Latest news with #Death&Co.
Eater
2 days ago
- Business
- Eater
Savannah's Death & Co. Bar Is the New Spot to See and Be Seen
When Municipal Grand swung its doors on July 11, the hotel's eponymous lobby bar quickly packed with patrons thirsty for a taste of its much-anticipated beverage program — and the people it attracts. The debut came within two years after Midnight Auteur, a new hospitality group from the founders of Death & Co. and Denver's the Ramble Hotel, announced plans to reimagine the six-story, 1960s landmark into a cocktail-driven, 44-room destination. Municipal Grand's name is a clever nod to the past: the First Federal Savings and Loan Association, which operated from 1961 to 1989, later served as a City of Savannah workplace at 45 Abercorn Street. The preserved architecture, from terrazzo tiles to the bank vault, sets the tone for the midcentury modern-inspired interiors by AAmp Studio — the same firm behind Death & Co.'s bars in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. — in collaboration with Savannah-based Lynch Associates Architects and Ward Architecture + Preservation. Drink martinis or 'cheekies' at the bar. Kelly Calvillo By design, Municipal Bar is the city's best new spot to see and be seen, both in person and on Instagram. Anchoring the lobby is a curved, 14-seat bar surrounded by serpentine banquettes and low lounge seating. Although at street level, the entire floor feels like one big sunken conversation pit, thanks to an upper mezzanine level encasing the perimeter. The Municipal Bar's menu of shareable drinks and small plates further leans into its sociability. A 'Family Style' list of playful offerings encourages guests to start with banana daiquiri 'cheekies' — miniature renditions made with Wray & Nephew rum and served in port glasses for $8 per person. Or, patrons can 'Keep It Going' with espresso martini cheekies at $6 a pop. For a fancier pour, the $36 'Proper Martini Service' for two — inspired by London's Dukes bar — is served ice-cold with a choose-your-own-adventure selection of accouterments, plus the option to add a side of salty shoestring fries for an additional $5. Of course, there's also a full selection of regular-sized beverages, such as the neon-hued white Negroni (Terroir gin, Americano, and Gentian amaro), garnished with a juicy pineapple wedge. With a subtropical climate in mind, rum or mezcal concoctions — complete with crushed ice, crystal-clear rocks or frosted glassware — are heavenly for cooling off in Savannah's thick humidity. Ranging from $16 to $19, these are contemporary riffs on classics, expected given the Death & Co. association. The hotel also offers creative fare for brunch and dinner. Kelly Calvillo For the uninitiated, Death & Co. first opened by David Kaplan and Ravi DeRossi in the mid-aughts as an unassuming bar in Manhattan's East Village. The brand would become one of the world's most sought-after cocktail bars, with four locations in New York, Denver, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C. With insatiable demand (parties still often wait hours to enter the flagship) came the spin-off concepts: in 2018, Kaplan launched the full-scale hospitality firm Gin & Luck with several partners, including Alex Day, who serves as chief operating officer. This branch is responsible for recent projects like Close Company in Las Vegas, Nashville, and soon, Atlanta. The expansion is fueled in part by investor funding through SeedInvest, an online equity crowdfunding platform. As the Death & Co. institution appears closer to cementing its status as a household name, some may wonder if this dilutes the brand's popularity or prestige. On the contrary, Midnight Auteur operates as a distinct entity—more of a cousin than a sibling. Joining Kaplan and Day in this venture is Ryan Diggins, the founder and operator of the Ramble Hotel in Denver, Colorado, where the second Death & Co. opened in 2018. The midcentury modern-inspired interiors are by AAmp Studio. Kelly Calvillo With this ownership team based across the country, they brought in Franck Savoy to lead Municipal Grand as general manager. The son of chef Guy Savoy, of Michelin-starred restaurants in France and Las Vegas, launched his career in fine dining alongside his father before moving on to roles at Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica, California, Auberge Resorts, and most recently, Berg Hospitality Group in Houston, Texas. Joining Savoy is a mix of talent recruited to relocate to Savannah, like Death & Co. veteran Sam Penton as the director of outlets, as well as an all-star lineup of familiar faces from around the city. Helming the kitchen is executive chef Karim Elkady (formerly of Hotel Bardo, Southern Cross Hospitality, and Perry Lane) and executive sous chef Shannon Koprivich (also formerly of Southern Cross Hospitality), with Justin Stevenson (formerly of Husk Savannah) managing the front of house. Behind the bar, locals recognize James Nowicki and Sebastián Montero-Hernández, just to name a couple. Herein lies the true joy of a visit to Municipal Grand — the dynamite combination of the Hostess City's famed hospitality paired with Death & Co.'s gravitas. That, and food to back it all up. In the era of the aesthetic restaurant, when Instagrammability is weighted as highly as the quality of the food and service, Municipal Grand delivers on all three. Brunch at Municipal Grand. Kelly Calvillo Loaded with vibrant herbs and veggies, jewel-toned dishes are as colorful and refreshing as the cocktails and the artful vibe. Lunch standouts like the smoked salmon tartine, crispy chicken sandwich, and a mortadella roll, all served on Flora and Fauna bread. 'There's no club sandwich or Caesar salad. That's intentional,' says Savoy. This fall, the hotel will unveil its basement cocktail den, Hot Eye, decked out in red walls, blackened mirrors, and oxblood leather booths, just in time for the SCAD Savannah Film Festival. For a quieter experience, visit in the morning. The Carolina Gold rice porridge — a combination of currants, coconut, carrot, and pistachio that tastes like a cross between overnight oats and carrot cake — and a 'Fancy Omelet' (complete with a cheese pull) are well worth waking up early for. The Municipal Bar is open daily from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Access to the rooftop Sun Club is currently reserved for hotel guests.
