The Varnish

I often play tour guide to out of town boozies like writers and bartenders, and their wish list of places to visit almost always will include The Varnish. Tucked away in the back of Cole’s Restaurant, this bar exudes an old world charm and character that’s easy to imitate but difficult to master. The ragtime piano and muted decor give The Varnish a true speakeasy vibe, and while that phase in bar building has mercifully come and gone, what keeps The Varnish relevant is the quality of the drinks.

The Varnish excels at these off-the-cuff requests because the bartenders are so well-versed in what I like to call the Milk & Honey canon, specifically referring to a drink repertoire that mirrors that of the famous New York City bar. The ties make sense: The Varnish and Milk & Honey are under the same ownership umbrella, and the success of The Varnish has led to many bars opening since to capture the same magic, or at least the same customer. As the expression goes, a rising tide raises all boats.

But back to the drinks: if you have a taste for gin, bourbon or rye, you’ve come to the right place. Manhattans and their variants are done very well here where Brown Bitter and Stirred reigns supreme. That shouldn’t stop you from going off the rails, though. While a gin or rye buck (made with ginger beer) falls well within the historical reach of The Varnish, I happen to love ordering an amaro buck, especially one made with Ramazzotti. When you aren’t inclined to go with Bartender’s Choice, the menu features a mix of classics like a Fancy Free (an old twist on a bourbon Manhattan) to more modern house creations like the Brazilian Fix (combining cachaça and Yellow Chartreuse). Or if you’re really lucky, the bartender may just hand you a Ramos Gin Fizz.

The Varnish is a small bar and so those out of town guests and I will usually reserve a trip to there for the last barcrawl stop. Even at that late hour, it often turns into the highlight of the evening. They smile, raise a glass, and can return home happy to have crossed it off the list.