Tag: Bar

Miracle Brings Christmas Cocktails to The Liquor Store

Post author By Samuel X. Cicci
Post date November 10, 2020

CREDIT: Melissa Hom

Ok, sure, it’s still a little early to be busting out the Christmas and holiday events, but we could all use a drink these days. I mean, it’s not even Thanksgiving yet! But something I think we can all get behind in this rollercoaster of a year is more cocktails. And the ones soon to be on tap at retro diner The Liquor Store just so happen to be of the Christmas variety.

Melissa Hom

The ‘Bad Santa’ cocktail’s mulled red wine and Christmas spices will have you feeling both naughty and nice.

Starting on Black Friday, November 27th, the Miracle pop-up bar will be setting up shop at The Liquor Store. Miracle is a New York-based global pop-up concept that “partners with bars and restaurants around the world to offer masterfully crafted Christmas cocktails in cheery holiday-themed settings.” Indeed, diners have been warned to expect over-the-top Christmas themed décor all around the restaurant, with contributions from local Memphis artist Lindsay Julian (founder of She. Builds. Things.)

Miracle’s cocktail offerings will be served alongside the restaurant’s regular menu, and The Liquor Store will have expanded hours to accommodate guests seeking some Christmas Spirit(s). A few specialty drinks include the Fruitcake Flip (brandy, rum, amaretto, fruitcake, cherry bitters, whole egg), Bad Santa (mulled red wine, port, orange liqueur, Christmas spices), and Christmas Carol Barrel (tequila, coffee liqueur, dry curaçao, spiced chocolate). Cocktails are priced between $6 and $15 and are served in kitschy glassware. A few rounds of these, and you’re sure to have visions of sugar-plum fairies dancing in your head, too.

Melissa Hom

The ‘Fruitcake Flip’ mixes sweet amaretto, fruitcake, and cherry bitters with brandy, rum, and a whole egg for good measure.

There are a few changes to Miracle’s usual format, with COVID-19 in mind. All cocktails will be available in a to-go format, while dine-in reservations are restricted to one hour and parties of six or fewer. Wednesday nights, however, offer a quick in-and-out experience; if guests are uncomfortable dining in, they can reserve a 15-minute time slot to take photos alongside the Christmas decorations and pick up their orders (with a minimum spend of $40). Holiday themed Cocktail Kingdom custom glassware will also be available for purchase, with a chunk of proceeds heading towards the James Beard Foundation’s Open for Good campaign, which helps independent bars and restaurants affected by the pandemic.

The Liquor Store is also adding expanded hours through dinner service Wednesday-Saturday nights, to give diners more of a chance to check out the restaurant’s holiday makeover.

Miracle at The Liquor Store (2655 Broad Ave.) runs from November 27th-January 2nd.

Tags 2020, Alcohol, Bar, Christmas, Cocktails, Memphis, Miracle, Santa, Thanksgiving, The Liquor Store

Film Features Film/TV

Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets: An Ode to a Vanishing Dive Bar

Post author By Chris McCoy
Post date July 29, 2020

The day shift watches Jeopardy! in Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets.

The greatest irony of the COVID-19 pandemic is that the two most dangerous things you can do are go to church and go to a bar. As independent and self-sufficient as we think we are, humans are social animals. The novel coronavirus spreads by exploiting that need for close contact, singing, and conversation.

All three of those things happen with abandon in Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets, directors Bill and Turner Ross’ ode to the vanishing world of the barfly. The Ross brothers, who are New Orleans filmmakers, have until now worked primarily in documentary. Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets is billed as a hybrid documentary, which in this case basically means nonprofessional actors improvising in real locations.

In other words, this is an indie film in the oldest, and most pure, sense of the term. Was Bicycle Thieves a documentary? Did John Cassavetes make documentaries? Were the Dogme 95 films documentaries? Is Blue Citrus Hearts a documentary? As the saying goes, all films are documentaries of the time of their making.

But while the question of exactly what type of film this is may be interesting if you’re concerned about who your film is competing against at Sundance, it’s not particularly relevant to connecting with the work. The set up here is the last night of the Roaring 20s Cocktail Bar, a cozy little spot carved out of a strip mall in Las Vegas. This is not the tourist Vegas of showgirls, neon, and casinos. This is a working-class joint populated by barstool philosophers and faded honky-tonk queens. One devoted patron takes pride in the fact that alcohol didn’t derail his life. “I ruined my life sober. Then I came to you.”

