Bar Openings: June 2015

A New York City cocktail bar crafts spice-centric drinks, and a Nashville venue channels the après ski scene.

New York City cocktail bar Mace displays both spirits and jars of ingredients along its back bar, mimicking a modern spice shop. The intimate space also features a long zinc bar.
New York City cocktail bar Mace displays both spirits and jars of ingredients along its back bar, mimicking a modern spice shop. The intimate space also features a long zinc bar. (Photo by Scott Gordon Bleicher)

Mace Infuses Spice Into Manhattan’s Cocktail Scene

The cocktail bar Mace opened in New York City’s East Village in March with a menu of drinks that focus on different aromatic ingredients. Operated by bartenders Zach Sharaga, Greg Boehm and Nico de Soto, the intimate venue offers 12 cocktails ($13 to $16), each named for a highlighted spice, such as Thai chili, cocoa, cumin, paprika, licorice, cinnamon, cardamom, mace and grass. The Chamomile takes Pierre Ferrand 1840 Original Formula Cognac that’s been fat-washed using hay-infused brown butter and mixes it with chamomile syrup, lemon juice and Duval-Leroy Brut Champagne, while the Ambrette comprises Rittenhouse 100-proof rye whiskey, house-made ambrette bitters, Bodegas Grant La Garrocha Oloroso Sherry, soy sauce and house-made tobacco extract. The venue also has a handful of craft beers ($6 to $8 a bottle) and wines ($9 to $12 a glass) and a selection of small plates ($6 to $11), including spiced nuts, cheese, charcuterie, and bacon and fig jam flatbread. Aiming to evoke a modern spice shop, Mace seats 40 people and features a neutral color palette with copper, waxed canvas, ebony-stained wood and a long zinc bar spans the length of the space.

Nashville, Tennessee’s Embers Ski Lodge emphasizes whiskies and craft cocktails.
Nashville, Tennessee’s Embers Ski Lodge emphasizes whiskies and craft cocktails.

Nashville Bar Channels Ski Lodge

With the April opening of Embers Ski Lodge in Nashville’s 12South neighborhood, Tennessee’s capital city welcomes an Aspen, Colorado–like après ski scene. The venue boasts a large indoor fireplace and two-story open air patio, along with a large selection of whiskies and cocktails. Specialty drinks ($12) include The Shim Sham, made with J.P. Wiser’s rye whisky, peach purée, lemon juice and house-made herbal soda, and the Ski School, mixing Pearl vodka, Bols Butterscotch schnapps, vanilla bean simple syrup and passion fruit purée, topped with Monmousseau Vouvray Brut sparkling wine. Embers offers more than 100 whiskies ($7 to $40 a 2-ounce pour) and a varied selection of beer ($4 to $15 a draft pour or bottle) and wine ($9 to $14 a glass; $34 to $120 a 750-ml. bottle). Sandwiches, snacks and small plates ($6 to $16.50) are also served.

Bar Briefs

  • Nightlife operator Hakkasan Group overhauled the former Pure Nightclub in Caesars Palace Las Vegas to debut Omnia Nightclub in March. The new, 75,000-square-foot venue spans multiple levels that include an intimate ultra-lounge, a high-energy main room and mezzanine, and a rooftop garden with views of the Strip.
  • Chicago’s new Four Star Lounge boasts a Windy City–centric menu with drinks named after key neighborhoods and landmarks and a lengthy roster of local brews. The bar opened in April, offering updated takes on classic drinks and seasonal specialties, as well as sandwiches and appetizers.
  • Named for an early 20th-century gang leader, Tanner Smith’s opened this spring in Midtown Manhattan with a menu of upscale cocktails and craft beer in a vintage-inspired space that features church pew benches. The bi-level pub offers barrel-aged classic drinks and punches served out of large teapots.
  • The European-style wine bar Wilde opened in April in Los Angeles, providing a laid-back neighborhood atmosphere and both Old and New World small-production wines. With more than 20 glass pours and an extensive bottle selection, Wilde also offers traditional brasserie fare.