Bar Openings: Jan/Feb 2015

The Rum Line slings cocktails in Miami, and D.C. drinks go underground at Denson Liquor Bar.

The Rum Line in Miami features its namesake spirit in a variety of cocktails, including punches that serve three to four people. Al fresco seating adds to the casual atmosphere.
The Rum Line in Miami features its namesake spirit in a variety of cocktails, including punches that serve three to four people. Al fresco seating adds to the casual atmosphere.

Miami Welcomes Caribbean-Themed Rum Lounge

Paying tribute to the Prohibition era, when Caribbean ships brought rum to Florida to fuel speakeasies, The Rum Line is a laid-back open-air bar in the Loews Miami Beach Hotel. The venue debuted in November on the terrace of the hotel’s St. Moritz Tower, adjacent to the popular restaurant Lure Fishbar. The Rum Line offers an expansive drinks menu that features cocktails ($12 to $18) like Mojitos, Mai Tais and Daiquiris, as well as punches ($50 to $200) that serve three to four people. Signature drinks include the Devil Is a Lie, mixing Damoiseau VSOP rhum agricole, raspberries, tarragon, lime and a Pernod absinthe rinse, and the Tug Boat, a blend of Mount Gay Black Barrel and J. Wray & Nephew White Overproof rums, St. Elizabeth allspice dram, ginger, lemon and honey. The Rum Line also boasts beer from Florida and the Caribbean ($5 to $9 a draft pour, can or bottle) and a menu of upscale bar fare, including tuna tacos, mini lobster rolls and jerk chicken lollipops ($9 to $23). Designed with a tropical aesthetic, The Rum Line is operated jointly by New York City–based Mercer Street Hospitality and local Miami restaurateurs Seth Alexander and Sol Alvarez.

Denson Liquor Bar in Washington, D.C., has an art deco vibe to match its classic drinks.
Denson Liquor Bar in Washington, D.C., has an art deco vibe to match its classic drinks. (Photo by Amir Lowery)

D.C. Bar Evokes 1920s With Drinks And Décor

In November, Washington, D.C.–based Mindful Restaurant Group debuted Denson Liquor Bar, a drinks den designed to evoke a 1920s hotel lobby. Located in a subterranean space near the Verizon Center arena, the art deco lounge features antique light fixtures, black leather booths, a gold leaf–covered brick wall and a large bar. Denson’s menu highlights whiskies and lists a variety of classic cocktails, including the Sazerac, Vieux Carré, and Blood and Sand ($14). The venue also offers sipping spirits, craft beers like Founder’s Breakfast stout and Boulevard Bourbon Barrel Quad ($8 to $20 a bottle), and a small selection of wines ($9 to $15 a glass; $32 to $230 a 750-ml. bottle). In addition, Denson boasts a food menu of upscale small plates and larger dishes, from oysters and charcuterie to a chicken curry pot pie and Cuban panini (food ranges from $9 to $20).

Bar Briefs

  • The Wheel House in Chicago was rebranded in November, debuting as a beer bar called The Butcher’s Tap. The Lakeview tavern pours 60 draft brews and boasts myriad more in bottles, focusing on Midwestern craft labels. The venue also offers seasonal cocktails, wines on tap, and a food menu heavy on meat and cheese.
  • The dark and intimate bar Lost Property opened in November in Los Angeles with a vintage vibe and cocktail menu to match. The venue highlights a variety of whiskies available for sipping or mixing into cocktails, from classics like the Vieux Carré to newer concoctions that incorporate Scotch and Irish whiskies.
  • Prohibition is transported to modern times with Rx, a new medicine-themed bar in San Francisco. The venue opened in November with a menu that offers drinks under such headings as “Stress Relievers,” “Painkillers” and “Mood Stabilizers,” all featuring spirits used for healing purposes in the 1920s.
  • The neighborhood drinks den Sekend Sun opened in the Astoria section of Queens, New York, in November. The venue features a small menu of seasonal cocktails and a varied roster of craft beers and ciders, as well as sophisticated bar fare in a warm space with large windows and an outdoor garden patio.