Where Cocktail Is KING

Apparently bar preference, much like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. Or, in this case, the imbiber. Researching this feature, I cast a wide net, asking friends from Nashua to Pittsburg for recommendations. But my request often got lost in translation; I got the names of all kinds of bars, from neighborhood dives to wine-tasting establishments. And while those spots all have redeeming qualities, that’s not what I was looking for.

My goal was to uncover real bars, genuine bars, places that put a premium on a well-crafted cocktail and a top-notch setting. Essentially, bars where the star of the show was a refined drinking experience. A welcoming atmosphere — sophisticated but not phony — was the only other requisite. ☞

BY BRION O'CONNOR

Now, before going any further, I should explain how I got here. I came of age in the mid-1970s, when the drinking age was 18, and have a treasure trove of fond memories of bars from Manchester to Nashua, and of course Durham, home of our flagship university. The bars of my youth — such as the dearly departed Salty Dog Tavern and Red Onion, located just a few steps from one another in downtown Manchester, and Scorpion’s in Durham — had character: sticky floors, spotty lighting, less-thanantiseptic restrooms, pitchers of cold beer and rudimentary cocktails (can you say Tequila Sunrise or Sloe Gin Fizz?). The atmosphere was really what you made it, with lively, often raucous banter between friends present and future.

So, I’ve still got a keg-size spot in my heart for the quintessential dive bar — or “neighborhood bar,” if we’re being kind — that defined my late teen and early adult years. I’m not casting aspersions. But things changed as I grew older, more, dare I say, “mature.” That evolution actually started in the newsroom in the early '80s, when I was a cub reporter. My editor would chide me for my “regular” Dunkin’ coffee (the morning equivalent of the Puritan Backroom’s famous “Frozen Mudslide”).

“You should drink it black,” he told me. “Then you’d actually taste the coffee, not the sugar and cream.”

He was right. Soon, I applied the same thinking to my choices in cocktails. I learned to drink scotch neat, acquiring an appreciation for single malts and peat content. I made my margaritas simply, with good tequila, Cointreau and fresh lime (no sour mix). I took Anthony Bourdain’s advice and tried a Negroni (though my preference today is the drink’s bourbon cousin, the Boulevardier).

Interestingly enough, over time, I found I didn’t drink more; in fact, I drank less. But I began to drink better. I developed a more refined palate, enjoying the subtle differences between my spirits of choice. And I’m not alone.

“Our guests are, by and large, quite knowledgeable,” says Ryan McCabe, who, with business partner Sarah Maillet, opened 815 Cocktails & Provisions in Manchester in early 2014. “The great thing about our industry is there is always something to learn on both sides of the bar. We have a cocktail in the menu called the ‘Mixed Tape,’ which is basically an at-whim cocktail that our staff will make for our guests after a quick conversation and some parameters.”

In a scenario straight out of “Field of Dreams,” Manchester circa 2014 didn’t have the type of bar that McCabe and Maillet envisioned. So they created their own, believing customers would come.

“Ryan had always wanted to own a whiskey bar, and it seemed like prime opportunity to get the ball rolling,” says Maillet. “We used to travel into the bigger cities out of state for good cocktails, and decided it was our chance to bring both the classics and the creative to New Hampshire.

“We had visited some cocktails bar in

New York City and thought our space fit the speakeasy vibe,” she says. “I sometimes think of us as the grandparents of the cocktail movement in New Hampshire, bringing an elevated cocktail awareness into the state.”

In a nutshell, that was what I was looking for. It wasn’t just a matter of “what” I drank, but also “where.” I sought out quiet, low-key settings of a “real” bar, places where I could enjoy a nice conversation with my wife or friends without shouting over the din of a large crowd or blaring sound system, or being inundated with big-screen TVs. Those bars could be attached to restaurants, since it’s always important to avoid imbibing on an empty stomach, but it needed to stand on its own merits.

Essentially, a bar shouldn’t be an append- age to the restaurant. It should be a place where the cocktail is king.

“We felt that the art of bartending had, for the most part, been lost,” says Jeremy Hart, who owns Industry East in Manchester along with business partner Dan Haggerty. “We wanted to open a craft cocktail bar, and we've stayed very true to that vision.”

In two short years, this small spot on Hanover Street has established itself as a force in a crowded bar scene. Hart and Haggerty have a combined 45 years of restaurant experience, and have employed that know-how.

“We've found that people are generally more mindful of what they spend their money on, and are looking for something a little more creative,” says Hart. “We set out to create a bar that we would want to hang out at, a place where you could get a great cocktail, but also where you could get a shot and a beer, and feel comfortable either way.”

Comfort is crucial. That’s why I was yearning for the low-lit, ambiance-rich bars of yesteryear, places with an understated vibe and sumptuous leather furnishings. Just as important, I wanted knowledgeable bartenders who would engage curious customers. It wasn’t enough to get good service; I wanted an experience that included not only a good drink in a nice setting but also a chance to broaden my own horizons.

“Consumers now are definitely more informed about what they are ordering, although that doesn't stop us from trying to change their mind about certain ingredi- ents,” says Hart. “Whenever someone tells me they ‘don't like gin,’ my normal response is, ‘Challenge accepted.’ We offer a drink called, ‘Lemme Get Uuhhhhh,’ where our bartenders will ask you what you like, or what you don't like, or about any allergies, and create a drink just for you.”

My shifting bar preferences dawned on me a few decades back, during my clan’s mid-winter romps through New Hampshire’s North Country, at places like The Balsams in Dixville Notch, the Inn at Thorn Hill in Jackson, the Stonehurst Manor in North Conway and Omni Mount Washington Resort in Bretton Woods — places with an aura of relaxed sophistication from a bygone era.

Among my favorites was The Cave at Omni Mount Washington Resort. Originally built as squash courts, The Cave was later transformed into a speakeasy before Prohibition. With its rough-hewn stone walls, arched brick ceilings and large wood bar, the place bleeds history (Joseph Kennedy, sire of the famed Kennedy clan, reportedly sold the hotel bootlegged liquor during the 1920s). You can still see the secret windows where staff could watch for local authorities coming up the main drive.

“Everyone was prepared to change out gin for tea in the event of a raid,” says Michael Paquette, Mount Washington’s food and beverage manager. “The Cave remains popular due to its historic nature.”

But a rich history, without staying current, would be an exercise lost to time. Instead, the best bars blend the two seamlessly.

“We place a great deal of emphasis in the bar side of the business, as that’s an important component to our guest experience,” says Paquette. “Guests are becoming more knowledgeable and discerning about their cocktail choices, and we find that, while guests are becoming acquainted with more traditional classic brands, some focus on the new trends in the industry.”

This shouldn’t be surprising. Many of