Proof Magazine Spring 2024

PROOF

magazine

President & Publisher

“ “I love sprinkling dried lavender on my French 75s or other gin drinks. But you can’t go wrong with a good lemon twist, either. For richer drinks, fresh grated nutmeg is heavenly!

content team

Managing Editor Claudia Plumley

Senior Editor Kelsey Miller

Associate Editor Gwynnie Ball

Assistant Editor Jennifer Coon

Managing Art Director Stephanie Mauric

Art Director Lindsey Smith

Associate Art Director Sel James

Lute Harmon Jr.

Advertising adsales@ohiomagazine.com

Associate Publisher Karen Matusoff & Advertising Director

Northeast Ohio 216-377-3715

Northwest Ohio 419-944-0869

Southeast Ohio 614-461-7601

Southwest Ohio 513-546-4172

Central Ohio 614-461-7645 | 800-426-4624

Editorial Contributors Jason Brill, Nick Dekker, Alexia Kemerling, Michael Pramik, Rich Warren

Without question, spring is my favorite time of the year. I love watching the new blooms pop on trees and smelling the fragrant spring lilacs and lilies. It’s no wonder that gin is one of my favorite spirits. The floral aromas found in gin make the cocktails stand out any time of the year.

Account Managers Nichole Cardinale, Greg Clements, Bryan McMahan, Cosmo Mills, Matt Staugler

Production production@ohiomagazine.com

Operations Manager Matt Kraniske

Ad Traffic Manager Megan Stimac

Corporate

Chief Financial Officer George Sedlak

Finance Director Perry Zohos

Accounts Payable Coordinator Geli Valli

In this issue, Jason Brill introduces readers to Ginger Rabbit in Columbus where you can listen to jazz music and sip on well-crafted gin cocktails. Live music and creative drinks? I’m in.

Adding a dash of florals or herbs to cocktails is always a good way to welcome spring. In this issue, we feature recipes that use floral liquors.

Garnish your drinks like a pro after reading Nick Dekker’s story on adding flair to drinks. Of course, there’s no better flair than the fiery drink I’m holding here from Huli Huli Tiki Lounge. The secret to the flames?

Cinnamon.

But one of the best ways to use herbs in your drinks is by using bitters. Alexia Kemerling shares advice on how bitters can add complexity and take your drinks to the next level. You’ll also want to read her story on pisco. She fell in love with the spirit at first sip and was eager to share her discovery.

And finally, get ready for summer with the ultimate tropical cake. Nick Dekker shares a pineapple rum cake that’s a crowd favorite.

— CLAUDIA PLUMLEY, EDITOR

Black Orchid Martini

HULI HULI TIKI LOUNGE: CHRIS CASELLA

20 TAKE A PEEK 2024 e S ing Issue

Interested in making your own bitters? Keep reading to find out how!

26 in this

SPIRITED ADVENTURER 04

Writer Michael Pramik introduces you to his new favorite party gift, Noble Cut Distillery’s cellos.

SUPHERB COCKTAILS 05

Put the freshness of herbs into your cocktails.

THAT’S THE SPIRIT 08

Pisco is the perfect choice for rejoicing in spring.

MADE FOR EACH OTHER 11

Noble Cut Distillery and Simple Times Mixers work better together.

WHAT’S NEW 14

Find out what new products are on Ohio’s liquor shelves.

CHEERS TO GOOD HEALTH

16

All the food and cocktails served at Cloak & Dagger are vegan.

THE BITTER TRUTH 20

Just a drop can transform the taste of your drink.

PICTURE PERFECT 22

Add an extra flair to your cocktails with the right garnish.

SHAKE IT UP 24

Ways to upgrade your margarita.

BEHIND THE BAR 25

Places to check out in Columbus and Mansfield.

SPIRITED BAKING 28

Add a bit of spirit into a pineapple rum cake.

SPIRITED Adventurer

BY MICHAEL PRAMIK

one of the joys of life is sharing family customs that evolve into cherished traditions. They can be as simple as cookie baking at the holidays, egg hunting in spring or perhaps something a little more spirited.

