish, welcoming of both women and utensils, but they’re certainly not boring.
“It’s always a blast,” Murphy said of the one-night-only beefsteak dinners he’s held at his Marc179 restaurant space in Manhattan’s Tribeca neighborhood. “It’s gluttonous; we drink a lot and it’s a good time.”
Wyoming Whiskey co-founder David DeFazio, left, and New York-based chef Marc Murphy, right, partnered for the dinner in January that made for “a little night of Wyoming in New York.” (Courtesy Wyoming Whiskey)‘A Great Touch’
Though perhaps unlikely bedfellows, Wyoming and New York at the very least have steak in common.
New York is home to the country’s first steakhouse, which is convenient as cattle is Wyoming’s No. 1 agricultural commodity.
Credit for the idea for a Wyoming-themed feast goes to Fatima Asis, brand manager for Kirby-based Wyoming Whiskey.
While Murphy and Asis were chatting about some ways to spotlight the whiskey at one of his regular pop-up events, she suggested timing it with an annual Professional Bull Riders event held each January at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
In addition to the opportunity to drum up some interest in Wyoming Whiskey, there was another fortuitous connection to tap.
Kate and Brad Mead, owners of Mead Ranch also co-founded Wyoming Whiskey, which explains how New Yorkers got the extra treat of sampling some beef shipped frozen straight from Wyoming.
“Marc always serves great quality meat, but you can taste the difference of the Mead Ranch beef,” Asis said. “It was a great touch.”
Not only that, there were some appetizers courtesy of the Jackson Hole Fine Dining Group.
“It was a little night of Wyoming in New York,” she said.
Wyoming Whiskey is now found in all 50 states, though New York City has been a particular focus for the brand, according to co-founder David DeFazio. (Courtesy Wyoming Whiskey)Putting Wyoming on the Map
Breaking into the New York dining scene is a difficult feat for any whiskey brand, let alone one from a place many New Yorkers might have trouble locating on a map.;
It was the Wyomingness of this particular event that won people over.
New Yorkers got to rub elbows with the handful of Wyomingites who made the trek, including David DeFazio, who co-founded Wyoming Whiskey with the Meads, and came from Jackson.
Just as there’s an “almost unspoken friendship” between Wyomingites who cross paths while far from home, this event also gave New Yorkers a taste of what the state has to offer.
“It was a really fun and very social evening where we featured Wyoming in every way possible,” DeFazio said.
As Wyomingites well know, people are proud of the state and that’s helped Wyoming Whiskey to find success nationwide, DeFazio said.
“It’s very cool to be able to walk into a restaurant or a bar anywhere in the country and see Wyoming Whiskey sitting on the bar,” he said.
The menu for the family-style dinner featured Wyoming beef in many forms, featuring dishes such as steak tartare, meatballs, hanger steak, and ribeye. (Courtesy Wyoming Whiskey)Winning Over New Yorkers
New York City has been a particular focus for the brand to achieve a foothold in, and that’s aided by, a “cool” factor for the West in general right now, DeFazio said.
“Everybody wants to be a cowboy, so to speak,” he said.
But as Murphy well knows, New Yorkers won’t sugarcoat things — and the love that some people have found for the brand has been well-earned.
“New Yorkers have a discerning palette and they’re very picky, but if it’s good they’re going to change their minds,” Murphy said. “Everybody who came was pleasantly surprised with how good the whiskey is.”