The “world’s first cereal cocktail lounge” opened in Philly final week. The brand new spot at Basis, a basement bar and occasion area beneath Divine Lorraine, is placed on by Bucket Listers, an organization that creates themed experiences in U.S. cities, corresponding to a “Boy Band Undertaking Brunch” and a “LEGOLAND® Discovery Heart.”
What’s a cereal cocktail, it’s possible you’ll ask? Billy Penn went to the most recent pop-up spot to search out out.
The vibe
There’s a sure uncertainty stepping right into a bar centered round synthetic sugary confections, descriptors which are usually at odds with a scrumptious and balanced cocktail.
“As somebody who enjoys each of these items individually, this makes me really feel vaguely nauseous,” stated one skeptical reddit poster.
“That is what occurs when your whole buddies misinform you whenever you ask them if it appears like a good suggestion to open up a cereal-themed cocktail bar,” wrote one other.
Nonetheless, for all of the skeptics, we’re right here to say that after making an attempt a couple of cocktails, the outcomes, whereas considerably combined, had been really type of tasty.
Strolling into The Cereal Cocktail Bar, clients are hit with kitschy nostalgia. The fronts of cereal packing containers are adhered to partitions and cereal slogans are hung in neon signage.
The area is optimized for producing social media content material. Company can take their image in entrance of a wall of cereal or sit by framed posters of beloved mascots. A projector performs classic commercials on a display, with some forgotten cereals of the previous like C-3POs and Smurf Berry Crunch. The playlist consisted of aughts responsible pleasures like Potential Breakup Tune, Lipgloss and Day ‘n’ Nite. The employees was pleasant and enjoyable to talk with.
The cocktails
Each cocktail on the menu is impressed by a beloved cereal, and a few really do have cereal in them. Regardless of the childhood associations, the cocktails are robust.
Our bartender talked about that the place was full of about 150 individuals over the weekend and he was swamped as the one server on the bar who might present up for his or her shift. This weeknight was extra low key.
He beneficial the “Killer Bee,” a Honey Nut Cheerios-inspired drink produced from mezcal, honey, lemon and ginger beer. The cocktail is yummy, citrus-forward and never too candy. It additionally comes with a honey wand and stick for many who need to up the sugar ranges.
This cocktail might have been the perfect we tasted. Nonetheless, it was a drink that you could possibly most likely discover at one other bar and wouldn’t essentially know was cereal-themed.
That wasn’t true of all of the drinks we tried. The “Fortunate Russian” and the “Apple Jack Girl” each got here with cereal in them.
The previous is a chocolate milk spin on a White Russian made with Nesquik and Fortunate Attraction marshmallows on high. The drink feels each infantile and adult-ish, which maybe is the purpose. Whereas we skilled a sort of cognitive dissonance when flavors from our youth had been combined with alcohol, we got here round to it, with this warning: This could solely be ordered for those who get pleasure from a full glass of chocolate milk.
The “Apple Jack Girl” is tart and on the sweeter facet. It’s made with gin, lemon, grenadine and egg white. The drink is sizzling pink, girly and Apple Jacks loops float round on high as an added garnish.
Our favourite drink was known as “They’re Nice!” after Tony the Tiger’s signature catchphrase. The spelling on this identify appeared like a little bit of a missed alternative. Is there a authorized cause why it’s not “They’re Gr-r-reat”? (To that time, “Previous Usual Fruit Loop” spelled “fruit” appropriately as an alternative of “froot” just like the cereal identify.)
Regardless, the drink doesn’t disappoint. The cocktail managed to style good and delivered on the “cereal cocktail” idea.
“They’re Nice” is combined with spiced rum, vanilla almond milk, easy syrup and malted milk powder. It’s onerous to make alcoholic almond milk sound yummy, however this drink was soothing, delicate and well-balanced. It got here in a milk-carton formed glass, with a straw and a shot glass of Frosted Flakes, upping the enjoyable issue.
We felt tempted to pour this cocktail in a bowl, dump within the Frosted Flakes and eat it with a spoon. Whereas we didn’t do this, friends can select their very own journey and pour their Frosted Flakes within the cocktail or nibble them on the facet.
Do you have to go?
The Cereal Cocktail Bar runs till April 27 in Philly. Total, the bar was a foolish and nostalgic, albeit considerably costly expertise.
To order off the cereal cocktail menu, you must purchase a basic admission ticket prematurely. This prices $20 and supplies a 90-minute night-time slot inside with one complimentary cocktail. The cocktails themselves had been priced from $14 to $18, however solely three (“The Killer Bee,” “They’re Nice!” and “Put Your Milk in My Cocoa Puffs”) had been included with the ticket, in keeping with our bartender (regardless that the menu stated that the ticket provided 5 choices).
Whereas the included roundup had our favorites, it appears a bit uncommon that the menu is restrictive given the $20 ticket value.
There’s additionally meals on the menu from Natalie Maronski, a former High Chef contestant and Basis’s government chef. Company can attempt objects like a “corn flake fried hen thigh” and an “Apple Jack and ginger glazed pork ball hoagie.” What’s extra, you possibly can order a bowl of cereal for $5.
For these merely on the lookout for the proper cocktail, this spot won’t be your fortunate attraction.
Nevertheless, for cereal fans not fearful in regards to the ticket value, this bar is way from stylish, however it’s a foolish dialog starter and enjoyable place to deliver a date or a pal. Occupied with it extra as an “expertise” is the precise approach to go.