MIXTAPE

from LOCALpittsburgh Issue #19

by Local Pittsburgh

DIY: GETTING READY TO SELL?

In Garfield is A Compilation Of In Garfield is A Compilation Of Cocktails, Tunes and Positive Vibes Cocktails, Tunes and Positive Vibes

By Kristy Locklin

As kids, Elaina Holko and Kate Molchan made a lot of mix tapes. They spent hours selecting songs and meticulously arranging them on 60-minute audiocassettes. These days, the pair puts the same amount of time and passion into their cocktail lounge, Mixtape. The bar, located on Penn Avenue in Garfield, is more like a boozy living room. It’s filled with pop culture décor and sleek furniture arranged to create intimate seating areas where friends can chat, sip drinks and play boardgames. Music, of course, is always flowing. Holko creates a new playlist every day (using computer technology instead of tapes). The daily soundtrack starts off mellow, with plenty of soul, and gets more upbeat as the sun sets. Many local artists are featured in each lineup. Mixtape is all about community pride. Since opening the place in 2015, Holko and Molchan have raised more than $15,000 for 23 local non-profits through their Tips for Charity project. The staff doesn’t accept gratuity, but if customers want to leave a few dollars on the bar, the money is donated to a featured organization. The charity changes every eight weeks. Current tip recipient, Project Silk, provides a safe, supportive environment for LGBT youth of color. Previous partners include 412 Food Rescue, Animal Friends and Pittsburgh Toy Lending Library. “The idea is two-fold,” Molchan says. “We wanted to make sure that we were able to be something that would be an asset to the neighborhood and put money back into the community. Also, we didn’t want our staff to come in and bear the burden if the night was slow. We wanted to pay them a little bit better, make them feel empowered and have a team-based mentality at work.” That all-for-one attitude gives Mixtape a genuinely positive vibe, which only intensifies when you order a signature pop culture cocktail. There are about a dozen signature drinks on the menu at any given time and they rotate seasonally. The Blind Melon combines Faber gin, Lillet, fresh basil, lemon and a splash of soda over a housemade honeydew-basil cube. Walk on Water(melon) is a delicate balance of Lunazul tequila blanco, fresh watermelon juice, lightly spiked watermelon simple syrup, lime, cucumber and an alderwood-smoked salt rim.

Mixtape is all about community pride.

The Dr. Evil-approved Magma is better than sharks with frickin’ laser beams attached to their heads; it’s Single Prop rum, Faber white rum, J. Wray Jamaican gold rum, guava, house passion fruitginger simple syrup, Angostura bitters, li hing mum powder and a lime-cinammon volcano. The bar also serves classic cocktails, mocktails, wine, bottled and canned beer, specialty shots, café beverages (served hot, cold or spiked) and smoothies. Mixtape doesn’t operate a full kitchen, but there are munchies available and customers are invited to bring their own food. Like a NYC-cocktail bar, Mixtape is drink-focused. Creating the libations is a labor-intensive, but fun, process. Holko, 33, a pharmacist by trade, has a knack for mixology. “Different substance, same concept,” she says with a laugh. Molchan, 31, is an attorney with a doctorate in healthcare ethics. Those careers take a backseat to Mixtape. While the friends don’t want to turn the brand into a chain, they eventually would like to add a private event space and outdoor seating (possibly on the roof). In the meantime, they’re happy sharing their dream with customers. “I love what we’ve created,” Holko says.