For instance, for the past two decades my brother-in-law always reaches into his freezer and produces a bottle of Rumple Minze, 100-proof peppermint schnapps, on Christmas day. We toast each other’s health, knowing we’ll at least wind up with fresh breath from our 2-ounce gulp of the vaporous dram.

Last year, my wife and I contributed something a bit more palatable to the proceedings. We brought along a bottle of Noble Cut Distillery’s sensational Limoncello, crafted from a family recipe of owner Tony Guilfoy. The spirit was tart, sweet and soothing, while still packing a notable punch at 80 proof.

We were delighted recently when we visited Noble Cut and its tasting bar. As Guilfoy explains, he’s hit a sweet spot for being the “bartender’s best friend.” The company’s cellos are so delicious that Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, the culinary giant of the Columbus landscape, has contracted with Noble Cut to produce three custom cellos, including a melon basil and Meyer lemon.

Although I still relish the cozy warmth of Rumple Minze, when savoring a drink without following a family tradition, I’ll opt for Noble Cut’s cellos.

Since opening in 2015, Noble Cut Distillery in Gahanna has garnered industry and customer praise for its flavored whiskies, fruity cellos and high-quality vodka. We asked founder Tony Guilfoy, a St. Louis native, how the company has built its successes.

YOu offer a delicious series of flavored whiskies. Was that always your goal?

Most new distilleries dream of having the best bourbon. I found there was a niche that was being underserved, which was bartenders wanting to make extremely creative cocktails with natural products. My goal was always to become the bartender’s best friend.

How have you applied that philosophy to the cellos you make?

If a cocktail calls for limoncello, bartenders don’t have to add

additional alcohol to the cocktail because ours is 80 proof. Our products can actually replace two or three di erent products in a bar.

You’re currently in about 100 OHLQ locations and in restaurants and bars throughout Ohio and Tennessee.

What are your future goals?

We’re expanding the production facility, adding products and expanding markets. I’ve hired more people for Ohio’s north coast. We’re looking at adding nine new states. It’s all about getting it into more people’s hands.

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY

Noble Cut’s Limecello tastes wonderful in a pineapple lime mule.

Tony Guilfoy

SUPHERB Cocktails

Put the freshness of herbs in your cocktails.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KEVIN KOPANSKI

Aviation Brothers

2 oz. Seven Brothers Seven Botanicals Gin

¼ oz. Creme de Violette

¾ oz. lemon juice

½ oz. maraschino liqueur

Shake ingredients over ice. Strain into a chilled coupe. From Seven Brothers Distilling Co.

1½ oz. SKYY Vodka

1 oz. lemon juice

¾ oz. lavender syrup

4 oz. soda water lavender sprig

Skyy Sparkling Lavender Lemonade

Add the first three ingredients to the shaker tin and shake with ice. Strain into a glass tumbler. Top with soda water and garnish with a sprig of lavender. From SKYY Vodka

Garden Martini

1½ oz. Noble Cut Signature Vodka

½ oz. Elderflower Liqueur

¾ oz. lime juice

½ oz. simple syrup

3 slices of cucumber (muddled) cucumber ribbon

Add all ingredients, then add ice. Shake then strain into a martini glass. Garnish with cucumber ribbon on a skewer and serve up. From Noble Cut Distillery

Corpse Reviver No. 1301

¾ oz. East Side Gin

¾ oz. Orange Tiger

¾ oz. Lillet Blanc

¾ oz. fresh lemon juice

¼ oz. simple syrup

Absinthe rinse lemon peel

Elder Ginger Brother

1½ oz. Seven Brothers Cinnamon Infusion

½ oz. St. Elder or St. Germain

¼ oz. Aperol

ginger ale

Cinnamon Sticks

Shake over ice. Pour into a rocks glass. Top with ginger ale. Garnish with cinnamon sticks. From Seven Brothers Distilling Co.

Rinse a chilled cocktail glass with absinthe, coating the inside of the glass. Add all ingredients except for the lemon peel to a shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously for 10–15 seconds to combine and chill the ingredients. Strain the mixture into the absinthe-rinsed glass. Garnish with a lemon peel. From Toledo Spirits Co.

