TRIANGLE TODAY | THE NEWS & OBSERVER
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27, 2018
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COCKTAIL BAR KINGFISHER
TO HIGHLIGHT NC FRUITS AND VEGETABLES Drew Jackson for Triangle Today When Sean Umstead is asked about his go-to cocktail, the answer is both unexpected and revealing. “It’s probably a strawberry daiquiri,” said Umstead, adding a qualifier, “Made right.”
and then launching the bar program at The Counting House when it opened at 21c Museum Hotel in Durham. He currently is the general manager of St. Roch Oyster Bar in downtown Raleigh, which opened in May 2017.
In 2018, an era known for its innovative cocktail culture, that may be a surprising answer, but it may tell you everything you need to know about Kingfisher. That’s the new cocktail bar Umstead is opening with his wife, Michelle Vanderwalker, at 321 E. Chapel Hill St., next to The Durham hotel in downtown. It is expected to open later this year.
The Triangle is already teeming with classic and inventive bars, but Umstead said Kingfisher represents the next step: farm to cocktail.
A strawberry daiquiri “made right” means tart and dry, some sweetness from the rum, some lime juice and is an entire white sand world away from the saccharine sweet frozen concoction usually thought of today.
Kingfisher intends to build a drink menu that shifts the dominant flavors from the booze to strawberries, or tomatillos or celery, and then adding the spirit that complements it. Umstead said the bar will be big into pickling, preserving, jamming, dehydrating and wringing ever bit of interesting flavor from the bounty of North Carolina. He said he picked up his tricks simply by paying attentions in the kitchens he’s worked at in New York and North Carolina.
It is the longtime cocktail dream of Umstead, who grew up in Cary and moved back to North Carolina from New York City in 2013, serving as the assistant manager at Herons at the Umstead Hotel in Cary
“We’re focused on presenting North Carolina produce as the star and then bring the booze behind that,” Umstead said.
Read more at triangletoday.com.
Husband and wife Sean Umstead and Michelle Vanderwalker will open the Kingfisher cocktail bar in downtown Durham in 2018.Robert K. Oliver
NC Museum of Art — Weekend Family Tours Every Saturday and Sunday at 10:30 am
Join a museum guide for a lively discussion and activities in the galleries. Each free tour lasts 30 minutes and is designed for kids age 5 to 11 and their adult companions. Themes change monthly. Meet at the West Building Information Desk. No reservations are necessary, but space is limited.
Find more kid-friendly events at kidstownnc.com under Fun Finder!