The dive bar is a cultural institution, but this one is closing due to soaring rents in Sin City. “The World’s Largest Gift Shop is closing. What chance does this place have?” frets the day bartender, a huge bear of a man with a Viking beard. “Celine Dion can have this place.”

The day shift is getting tanked while the Today Show is still on. One craggy drinker named Ian gets a call from his work telling him to come in. He grumbles as he leaves, but they knew where to find him. As the bar fills up for the last time, they watch Jeopardy! together and ignore news about the election. They listen to the bartender sing out the end of his last shift with a rough but moving rendition of Roy Orbison’s “Crying.” It’s a tough song to sing, and he nails it.

Bruce Hadnot

That’s just one affecting moment in a film that’s made of nothing but. There’s no story to Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets, just stuff that happens. It’s like two dozen character sketches stuck together with gum found under a bar table, and I mean that as a compliment. There’s the Black veteran (Bruce Hadnot) who laments getting sucked into “horseshit, stupid wars” but waxes rhapsodic about the his time in the Army. “When you in a platoon with me, you like family.”

There’s the nighttime bartender without a childcare option who just has her teenage son stick close to the bar all night until he falls asleep in the backseat of her car. He and his friends smoke weed in the back alley and crack up listening to the drunken conversations indoors. There’s the poet who begins the evening by reading his elegy to the Roaring 20s and ends by trying to fight everybody. There’s Pam, the 60-year-old who still flashes her breasts at the bar, and the young musicians who appreciate her bust.

Most poignantly of all, there’s Michael. Played by veteran New Orleans indie actor Michael Martin, he’s introduced by the day bartender with “I can’t imagine that dude functioning without this place.” Michael is the purest distillation of this little band of lovable losers. Every moment he’s not cleaning houses, he’s at the bar. Everyone wants to pretend this is just another night, but he’s the one who really sees his world crumbling around him. He tearfully tells one young musician to get out of the bar scene before it’s too late. “I used to be an actor. Now I just come to the bar.”

Michael Martin listens to the conversations on the last night of the Roaring 20s Cocktail Bar.

In the end, the regulars get too drunk, and the closing night cake, which says “This Place Sucked Anyway,” gets dropped in the middle of an impromptu parking lot dance party. The all-important sense of community, and what happens when it is taken away, is the subject of Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets, and today it takes on new meaning. As the pandemic stretches on, it’s increasingly apparent what we took for granted. It’s not just the gloriously disreputable neighborhood watering holes that are in jeopardy of disappearing forever, it’s the music venues, the theaters, the pizza joints with an open mic comedy night. When this disease has been tamed, we can’t take these places for granted, lest they all end up like the Roaring 20s Cocktail Bar.

Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets is streaming on the Indie Memphis Movie Club.

Tags Bar, Bruce Hadnot, culture, Indie Memphis, Memphis, Michael Martin, Ross Brothers

News News Blog

Board Game Bar Could Open in Early 2020

Post author By Maya Smith
Post date December 9, 2019

CREDIT: Board to Beers

Board to Beers

A Memphis board game enthusiast is looking to open Memphis’ first board-game bar in early 2020.

Taylor Herndon launched a campaign on Kickstarter in hopes of raising $10,000 to open the bar, dubbed Board to Beers.

“This will be a place to build a new community,” the campaign page reads. “A place to set aside the digital world and get the much needed face-to-face interactions that we miss out on in our daily lives. It’s time to let adulting take the backseat for a bit.”

The bar will serve wine, cider, and local beers, as well as food from local food trucks.

So far, Herndon has more than 400 board games ready to stock the bar’s game library and hopes to add more before opening. For a $5 fee, bar-goers will have access to as many games as they like during each visit. “Game masters” will be on site to give gamers instructions and address any questions or concerns.

The bar will host board game tournaments, as well as pop-up shops, D&D, Magic, cosplay, karaoke, and college nights throughout the year.

Board and Beers will offer memberships that allow free game play and discounts on drinks, rentals, and events.