PISCO THAT’S THE SPIRIT

BY ALEXIA KEMERLING

When you think of fermented grapes, the poignant and rich flavors of wine may come to mind first, or maybe the sweet whiskey-esque taste of brandy. But grapes can also be distilled into the spirit pisco, a clear brandy with bright herbaceous, floral and fruity notes that are almost reminiscent of tequila. This refreshing spirit is the perfect choice for rejoicing in spring.

Pisco comes to the U.S. from two South American countries, Peru and Chile. The unique climate and landscape make for a unique terroir, with the rocky Andes Mountains, dry desert regions, rich sandy soil and the breeze rolling in from the Pacific, cooling the warm and arid climate. Wine enthusiasts know that environmental conditions are crucial for producing specific varietals, so pisco must be produced in one of Peru’s coastal valleys — Ica, Lima, Arequipa, Moquegua or Tacna

or in Chile’s Copiapó, Huasco, Elqui, Limarí or Choapa valleys. Grapes used to make pisco are extra sweet, lending themselves to the spirit’s freshness.

Per Peruvian law, pisco can only be distilled once, and you must use a copper pot still. Purity remains important in the process. No water can be added after distillation, a common process in

producing other spirits like rum or vodka. But, what truly separates this grape spirit from brandy is that it is not aged in wood barrels. Instead, the spirit “rests” in steel, glass or clay containers. No flavor is picked up from the container, no water, no additives, just the pure flavor of sweet, fermented South American grapes.

Don’t let the simplicity fool you, though. There are a few classifications of pisco. Puro, the most popular in Peru, is made from a single type of grape and is distilled from a dry wine. Meanwhile, Mosto Verdes pisco draws from sweeter wine, before the wine has fully fermented. Lastly, Acholados uses a blend of two or more di erent grapes.

Across regions, things get a bit more complicated. In Chile, pisco can be distilled multiple times and can be stored in wood containers, leading to controversy from makers in both countries. Chilean o cials do not label Peruvian pisco as “pisco,” and the same is true in

reverse. In the U.S., we recognize both productions as pisco, though Peruvian brands are more common here. Regardless of which classification or nationality you select, pisco’s flavor is complex and inspiring. The spirit can be sipped alone as an aperitif or can be a refreshing base for a variety of cocktails.

PISCO PERFECT

The spirit’s tart flavor but lighter tasting notes make it a complement to just about any flavor, so there are endless cocktails you can add to your repertoire using this spirit. A favorite for many is the pisco sour. All you need is lime juice, simple syrup and frothed egg whites to top it o . For an adventurous drink, add absinthe and pineapple juice to the mix to create a pisco punch. For a twist on the highball, make the Chilcano — a drink with pisco, lime juice, ginger ale and angostura bitters. You can also pull together a Manhattanstyle cocktail with pisco, vermouth, bitters and olives.

Dublin

Dublin

Dublin

Café Istanbul brings the flair and fare of Turkey to Dublin. Prepare to be dazzled.

Café Istanbul brings the flair and fare of Turkey to Dublin. Prepare to be dazzled.

Café Istanbul brings the flair and fare of Turkey to Dublin. Prepare to be dazzled.

Café Istanbul features authentic Turkish cuisine with Mediterranean avors. The robust menu ranges from creative craft cocktails and Turkish co ee to meze, kebabs, grilled sh, lamb and vegetarian dishes.

A visit to Café Istanbul will feel like a getaway with walls of windows with a view of the river and an exceptional patio.

Café Istanbul features authentic Turkish cuisine with Mediterranean avors. The robust menu ranges from creative craft cocktails and Turkish co ee to meze, kebabs, grilled sh, lamb and vegetarian dishes. A visit to Café Istanbul will feel like a getaway with walls of windows with a view of the river and an exceptional patio.

Café Istanbul features authentic Turkish cuisine with Mediterranean avors. The robust menu ranges from creative craft cocktails and Turkish co ee to meze, kebabs, grilled sh, lamb and vegetarian dishes. A visit to Café Istanbul will feel like a getaway with walls of windows with a view of the river and an exceptional patio.

MADE FOR Each Other

Noble Cut Distillery and Simple Times Mixers

find their businesses are more profitable by working together.

