General manager David Scherling says, “You can’t overestimate how much people love a fire pit.” He spent the last few decades working in every facet of restaurants, from fine dining at El Gaucho to this tiny roadside tavern. We sat down with him on a rather pleasant February afternoon to talk a little about what makes for a great cocktail outside—whether it’s freakishly warm or full of the usual Seattle winter duo of drizzle and chill.
Published in Seattle Refined / Komo News. By Naomi Tomky | Feb. 25, 2015
Image: Naomi Tomky. The Apple and Spice, Hollywood Tavern’s nod to the whiskey ginger, with housemade apple shrub.
Huxley Wallace (Westward, Quality Athletics) remodeled this former dive bar, incongruously wedged into a corner of Woodinville wine country, into an upscale gastro pub. Last summer, Huxley Wallace and Hollywood Tavern ownership split, and the operation took a turn for the casual. It found a new a happy place among fried-pickle lovers, local-beer drinkers, and wine tourists.
While the menu and bar have changed, the design retains Huxley Wallace’s incredible eye for spaces, especially when it comes to the Adirondack chairs circling the large fire pit. A gas flame rages in a cage of river rocks, the centerpiece to a gravel outdoor lounge cuddled between the Tavern and neighboring Woodinville Whiskey Company.
General manager David Scherling says, “You can’t overestimate how much people love a fire pit.” He spent the last few decades working in every facet of restaurants, from fine dining at El Gaucho to this tiny roadside tavern. We sat down with him on a rather pleasant February afternoon to talk a little about what makes for a great cocktail outside—whether it’s freakishly warm or full of the usual Seattle winter duo of drizzle and chill.
Brown Liquor
“I grew up in Minneapolis,” Scherling tells us, recounting his first sip of real liquor: brandy, while shivering in the rain during a fishing trip on the St. Croix River. We don’t get that type of cold here, but the coziness of brown liquor stuck with Scherling through the years, so he now always recommends it—especially whiskey—for drinking away the chill.
High Proof
Higher-proof liquors add a little extra fuel to the fire—literally and figuratively. Scherling recommends checking out bonded liquors (which have to meet certain government regulations including being at least 100 proof), like the Old Grand-Dad 100, or the Booker’s Small Batch Bourbon, which runs between 120 and 130 proof
Thick Drinks
Many of Hollywood Tavern’s cocktails feature Woodinville Whiskey Company bourbon they’ve infused with honey and maple syrup. The round flavors make for a warming cocktail, the viscous texture bringing a touch of luxury to the drinks.