Forbes
11-04-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Savory Cocktails Are Having A Moment
Bartenders are reinventing savory cocktails with umami-rich ingredients like miso, amaro and smoked sea salt. Smoked salt in a cocktail may have once raised eyebrows. Now it's a sign of the times. Savory cocktails—long anchored by stalwarts like the Dirty Martini and Bloody Mary—are commanding attention across the country. From New York to Los Angeles, bartenders are reimagining umami-driven drinks with the precision of chefs. The rise is not sudden, but the recent momentum is impossible to ignore. 'There's a natural progression in food and drink to find initial attraction through fruit and sweet flavors and then move to the more savory or umami,' says Tyson Buhler, a bartender at Death & Co. in New York City. 'The resurgence of the Martini—the Gibson and Dirty varieties specifically—has led more bartenders to be exposed to savory elements.' What distinguishes this movement is not novelty. It is the steady refinement of ingredients and techniques. Seaweed, mushrooms, tomatoes and soy sauce are appearing on cocktail menus—not as gimmicks, but as components engineered for flavor balance. 'Fermentation, which typically adds savory aromas and flavors, has taken over in the modern kitchen and that has also bled into the bartender repertoire,' Buhler says. 'Now a lacto-fermented raspberry syrup brings out deeper, earthier aromas.' That shift aligns with broader changes in diner expectations. 'Our guests are looking for an experience and are becoming much more adventurous with their choices,' says Jen Jackson, enterprise beverage manager at Thompson Restaurants, via Zoom. 'They are seeking out cocktails that are unique, different or something they've never had before.' Jackson observes that as consumers dine out less often, they want each occasion to offer something distinctive. Menus now feature more inventive options designed to surprise. 'We are seeing more and more pickled vegetables, spices like basil and thyme and bacon fat,' she says. This change is also structural. Bars are beginning to carve out menu space for savory cocktails alongside more familiar offerings. 'We've seen more menus begin to not only add savory cocktails but also have specific sections highlighting them and helping to guide guests in that direction,' Jackson says. 'Cocktail menus are becoming an adventurous read for guests.' Bartenders are leaning into that freedom. 'Bartenders are always on the lookout for new and interesting flavor combinations,' says Charles Joly, Diageo World Class Global Champion and a James Beard Award-winning beverage program designer. 'As bartenders move beyond the traditional sweet, sour and strong profile, integrating savory elements more often associated with the kitchen has become a natural evolution.' Umami, long understood but rarely spotlighted, is now central to this evolution. Joly recounts a bar where caramelized onion, roasted garlic and oyster shell extracts were once considered radical. 'It makes perfect sense to shine some light onto this important and impactful category,' Joly says. 'In the right hands, the result is subtle, unexpected and delicious. This was seen as pretty out there at the time, but doesn't raise an eyebrow at modern cocktail bars today.' The experimentation is wide-ranging. There are no fixed rules. The drinks can skew earthy, briny or smoky. The unifying factor is complexity. 'The best applications I've seen of savory or umami ingredients often pair a challenging ingredient with more familiar flavor to help ease the guest into trying something new,' Buhler says. Execution still depends on balance. 'Even a Bloody Mary, the most iconic savory and umami-laden cocktail, works because of the inherent sweetness of the tomato and brightness of fresh citrus,' Buhler adds. Consumer response has encouraged the expansion. 'They are so much more adventurous than they were a few years ago and less likely to order the same drink twice,' Buhler says. 'This exploration in drinking means they take more chances.' Recent data reflects the growing interest in savory cocktails among both bartenders and consumers. According to consumer intelligence firm CGA by NIQ, cocktails accounted for 35% of total spirits value in the U.S. on-premise sector in 2024, a six-point increase from the previous year, suggesting a broader shift in drinking habits toward complex, experience-driven drinks. The Bacardi Brand Ambassador Survey noted a 20% increase in demand for savory flavors and a 15% rise in herbaceous profiles in North America in 2024. Younger drinkers, especially millennials and Gen Z, are leading that shift. 'They are more open to innovative flavor combinations that buck traditional norms and certainly something they can share on social media,' Jackson says. The palate is expanding alongside global culinary exposure. Ingredients long valued in East Asian cuisine—nori, sesame, soy, dried mushrooms and teas—have become common in modern bar programs. 'Asian culinary ingredients offer a treasure trove of umami,' Joly says. That experimentation stretches beyond ingredients to ritual. Joly notes the rise of the 'caviar bump,' a bite of caviar followed by a sip of vodka. 'The guests don't need to understand why this works from a flavor standpoint, but they are loving it,' he explains. Still, the most successful drinks resist novelty for its own sake. Bartenders are conscious of what their guests will enjoy, even when pushing limits. That kind of attention may be the reason savory cocktails have moved from the margins to the spotlight. The drinks are no longer rare exceptions. They are becoming fixtures on menus and in the glasses of a more curious and demanding clientele. 'It is important to remember that no two guests are the same. Some lean to the unusual and unconventional,' Joly says. 'Many others will be well-served by a bartender who understands their preferences.'
