If Alice had been of drinking age when she fell down the rabbit hole, she probably would have found herself in a strange and surreal universe resembling Maison St-Germain, which made its 2nd annual return to NYC last night.

Held at the Battery Gardens, the floral fete felt like a dream. Arms served up cocktails from within picture frames. Golden palm trees grew disco balls rather than coconuts. Interpretive dancers moved like air within a field of light-up flowers. Giant pastel fish circled themselves in a trippy seaglass carousel. Even Alice would say that "wonderland" was an understatement.

St-Germain, the high-end elderflower liqueur, has always had a vintage vibe, from its bottle to its mindful approach to cocktail-making. It's no wonder then, that when they teamed up with A-list fashion stylist, Kate Young, to create the second iteration of this experiential event, they turned to the lavish bashes of the 1920s - drawing inspiration from F. Scott Fitzergald's other classic, The Beautiful and Damned.

A pink sunset poured into a massive clear dome housing multiple bars, giant flower installations, a gilded bed worthy of Cleopatra, and a glittering DJ booth where MGMT's Andrew VanWyngarden was responsible for filling the room with tunes. Well-heeled guests, including Lynn Yaeger, TK Wonder and Cipriana Quann, Timo Weiland, and Carly Cushnie explored the surrounding gardens, which were dotted with bar carts, plush couches, and plenty of Instagrammable surprises. At every turn, it seemed, there was something else to gasp at.

Some major musts of the evening included an artful temporary tattoo studio, as well as a turn on the Battery's famous SeaGlass Carousel. You know, besides trying every 1920s-esque cocktail on the menu. Crafted by St-Germain Global Ambassador Camille Ralph Vidal, the throwback sips ranged from a classic St-Germain elderflower spritz to an absinthe-splashed Brin Vert.

The night culminated in a breathtaking performance by the Battery Dance Group, who took over the stage for an ethereal number that left attendees (us, especially) with goosebumps.

Click through for an inside look at the VIP preview party, and get tickets to tonight's public unveiling HERE.

[Photo by Matteo Prandoni/BFA.com]

Carly Cushnie

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