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It wasn’t long ago that the term “craft cocktail” didn’t mean much to drinking audiences, but thanks to a handful of craft cocktail aficionados and a resurgence in consumer appreciation for all things artisanal and handcrafted, craft cocktails are coming back in a big way — so big, in fact, that the month of April saw not one, not two, but three new craft cocktail bars opening in the area.

What is a craft cocktail? Purists may define it specifically as a classic cocktail, with recipes more than 150 years old, heavy on whiskeys, bourbons, gins and vermouths. Sazeracs, Negronis, Corpse Revivers and aptly named Old Fashioneds fall into this category. But in a broader scope, a “craft cocktail” is simply one that is made by hand with homemade ingredients using high quality liquors and liqueurs that take more time to make. As the world continues to shrink in on itself and society embraces all things local, small-batch and independent, the interest in craft cocktails is growing fast. These new hotspots will help Detroiters get their craft cocktail connoisseur certification.

Valentine Distilling Company

Rifino Valentine’s Valentine Vodka has only been on the market for two years, but it has already taken a Gold Medal at the Beverage Tasting Institute’s International Review of Spirits Competition, beating out every other vodka in the marketplace — Grey Goose, Three Olives, Belvedere — all of them. For those who like to support local businesses, it doesn’t get much more local than the Valentine Distilling Company (with cocktail bar out front). Valentine did most of the construction himself, utilizing reclaimed wood, windows and bricks from buildings in Detroit. Lacquered tree stump tables are from a tree that was cut down in Ferndale, and 600-pound overhead beams are from an old barn.

“It’s about getting it the way you want,” he says of doing the construction himself — and that sentiment speaks for his brand overall. “I wanted to take the decision away from people about buying local. With this gold medal, we have a better product made locally, so why would you buy Grey Goose? Let’s not support local for local’s sake — let’s just make a better product.”

Everything served in the bar is made in-house — including, of course, the vodka itself, as well as fresh juices, simple syrup and even the tonic water. “We’re doing things the way they were meant to be done,” says Valentine. The bar also offers a rotating list of seasonal infusions that range from cilantro to cotton candy. There are also small appetizers, but this isn’t the place to go for a burger and beer. “We’re not trying to please everyone — the main philosophy here is to do a few things and do them really well.” The industrial-speakeasy décor is full of design details patrons will notice over repeat visits. There are currently no TVs; instead, the cocktails themselves are the start of great conversation.

161 Vester Street, Ferndale | 248.629.9951 | valentinevodka.com

Sugar House Bar

During Prohibition, home brewers were allowed to make a certain set amount of liquor for personal use. Sugar houses provided the corn sugar they would use in their home brewing, but quickly became fronts for illegal stills and breweries. The Oakland Sugar House was a legitimate business, but was run by mobsters and eventually absorbed into the Purple Gang, Detroit’s most infamous gang, which controlled a huge portion of bootleg liquor coming into the country from Canada. Mixologist Dave Kwiatkowski has spent years in the industry working at bars in Chicago and all over Detroit. He tried to launch craft cocktail programs in other bars before finally deciding, “Well shit, we can do this — let’s just do it!” The Corktown building features the original bar built in 1910. The pre-Prohibition bar and stools are all done in dark wood, “very saloon-like.” The Sugar House offers a seasonal cocktail menu featuring a dozen classic and classically inspired drinks incorporating local produce, as well as house-made bitters and fun items like rotating punches and weekend Bloody Marys with appetizer skewers.

2130 Michigan Avenue, Detroit | sugarhousedetroit.com

The Oakland

Owner Sandy Levine also pays homage to Prohibition-era Detroit with this bar’s name and the writing on the front door — “The Oakland Art Novelty Company” — the Art Novelty Company being another front for the Purple Gang’s liquor sales. Levine has an extensive fine dining background but became obsessed with craft cocktails after living in Chicago. He has helped design craft cocktail programs at restaurants like Atlas Global Bistro, but this will be his first foray fully into this realm. “We wanted to bring that to this area,” says Levine.

“There are a lot of places that have done really cool things [in terms of classic cocktails], but they have other focuses as well. My place, and Dave’s, will be completely focused on cocktails and not much else.” The Oakland will make its own bitters, syrups and infusions and will utilize Levine’s background in fine dining and kitchen preparation in its cocktail crafting. The true classic cocktail from the pre-Prohibition era predominantly inspires The Oakland, and the décor will reflect that.

201 W. Nine Mile Road, Ferndale

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