BY MICHAEL PRAMIK

Fans of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups may recall the candy bar’s classic TV commercial, when two absentminded citizens munching on peanut butter and chocolate clumsily bump into each other.

“You got your chocolate in my peanut butter!”

“You got your peanut butter on my chocolate!”

Tensions are eased when the announcer proclaims they’re “two great tastes that go great together!”

Two central Ohio distillers had a Reese’s cup moment that has proven to be a sweet delight for spirits fans.

It happened in 2018, when Tony Guilfoy, founder of Noble Cut Distillery, was chatting with Mark Tinus, founder of Simple Times Mixers. Noble Cut makes limoncello and other fruit “cellos” from a family recipe, and Tinus was repositioning a startup spirits business into the craft cocktail space by creating freshly made mixers.

The entrepreneurs discovered a natural synergy when they realized that Guilfoy was using only fruit zest to make his cellos and Tinus was using only juice, without zest, to make his mixers.

“I tasted his Pineapple Mule mixer, and I said, ‘Dude, you got something here,’” Guilfoy says. “He said he was going to be making lemonade, and I said, ‘I’ll tell you what. Can I zest them, then I’ll bring all the lemons back to you?’”

The plan worked, although Guilfoy says the first weekend he had to recruit his parents and friends to help because Tinus needed the fruit back within 24 hours.

“The partnership was nice, and we became friends,” Guilfoy says. Adds Tinus, “We created some mixers that go great with his spirits, which was the birth of our Mint Lemonade flavor.”

They began working together then became neighbors in a commercial district when Tinus moved Simple Times to an available space in the

Create memorable cocktails with Simple Time Mixers’ flavors.

Noble Cut’s spirits are found in OHLQ locations.

Tony Guilfoy and Mark Tinus pose with other’s product.

Gahanna corporate park where Noble Cut was located. They’re separated by only one tenant, which makes it easy to share zest and juice from common fruits. And, they’ve streamlined the process since then out of necessity — Tinus projects Simple Times will process 10,000 pounds of fruit weekly in 2024.

The product line of mules, lemonades, limeades, margaritas and teas includes seasonal and monthly releases to freshen up the o erings. The flagship flavors are Pineapple Mule and Blueberry Basil Lemonade. Other core flavors include Blackberry Lemonade, Raspberry Mule and Simple Margarita.

Simple Times has a thriving commercial business. For instance, Tinus supplies its base margarita mix to Local Cantina bars and has partnerships with BrewDog, as well as Woodford Reserve and Leiper’s Fork distilleries.

Noble Cut also produces handcrafted bourbon, a tasty line of flavored whiskies and several versions of vodka. A separate partnership produces Shiphouse Vodka, put up in bottles reflecting the Benson Ford Shiphouse at Put-in-Bay.

Both companies are in expansion mode thanks to their successful ventures. “I never say no to a good idea,” Guilfoy says.

FOR STAYING IN THE BOURBON OR GOING OUT

Noble Cut’s whiskey and orangecello pair well together.

Simple Times Mixers make it easy to have a flavorful cocktail.

SHIP-SHAPE VODKA

Visitors who board the Jet Express for the Ohio islands must pass the Benson Ford Shiphouse before hitting dry land in Put-in-Bay.

Bryan Kasper, who recently became an investor in Gahanna-based Noble Distillery, now owns the old vessel built for the Ford Motor Co. One of his dreams was to have a liquor bottle in the image of the ship, says Noble Cut founder Tony Guilfoy.

So in 2021, they began working with a glassmaker in Poland to create the bottle, and it’s turned out to be a favorite memento of Put-in-Bay. Shiphouse Vodka hit the shelves in 2022, winning a double gold at the San Francisco Spirits competition. Noble Cut and Shiphouse Vodka opened a second distillery in Put-in-Bay in 2023.

“Once we had the resin sample, I said to Bryan that if the bottle comes out anything close to this, this is going to be the greatest bottle ever,” Guilfoy says.

Get in the Spirit of Spring

Add a piece of Put-in-Bay history to your spirits collection.

Rosemary adds flair to a cucumber mint limeade martini.

