Bocado team to open cocktail bar, Amer, in November in Inman Quarter

Brian Lewis and David Durnell to lead the bitters-and-amari-focused watering hole
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Amer
White Walker cocktail with dry gin, absinthe, lime, and aperitif blend.
White Walker cocktail with dry gin, absinthe, lime, and aperitif blend.

Amer cocktail bar, a partnership between Bocado founder Brian Lewis and beverage director David Durnell, will open in Inman Quarter in early November with gourmet bar snacks and a 25-drink cocktail list. Chef Adam Waller of Bocado will curate the food menu, focusing on aperitif-type eats earlier in the evening and “fun, playful, whimsical” items (like a riff on an Egg McMuffin) later on, Lewis says. Small plates include chips with charred onion dip, fried artichoke hearts and lemon, and Buffala with trout caviar and fried leeks.

Only 10 beers—no drafts—will be served, along with 10 wines by the glass and 10 more by the bottle, allowing Amer to focus on the cocktails. The cocktail list is divided into four sections: Shaken, Stirred, Built, and Sodas. Shaken drinks use frozen citrus juice instead of ice to avoid water dilution. Stirred are “typical boozy drinks like negroni,” Durnell says, except they use clarified citrus and are served on the rocks, making them completely clear (e.g. a clarified daiquiri). “It’s about experiencing a classic drink in a dramatically different way,” Durnell says.

The Built beverages will be inspired by tiki drinks, served in tall pilsner or hurricane glasses with nugget ice. They are built in layers with different colors and garnishes, such as the Bling Machine, made with vodka, vanilla syrup, ginger, toasted almond syrup, Chambord, and muddled blackberries on the bottom. The Sodas will use carbonation and may be bottled.

“It’s about playing on texture and mouthfeel so what you see and what you taste are dramatically different,” Durnell says.

Other items on the cocktail list include the Electric Feel with white rum, passion fruit, yuzu, and sea salt, and the Super Coke with the AMER 10 Amari blend, clarified lime, and Mexican Coke.

The space itself is intimate, seating only 35 guests. It’ll feature pops of yellow, inspired by 1970s Italian cinema and amari bottles. Reservations will not be accepted, except perhaps for parties of six or more. “We’re excited to be a part of the neighborhood and get to know the Eastside/ Inman Park area,” Lewis says.

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