The tale of Alice in Wonderland is a magical childhood story for many generations, but it doesn’t have to stop there. For the silly adults who are whimsical and childlike at heart, The Alice: An Immersive Cocktail Experience gives people the opportunity to revisit Wonderland and have their own tea party, replete with peculiar potions, curious cookies, and strange and wonderful characters.
I was bedazzled upon entering the small room in Sonora Bar & Grill (where The Alice runs until January 19, 2023; tickets are $47 and include a welcome drink, two bespoke cocktails, and a cookie) that had been decorated with myriad colourful, kitschy Wonderland memorabilia like playing cards, chess pieces, mushrooms, and a devilish Cheshire cat surrounding tables replete with teapots, saucers, and imitation cakes and pastries, giving the impression of a truly mad tea party.
The experience didn’t stop there, however. In attendance at the tea party were the White Rabbit, the March Hare, the Mad Hatter, the Queen of Hearts, and other characters from the Alice in Wonderland universe, all acted out in charming character fashion. Each partygoer was treated with a couple of little whimsical cocktails and a cookie decorated with little messages such as “eat me.”
Over the next 90 minutes, the Mad Hatter and his friends led their guests through a series of interactive riddles situated around the room; the prizes for guessing the riddles were little vials of strange liquids that we mixed in a teapot to form a mysterious smoking potion. These we drank from delightful china cups, then, just when I thought the tea party was over, the Queen of Hearts showed up and enacted an amusing sort of murder mystery where several guests lost their heads (as is indeed commonplace under her tyrannical reign) before the cast bid farewell to their guests and all of their extremities.
The Alice: An Immersive Cocktail Experience leads participants on a magical little excursion from reality, which was, for several guests I spoke with, the first truly social gathering they had attended in nearly three years. This was certainly a much-needed breath of fresh air, and a welcome visitation back to the more carefree, childish side of our nature that as adults we often lose sight of.