TO GOOD HEALTH Cheers

STORY BY RICH WARREN PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOSH DOBAY PRODUCTIONS

PICTURED: Try the colorfully named Ghost of Grandeur. BOTTOM: Kevin Giustiniani and Haley Rataiczak are two of the friendly faces behind the bar.

CLOAK & DAGGER

Walk into Cleveland’s Cloak & Dagger, located in the Tremont neighborhood overlooking Lincoln Park, and you may well feel you’ve entered a writer’s study. Leather couches, dark wood, candles, velvet chairs and bookshelves lined with leather volumes all lend an almost literary atmosphere to the space. Even the menus patrons use to select their drink choices resemble artfully designed booklets.

And yet, Cloak & Dagger has another distinction from other bars that’s not as visible as its ambiance. All the food, and in fact all the cocktails, are vegan, which means that substitutes must be found for all the creams, egg whites or sweeteners like honey that other bars use in their cocktails. Instead, such replacements as non-dairy milks, chickpea brine, even a substance called agar made from seaweed find their way into Cloak & Dagger’s cocktails, giving them a depth of flavor and richness that their legions of repeat customers have learned to love. In fact, many of those customers are likely not at all aware of the vegan substitutions that have been made.

Still another distinction at Cloak & Dagger is the fact that all those cocktails have been invented by the bar’s cadre of imaginative mixologists — Mitch Didion, Haley Rataiczak, Kevin Giustiniani and Ben Kriznan. They play o themes invented by the bar’s co-owner, Casey Gerber, using seasonal ingredients of their own choice to create an array of cocktails that range from bright, floral and fruity to strong, boozy and alcohol-forward.

My Call of Dionysus fell into the latter category with a mixture of bourbon, grappa, sherry, roasted grapes and olives, balsamic, rosemary, thyme and black walnut bitters. The many ingredients blended seamlessly into one delicious whole. It’s a cocktail I won’t soon forget!

A popular theme at Cloak & Dagger last year was cocktails based on signs of the Zodiac, followed by another concept called “Secrets of the World.” As Gerber explains, “we hope to capture the essence of each changing season, presenting you with a feast for the senses.” Divided into four “acts,” the winter season o ered cocktails that provide comfort and joy during the dark winter months. In the spring, with the theme of “A New Life Begins,” expect brightly colored cocktails using innovative techniques in preparation.

The wintertime lineup of cocktails included such imaginative o erings as a “no egg egg nog” called “Ghost of Grandeur,” with bourbon, Jamaican rum, cognac, amaro, vanilla liqueur, chai, gomme syrup, coconut and soy milk, nutmeg and cinnamon. While most drinks cycle o the menu each season, a number of popular drinks from past years continue on the menu as “Legends.” One of them, Rabbit’s Foot, is made of blanco tequila, ginger agave, cayenne, pineapple, lemon and aromatic bitters. It remains one of their biggest sellers. A number of curated beers and wines are also available, and if a customer wants a classic drink like an old fashioned or negroni, the bartenders are happy to oblige.

Food items created by chefs Evan Flauto and Jared Kent at Cloak & Dagger also change with the seasons and are designed to be easily paired with the cocktails. In winter, expect a Japanese radish salad, a Moroccan

Sit outside on the patio.

chickpea stew, mushroom strogano , a French dip made with roast beef seitan, a smoked carrot gravlax bagel and another made with braised leeks and mustard seed “caviar.” My own menu choices, sadly now gone o the menu, were a sunflower risotto and butternut squash steak that were so flavorful and hearty it was one of the most satisfying meals I’ve had in years. I definitely want to return to sample their new choices, both cocktails and food.

All the bartenders have the freedom to create their own cocktails, provided the ingredients are seasonal and it corresponds with the underlying theme created by Gerber. A collaborative element comes into play at frequent meetings, however, where each mixologist can weigh in and help the others with suggestions on how to improve cocktails that aren’t working. “If one of us is going in a wrong direction, we all can jump in and figure out the way to go,” says bartender Mitch Didion. “It’s the right way to tackle inventing cocktails. But we all have a lot of freedom in inventing our own cocktails. If you’re a bartender here, you definitely have a voice in creating our menu.”

Mitch Didion pours a drink.

