BEHIND THE BAR

from 42+ Magazine Spring 2022

by greatlakespublishing

HIKE, BIKE, SIP, & STAY

HOUSE OF SPIRITS

House of Spirits has been bringing life into Marysville since 1884 — literally.

STORY BY NICHOLAS DEKKER PHOTOGRAPHY BY KEVIN KOPANSKI

Order a Classic Old Fashioned.

The cocktail menu features something for every taste — from Manhattans to mocktails. H ouse of Spirits cocktail bar took over the gorgeous Victorian structure in the summer of 2019. “A long, long time ago, if you were born in Marysville, you were born in this house with the aid of a man named Dr. Henderson,” said Marie Gilman, House of Spirits marketing coordinator.

Births don’t take place there anymore, but the doctor has been remembered over the years. The building went through many iterations since the 1880s before becoming Doc Henderson’s restaurant. When the owner was retiring, he turned to Bruce Daniels and Rick Crago, who renovated the bistro before updating it further to open House of Spirits.

“They decided to bring the house back to its original history,” Gilman said. “We stripped back all the woodwork to its original coloring; we brought in old furniture, vintage lighting. We wanted to honor the Prohibition speakeasy feel.”

“You’ll see no TVs, there are no clocks,” added Greg Gantz, bar manager and event coordinator. “Players come in and play the piano. It’s that vibe where you don’t have to look at your phone. You can sit down and relax.”

Each drink is crafted with care, like the Bee’s Peas mocktail and Madam’s Margarita.

Lavender honey and lavender bitters star in the Ice Queen Gin Sour. Pair drinks with flatbread and empanadas.

With cocktails changing frequently, there are plenty of reasons for return visits. House of Spirits rotates its cocktail list monthly, along with weekly specials. Gantz and the bar team excel at the classics, but they create many of their own libations. Because of the bar’s heavy lean towards bourbon, it features four or five bourbon cocktails using barrel-select spirits especially made for them by Knob Creek, Makers Mark, Old Forester, and other distilleries. Their Manhattan, for instance, is built around Knob Creek House of Spirits rye. They also offer monthly themes, like tequila month and tiki month.

The constant rotation keeps fans coming back, Gilman said. The emphasis is on quality all around. Gantz and the bar staff feature a wide variety of spirits; they craft their own juices, simple syrups, and even infuse spirits and cocktails with smoke.

For guests skipping the alcohol, the

team also invents exciting mocktails. A recent feature called the Bee’s Peas used Seedlip Garden 108 non-alcoholic spirit, verjus, apple juice, white honey syrup, and honeycomb.

House of Spirits distinguishes itself as a bourbon bar. Gilman said the bar features a little over 200 bourbons, although she estimates they probably have about 350 total including those in storage. Guests can order rotating flights of four featured bourbons. Often the flights are themed, such as all ryes, all from one distillery, or all featured in a region. Pro-tip: time your visit for Wednesdays when it’s five-dollar bourbon night.

To complement the libations, they offer pub bites and flatbreads. In early 2022, they added a weekend brunch menu accompanied by cocktails like the Spiced Almond Old Fashioned that gives a nutty twist to the classic drink.

With its decorative façade, the House of Spirits is easy to find in Marysville.

Thoughtfully crafted itineraries incorporate three cities for a perfect bourbon excursion—distinctive distilleries, mouth-watering culinary offerings, and bourbon-centric attractions & lodging.