There is a current surge to bring back the classic cocktail in Lansing and it’s happening at a rapid pace. Lansing’s popular cocktail spots are putting together craft cocktails that aim to please the hip, young crowds and to keep up with the growing craft beer, craft coffee and craft food industries.
“People are definitely more interested in craft beverages now than the past. Flavored vodkas certainly have a time and place, but they've taken a backseat to the well-mixed cocktail. Our specialty cocktails--some of which contain flavored vodkas-- go over very well because people enjoy balanced and complex flavors. Appletinis and other candy-sweet drinks were just an attempt to cover the taste of poorly-made liquor with sugar. Now, we have a near infinite selection of quality liquors/liqueurs at our disposal, so the goal has shifted. Not everyone may be able to verbalize why they like a craft cocktail, but their taste buds surely recognize it,” says Mimi Yao, General Manager at Zoobie’s Old Town Tavern.
The craft drink mindset is reflected on the bar owners themselves. What is important to them is portrayed in their food and drink menus and can be quite attractive to their customers. With the mindsets of bars like Zoobie’s Old Town Tavern, The Soup Spoon Café and Red Haven, the craft cocktail trend has flowed through the Lansing bar community with ease while the bartender’s tangible passion for their craft can be incredibly enticing.
“At Red Haven, our cocktail program mirrors our food in that we work really hard to feature all the awesome things being produced right in our home state. Every drink on our drink menu includes at least one Michigan made spirit in addition to local seasonal mixers. We also make quite a bit of our bar program in house,” says Nina Santucci, co-owner at Red Haven.
“We have a large variety of housemade bitters and liqueurs and also make flavored simple syrups, fresh-squeezed juices and even a little ice work to round out our drink program. Our drink menus change with the seasons and we have a nice balance of classic cocktails and seasonal drinks. It is always fun to turn a brand loyal cocktail drinker on to a great Michigan-made spirit, and our cocktail program fosters this behavior.”
Lansing’s craft cocktail scene isn’t only about a passion for great drinks, but about bringing the community together, as well, in a place where people can easily socialize, relieve stress and enjoy a drink with a goofy name, or a drink name with much meaning, like the Busby Buzz - a popular beverages, made in partnership with coffee from Strange Matter - a local coffee shop on the Eastside - serving as a memorial beverage for the late Robert Busby, Creole Gallery owner and Old Town pioneer.
“At Zoobie's, the owners have said time and again that they wanted to open a bar that they would drink at. Many of our guests - and myself included - have been looking for a bar that's clean, comfortable, and an acceptable noise level. That's been surprisingly difficult to find in the Lansing area. Our regulars have even become friends with each other - a bit of a real life Cheers, almost. It means a lot to us to provide that sort of relief and relaxation for people,” says Yao.
Red Haven is also a place where it’s all about making friends and telling stories in a comfortable environment. Giving customers a place to let loose in the right way, is one of Red Haven’s main attractions.
“For me a bar is a place to let your guard down and relax. Having a good bartender makes this all possible when you can share casual conversation, order good drinks and enjoy your company,” says Santucci. “I think all towns need a good bar as a place to meet and exchange life's crazy stories over a good drink. It is a great way to meet new people and also connect with the ones you know. Something about the dim lighting and high top seating and drinks always makes things a little more fun,” says Santucci.
Some of that fun seems to be giving their craft drinks nearly ridiculous names to put a smile on the face of the customer. From the Moscow Mule to the Sazerac Negroni, seemingly every drink is a laughing matter.
“I think we have been seeing a trend to bring back classic cocktails. Drinks like the Sazerac Negroni or Detroit's classic The Last Word are showing up more and more on drink menus and being requested by all generations--of drinking age of course. In addition to a literal interpretation of the classics, many restaurants also put a modern twist to it. The one thing most all of these drinks have in common is that they are not overly sweet and typically pretty high in alcohol. Our tastes are getting away from the overly sweet syrupy drinks of the past and these play right into our "modern-day" pallets,” says Santucci.
Customers have definitely shown a shift in interest towards craft cocktails and are ordering less flavored vodkas and the always cliché appletinis. At Red Haven, cocktail drinkers show a shared passion for the “locally grown” movement that has been increasingly popular throughout Michigan’s urban areas.
“I think there is certainly a shift towards craft cocktails. Fresh juices, house made bitters, and simple syrups are showing up on so many menus. I think people really like to hear the story behind what they are drinking. We have had that culture with wine for a while now, but over the past five years have seen so many more small craft distillers open up. The focus on using local grains, fruits and produce to distill is also gaining popularity much like it did with the craft beer industry,” says Santucci.
Whether you're a cocktail connoisseur or just looking for a great, new beverage, Lansing bars balance good-old-fashioned tastes with modernist twists and trends, and are perfect places to try a delicious craft cocktail.
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