The photo-worthy Subterranean Comforts.

THE Bitter

TRUTH

Mixologists know making cocktails is an art, a science and even a bit of magic. One must-have ingredient is bitters — just a drop can add complex flavors and transform the taste of your drink.

BY ALEXIA KEMERLING

Stored in small bottles, often with oversized antique-looking labels, bitters are a neutral alcohol infused with botanicals. Per their name, they usually contain one “bittering agent,” most often gentian root, an herb grown in the pastures of the Himalayas and the Alps. The unique combination of herbs, spices, citrus and other botanicals are what gives the lasting flavor.

Angostura bitters are a bar staple. Dating back to the early 1800s, the potent formula was invented by Dr. Johann Siegert of Angostura, Venezuela, and first used medicinally to treat upset stomachs. When the doctor’s family migrated to Trinidad, they began experimenting with using the mixture in food and drinks. Today, most of us will recognize the bitter and spicy notes of clove and cinnamon in the sharp taste of the classic old fashioned cocktail.

Less is more when it comes to bitters, as most recipes call for just a dash. Angostura really shines as the leading flavor in The House of Angostura’s signature drink, The Bitter Half. Try their recipe below.

Despite the name, bitters need not be, well, bitter. Orange bitters add a citrusy flavor to dry martinis. Cocoa bitters

The Bitter half

¾ oz. ANGOSTURA® 5 yr old

1 oz. amaro di ANGOSTURA®

2 dashes simple syrup ANGOSTURA® aromatic bitters

can add richness to espresso martinis. Lavender bitters add a floral aroma and subdued elegant taste to simple cocktails like a gin and tonic.

The intense flavor of bitters can make them seem intimidating, but if you use spices in your cooking, you can absolutely learn to use bitters in your mixology. Start with small amounts and play around with combinations to find what satisfies your taste buds. You might be surprised how simple it is to elevate your cocktails.

You can even make your own bitters. Grab a glass jar, a cheesecloth, a highproof spirit like vodka and a selection of roots, herbs and spices of your choosing. For the bittering agent, start with gentian or cassia chips — note: you may need to order this component online. Then, raid your garden or spice rack — star anise, peppercorns, cardamom, clove, ginger, orange — feel free to get creative! Once you’ve chosen your flavors, add those plus the spirit to the jar and seal. Let the mixture steep for two weeks and shake it daily. Then, strain the spirit using the cheesecloth into a new jar and let it steep again. Lastly, strain once more then add simple syrup to take a bit of the edge off. Bottle and add to your home bar!

1 small egg white

½ oz. lime juice

1 bay leaf

freshly grated nutmeg

Add all ingredients into a mixing tin and shake vigorously without ice to emulsify egg. Add ice and shake vigorously again. Double-strain into a pre-chilled glass.

PICTURE Perfect

It’s especially fun crafting cocktails for guests, and you can add an extra flair with the right garnish! Here’s a guide for giving your cocktails pizzazz with garnishes that can add taste as well as good looks.

BY NICK DEKKER

SALT THE RIM

It’s common to salt or sugar the rim of margaritas, but you can mix things up with other ingredients and even spruce up the rims of other drinks. Try seasoned salt or a zesty spice mix with your bloody mary. Salt the rim of a lemon drop to o set the sour flavors.

ESSENCE OF ORANGE PEEL

Flaming an orange peel over your cocktail is a simple but dramatic way to enhance the flavor and presentation. Simply cut a small peel, light a match, hold it just over the cocktail and squeeze the peel above it! You’ll get a little burst of flame and the torched oils will drop to the surface of the drink.

Saturday, April 13, 2024

5:00 PM - 8:00 PM Newark, OH

Sample pours and cocktails from heritage brands to craft distilleries while enjoying musical entertainment, a bourbon crafters marketplace, giveaways, and attend bourbon education classes about food pairings, cocktails, and bourbon history.

DESSERT IN A GLASS

Serving a sweeter cocktail like an espresso martini or a black Russian? Try crushing up gingerbread cookies or graham crackers for the rim. Want even more flair? Dip your glass into icing!