Board to Beers

Gamers at a recent Board to Beers promo night

The bar is hosting a pop-up game night this Friday, December 13th, 6-10 p.m., at the Memphis Botanic Garden, where more than 150 games will be on hand.

It’s $5 dollars to enter. Fare from 9DOUGH1 and local beer will also be for sale. All proceeds will go toward Board to Beer’s future brick and mortar.

Herndon said the bar will be located on Poplar near Chickasaw Crossing.

Tags Bar, beer, board games

Food & Wine Food & Drink

The Cove Opens (Softly) Tonight

Post author By John Branston
Post date December 7, 2007

When Midtown dining institution Anderton’s closed last year, interior designer Jim Marshall managed to acquire most of the decor — the ship bar, the retro chandeliers, and the nautically-themed murals. He also managed to acquire the old Beer Joint location on Broad Avenue.

So Marshall decided to open a new bar using Anderton’s sea-faring decor in the old Broad Avenue dive. It was the perfect marriage of two former pillars of Midtown. The Cove, as it’s being called, will host a soft opening tonight beginning at 5 p.m. at 2559 Broad.

Since the bar has yet to acquire its liquor license, they’ll only be selling beer, oysters, and pizza. But a full bar and a full menu are coming soon.

Tags Bar, Dining, The Cove

Best of Memphis Special Sections

Nightlife

Post author By John Branston
Post date October 4, 2007

CREDIT: Justin Fox Burks

In the “Nightlife” section of the Best of Memphis, the number of places to earn votes broke down like this: More than 75 bars received a vote for best bar. About 30 bars got votes in the “Best Jukebox” category, while 57 were deemed as having the best happy hour. Some 44 bars got votes in the “Best Hole in the Wall” category, and about half of that group got votes for “Best Gay Bar.” Our readers also let us know that there are some 50 great places to see live music and that there are at least 100 musicians or bands worth checking out. We could go on, but you catch our drift. Saying there’s nothing fun to do in Memphis after sundown — that just doesn’t add up.

Best Beer Selection

BOM 1. Flying Saucer

2. Boscos Squared

3. Young Avenue Deli

Entering the Flying Saucer is entering into a mythical pantheon of beer. New or old, the Saucer makes over 200 labels from five continents available to the novice and connoisseur alike. Taste the finest Belgian Trappist Ales, English IPA’s, and German Dunkel and Märzen lagers, all on tap. But sorry, folks. There’s no PBR.

Justin Fox Burks

Best Place To See Live Music

1. Hi-Tone Café

2. Beale Street

3. Mud Island Amphitheatre — tie —

New Daisy Theatre

When Elvis Costello comes to town, he plays at the Hi-Tone. So does virtuoso violinist Andrew Bird, West Coast roots-rockers the Blasters, and Wanda Jackson, the first lady of rock-and-roll. This stripped-down club even housed the martial arts studio where Elvis learned to kick people in the face. Toss in a kick-ass sound system, cold beer, and friendly staff, and you’ve got a venue that musicians love and music lovers cherish.

Justin Fox Burks

1st Place: Best Karaoke

Best Local Band/Singer

READERS’ CHOICE

Harlan T. Bobo

The Dempseys

Kevin Paige

Lucero

Twin Soul

What’s Memphis listening to now? Apparently the greatest hits of the ’40s, ’50s, and ’60s (the Dempseys); the greatest hits of the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s (Twin Soul); quirky, self-deprecating love songs (Bobo); and whiskey-drenched heartland rock (Lucero). And who can resist the pop stylings of the Reverend Kevin Paige, the man who opened for Debbie Gibson back when that actually meant something?

Justin Fox Burks

1st Place: Best Place to See Live Music

Best Karaoke

1. Windjammer Restaurant & Lounge

2. Yosemite Sam’s

3. Alfred’s

Most bars can only manage to devote one night a week to karaoke. And can you blame them? Bartenders can only handle so many white girls rapping “Baby Got Back.” Bartenders are sober, after all. But the staff of the Windjammer braves the bad notes, offering karaoke Wednesdays through Mondays. For that, the Best of Memphis voters commend them.

