Sneak peek: Speakeasy with nature-inspired cocktails
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Photo: Thomas Wheatley/Axios
After months in the making, Ladybird Grove & Mess Hall along the Eastside Trail is introducing its new speakeasy cocktail lounge.
What's happening: All this week, Ranger Station is hosting a reservation-only soft open for friends o’ the Ladybird (and whoever can snag a time and table).
- Thomas here. My girlfriend and I love nature. And we love food and drinks. So we managed to find a reservation on Sunday and try out the spot.
Catch up quick: Ladybird owner Michael Lennox and his team built out unused space in the National Park-inspired bar and restaurant into a rustic, mellow outpost “where the park rangers might go after hours, after a long day out in the wilderness” to enjoy drinks and unwind.
Details: Wood panel walls line the dimly lit lounge that's filled with couches and coffee tables for cocktails and conversation. A turntable spins a soundtrack of vintage Otis Redding.
Of note: Behind the bar are some of the talented crew who made drinks at Golden Eagle — Lennox's Beltline-adjacent cocktail spot in Reynoldstown that got swallowed up by Muchacho.
Specifics: Nature-inspired signature cocktails include El Capitan (sage and cardamom gin, pineapple, lemon, clover), Kalalau (five spice cachaca, falernum, aloe, coconut, lime, herbs, soy) and Thunderbolt (rum, lime, peach, mint).
- The food menu features smoked catfish dip, smoked pork belly with brown butter sweet potato and a cauliflower cake and herb salad with pickled tomato jam.
How to go: Head inside Ladybird to the back. You'll see a velvet rope and a host who'll guide you upstairs.
💭 Thomas' thought bubble: Get on the list.
- I loved the snack pack — house pimento cheese, spicy and delicious mushroom jerky, smoked sausage and house pickles — served in a camping tin. If you like buttery toasty saltines you're in luck.