CINNAMON STICKS

Amp up your old fashioned or Manhattan by lightly toasting a cinnamon stick as a garnish. Fire it up over the stove or with a kitchen torch to produce smoky, rich and lightly spicy flavors. Speaking of flames — to really set an impressive fire, use a sprig of rosemary. The scent is heavenly and the flames certainly leap skyward!

PEELED CUCUMBER

Use your vegetable peeler to carve thin slices of cucumber, then curl them up and skewer them to serve on the side of cocktails like a lime margarita, a Tom Collins or a caipirinha.

STACK ’EM HIGH

The bloody mary is ubiquitous with over-the-top garnishes! Try skewering cocktail wienies or a slice of crispy bacon. Serving a seafood lover?

Add grilled shrimp or fried clams. Create a mini side salad by adding sliced cucumber, pearl onions, peppers or baby carrots. Or grill up sliders and serve one on a stick.

Looking for inspiration? HEAD TO CHAR WHISKEY BAR + GRILLE IN ROCKY RIVER.

Order the Hey Jealousy and your friends will certainly be jealous. It’s made with a botanical gin, Grey Goose La Poire, elderflower liquor, lemon pear marmalade, simple syrup, fresh lemon and tonic with a citrus and petals sugar rim and a flower ice sphere. After the ice melts, you can even eat the flower!

Rather have dessert with your drink? Try their Maplehattan. It’s a blend of Larceny bourbon, walnut liqueur, sweet vermouth, bourbon maple syrup and simple syrup topped with a waffle that soaks up the cocktail. It’s a tasty treat at the end (or the beginning or the middle ...) of your visit.

BY JENNIFER COON

IT UP Shake

ADD SOMETHING EXTRA TO ENHANCE THE FLAVOR

From di erent juices to garnishes, the sky’s the limit for creating di erent flavor combinations in your margarita! Some more common ideas to upgrade your cocktail include using jalapeños, cucumbers, mint or pomegranate juice to balance the sweet-to-salty ratio.

SWAP TEQUILA FOR MEZCAL OR MOONSHINE

Mezcal, like tequila, also comes from an agave plant, making it an easy way to enhance your margarita. Add your favorite mezcal or try moonshine, which can add a kick to your cocktail.

The best way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo is with an ice-cold margarita, but sometimes, the classic cocktail can get a little tiresome. Here are five ways to upgrade your margarita for the upcoming holiday.

MAKE YOUR OWN INFUSED TEQUILA

Feeling adventurous? Try infusing your tequila with fruit, jalapeño, cucumber and herbs to layer the flavors in your margarita. To make an infused tequila, soak the produce of your choice with your favorite brand of tequila in an air-tight container and let it infuse for a day or two. The longer you leave it, the more intense the flavor.

USE FRESHLY SQUEEZED JUICE

While pre-made margarita mixes are convenient, they usually have extra sweetness and a thicker texture. Squeeze some lime juice and orange juice, to stand in for the orange liqueur, for a more refreshing sip.

ADD A CREATIVE RIM

The traditional salt rim is a tried-and-true perk for enjoying a margarita, but if you’re looking to spice it up, add a creative rim to your glass. From sugar to tajin, there are endless ways to spice up your rim!

Every great bar tells a story. Whether it’s a no-frills dive bar, where the people watching is as good as the local gossip, or a classy speakeasy-style spot that vibrates with energy and craft cocktails, finding a wonderous watering hole is one of life’s simple pleasures. From a jazzy spot perfect for a night out to an upstairs whiskey bar, here are two spots to write home about this season.

BY JASON BRILL

BEHIND THE BAR

GET IN TUNE

Jazz and cocktails go together like Charlie Parker and a saxophone. Nowhere is that combo more in tune than at Ginger Rabbit, a swanky, 1940s-style jazz club and cocktail bar in an intimate spot in Columbus, just off High Street on Buttles Avenue.

Decked out with plush seating, chandeliers and just the right amount of red velvet, the cozy club hosts live music five nights a week and features a snacks menu loaded with flavor.

Sip on creative cocktails at Ginger Rabbit in Columbus.

Try the highbrow-lowbrow union of caviar and potato chips.

“It has a very homey lived in feel, which is important when you’re kind of paying homage to the past and to the history of the music,” says co-owner and restaurateur BJ Lieberman.

