Opening Celebration

Block party to feature “blind tasting” and appearance by “HGTV Design Star” Nate Galui

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (Mar. 9, 2011)  Downtown West Palm Beach will officially welcome The Blind Monk beer and wine bar with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and block party on Saturday, Mar. 12 from 6 – 9pm. Sponsored by the West Palm Beach Downtown Development Authority (DDA), The Blind Monk Opening Celebration will feature a “blind” tasting competition, wine education opportunities, raffle, live music, and an appearance by local design celebrity Nate Galui. This event is free and open to the public, and to say thank you to the community, owner Ben Lubin is buying guests their first drink. The opening also marks Mayor Lois Frankel’s final ribbon-cutting as mayor of West Palm Beach.

Located at 410 Evernia Street in an intimate 900-sq.-ft. space at The Whitney Building, The Blind Monk is a neighborhood beer and wine bar pouring 100 wines and 25 craft beers by the glass and offering another 300 wines on their bottle list. The name is a tribute to the winemaking legend Dom Perignon, and the interior—designed by former HGTV Design Star and current design producer for Extreme Makeover Home Edition Nate Galui—is inspired by its namesake. A chandelier of 25 “champagne bubbles” hangs over a white quartz bar faced with splintered wine crates. Tabletops are fabricated from old wine barrels, and the lounge area features acrylic coffee tables that are slowing filling with wine corks. At opposite ends of the bar are two 25-foot columns upholstered with burlap and stenciled with grape varietals, and old black and white movies play on an ornamental screen.

The Opening Celebration includes live music by singer/songwriter Lauren Echo, a cigar roller, and a chance to win blind monk merchandise, gift certificates, and a bottle of Dom Perignon.  To enter the raffle, guests are asked to “check-in” on facebook; prizes will be announced every half-hour. For more information about The Blind Monk and the Opening Celebration, check out The Blind Monk facebook page at www.facebook.com/theblindmonk or call (561) 833-3605. For more information about Downtown West Palm Beach, please call the Downtown Development Authority at (561) 833-8873 or visit http://www.wpbgo.com/WPBGO.com.

Schedule of Events:
6:00 Show up and receive a glass of wine on us
6:30 First Annual Blind Tasting Contest
7:30 Remarks by owner Ben Lubin and introduction of design celebrity Nathan Galui
7:45 Ribbon cutting and remarks by Mayor Lois Frankel
9:00 Final raffle draw; win a bottle of Dom Perignon!

Raffle Fine Print
* To enter the raffle, you must check-in to The Blind Monk on facebook and show the coupon to one of us (We recommend you do this when getting your free glass of wine).
* A prize will be awarded every half-hour beginning at 6:30; winners will be announced on facebook and twitter.
* Winners must be present to claim their prize.