Best Bar

READERS’ CHOICE

Young Avenue Deli

Flying Saucer

Blue Monkey

Boscos Squared

Dish

Bar patrons in Memphis just can’t decide. Some nights, they like to shoot pool and nosh on the best fries in town at the Deli. Other nights, they treat their tastebuds to beers from around the world at the Saucer. On Sundays, it’s cheap Bloody Marys at the Blue Monkey. A weekday lunch lends itself to a quick cask-conditioned ale at Boscos, and dinner cocktails are best enjoyed on the comfy beds at Dish.

Best New Bar, opened in 2007

1. Spindini

2. EP Delta Kitchen & Bar

3. Sauces — tie —

King Biscuit Diner

Those Italians know their wines. That’s probably why Judd Grisanti’s Spindini boasts such an impressive wine list. From Chardonnays and Rieslings and Chianti to Cabernets, this new South Main eatery’s got you covered. And with a modern, spacious bar, there’s plenty of room to kick back and sip in style.

Justin Fox Burks

Readers’ Choice: Best Local Band/Singer

Best Hole in the Wall

1. Alex’s

2. P&H Café

3. Lamplighter Lounge — tie —

The Buccaneer

Alex’s is a place where the Blues Brothers would be perfectly at home.

Best College
Hangout

1. R.P. Tracks

2. Alex’s

3. Zinnie’s

R.P. Tracks lies nestled in the shadow of the University of Memphis. Sit on the porch, order the hummus, and pick from one of the best beer lists in the city. But watch your grammar. The English department may be right behind you.

Best After-Hours Club

1. Blue Monkey

2. Alex’s

3. Wild Bill’s

It’s no surprise that the Blue Monkey is our readers’ favorite place to go after dark. The elaborate bar, the brick and tile, and the huge dining room give the Monkey an environment that’s relaxing and fun.

Best Happy Hour

1. Flying Saucer

2. Chili’s Grill & Bar

3. Boscos Squared — tie —

Blue Monkey

Meet your friends or sit at the bar with an order of hot wings and people-watch. You’ll forget your day at work in no time.

Best Place To Dance

1. Alfred’s

2. Senses

3. Backstreet — tie —

Club 152 Beale

Dancing at Alfred’s just seems to happen. You’re walking around Beale with some friends. You stop into Alfred’s while the band’s playing. You have a few drinks, and by the time the DJ comes on, you’re ready to move. Some guy walks up behind you, starts grinding, and before you know it, you’re on the floor dirty dancing like Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey.

Justin Fox Burks

1st Place: Best Place to Play Pool

Best Jukebox

1. Earnestine & Hazel’s

2. Alex’s

3. Young Avenue Deli

Etta James, Otis Redding, and John Lee Hooker reside alongside disc upon disc of obscure Motowners and Sun Studio B-sides, with a minimum of rock. Best of all: no Tom Petty.

Justin Fox Burks

1st Place: Best Hole in the Wall

Best Place To Play Pool

1. Fox & Hound English Tavern

2. Young Avenue Deli

3. P&H Café

Let off that workday steam and unwind with a game of pool at “the Fox.” High ceilings, huge TVs, cigar shop, and great menu make it the perfect weeknight playground.

Best Sports Bar

1. Fox & Hound English Tavern

2. Buffalo Wild Wings

3. T.J. Mulligan’s

On game day at the Fox & Hound, the only way not to see a match-up is to leave. With huge TV screens everywhere, the local enthusiast can keep track of the SEC and C-USA without having to turn his head more than six inches.

Best Gay Bar

1. Backstreet

2. Dish

3. One More

In the local gay community, the phrase “going to the club” means one thing: a night of booty-shakin’ at Backstreet. Backstreet offers a large dance floor, fantabulous drag shows, an outdoor patio, and even a gift shop filled with rainbow-themed merch.

Best Bar Décor

READERS’ CHOICE

P&H Café

Huey’s

Buccaneer

Flying Saucer

Dish

No one bar swept this category, but the top vote-getters indicate that our readers appreciate a bit of kitsch and clutter. One can spend hours studying the P&H’s hodgepodge of eclectic art, taking in the pirate aesthetic of the Buccaneer, reading Huey’s graffiti-covered walls, and counting the Saucer’s vast array of commemorative plates. But for those who like their surroundings a little more low-key, there’s always the sleek bar and hip beds at Dish.

Tags Bar, beer, Best of Memphis, Nightlife