While the cocktail menu features classics such as a French 75 and a Mai Tai, the spirit of choice here is gin. The eponymous Ginger Rabbit cocktail, for example, mixes Watershed Four Peel Gin, Manzanilla sherry, ginger syrup, lemon juice, carrot juice and celery bitters for a drink that’s sweet, boozy, earthy and vegetal.

For a story as intoxicating as the drink, try a Remember the Maine, a cocktail that mixes Old Overholt Bonded Rye, Cocchi Vermouth di Torino, Cherry Heering Cherry Liqueur, bitters and absinthe. Its creation is in commemoration of the sinking of the battleship U.S.S. Maine, which helped to kick-start the Spanish-American War in 1898, said beverage director Seth Laufman.

“No idea why this fantastic Manhattan variation was named as such but here we are,” Laufman says. “I love it for its subtle complexities and being absolutely delicious.”

try it at home: remember the maine

2 oz. Old Overholt Bonded Rye

¾ oz. Cocchi Vermouth di Torino (sweet vermouth)

½ oz. Cherry Heering Cherry Liqueur 2 dashes Angostura Bitters Absinthe

Add all liquids except absinthe to a cocktail mixing glass. Add ice and stir about 30 revolutions. Splash a little absinthe in desired glassware to rinse and coat the inside of glass. Dump excess in glass out and strain the cocktail into the absinthe washed glass. Garnish with luxardo-type cherry and enjoy.

GINGER

Whiskey lovers find plenty of options at The Spirit Room at the Phoenix.

GET SPIRITED AWAY

There’s something wonderful haunting the second floor above the Phoenix Brewing Co. in Mansfield. While the brewery has been delighting locals for nearly 10 years, the owners turned the spot’s second floor into a woodsy whiskey bar called The Spirit Room at the Phoenix in 2023.

Home to more than 90 varieties of whiskey, from bourbon and rye to scotch, The Spirit Room serves

as a quiet spot to slow down and sip.

“People can go up there, they can sit on a couch and relax and have a conversation,” says Isaiah Papst, a bartender at The Spirit Room. “And that’s really what we were going for — a quieter place from the rest of the establishment.”

On the menu, whiskey lovers can find pours of Blanton’s Single Barrel, Old Forester 1920 and WhistlePig Small Batch 10 Year. If you have a hard time

making a decision, four di erent flights give you a bit of everything, including one featuring Ohio distilleries such as Western Reserve Distillers and Cincinnati Distilling. You can also mix things up with cocktails such as a Revolver made with Rebel 100 bourbon, Toledo Spirits King & Dane Co ee Liqueur, orange bitters and an orange peel. Another favorite is the Spirit Room’s take on an old fashioned, made with Evan Williams Bottled-inBond, brown sugar-based simple syrup, Angostura bitters, orange peel and a Traverse City cherry garnish.

“People seem to respond really well to that,” says Papst. “The cocktails have been a pretty big hit up there.”

try it at home: Revolver

2 oz. Rebel 100 bourbon

½ oz. King & Dane Coffee Liqueur from Toledo Spirits

4-5 dashes Angostura orange bitters

winery and craft brewery

winery and craft brewery and craft brewery

BY NICK DEKKER PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEPHANIE MAURIC

Using spirits in the kitchen is a fun way to spruce up recipes and introduce exciting flavors. We’ve snuck a little bourbon into pecan pies or pumpkin tarts, mixed up a little whiskey in our bacon jam or added a couple dashes of stout to a barley beef stew. Now DOLE has shared a delightfully easy recipe for a pineapple rum cake!

SPIRITED Baking

DOLE Pineapple Rum Dump Cake

1 20-oz. can DOLE® Crushed Pineapple

1 20-oz. can DOLE® Pineapple Tidbits

1 cup coconut rum

1 box two-layer white cake mix ½ cup butter, cut into small cubes

Preheat oven to 350°F. Dump pineapple and rum into a greased 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Sprinkle dry cake mix over pineapple mixture. Stir mixture well. Top mixture evenly with cubes of butter. Bake for 50 minutes or until golden brown and a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cheers