| Vine + Table: Japp's and the Return of Cocktail Couture |
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Vine + Table: Japp's and the Return of Cocktail Couture Japp's on Main returns with the essence of a Jazz Age club, where conversation rules and liquor is an experience. It's the return of the classic cocktail, and you are going to relish everything about it.
An old fashioned Gimlet (made the right way) is a drink best served fresh, with quality gin, sugar, water and homemade lime cordial - at least, that's how it's made at Molly Wellmann's bar, the recently resurrected Japp's on Main, where conversation is king, and cocktails are quintessential.
The latest from Cincinnati's tattooed damsel of drink, Wellmann, in partnership with the owners of Neon's - Michael Redmond, John Back and coffee king Bob Bonder of Tazza Mia is now a refined cocktail lounge serving up liquor and coffee drinks, the way they were always meant to be.
For those who visited Japp's in its heyday, prior to the 2001 riots that rocked the once-thriving Main Street bar scene, much has changed. Unlike most bars, there are no distracting TVs or loud music; you won't see one canister of high-fructose corn syrup or a dramatic light show blinding your step. What you will notice, however, is the original Japp's bar and wooden display case, glorified with a bountiful collection of liquor - after all, that is what they're selling. Towards the back of the building, you'll be delighted to find a resplendent coffee/liquor bar produced by Tazza Mia owner Bonder.
Molly and her partners have carefully executed their goal of designing a bar where good conversations and real cocktails rule.
"I want people to feel comfortable, like they've been invited into my home. This is a place for conversation. If you want to come in for a business meeting, you can actually get things accomplished because you can hear what the other person is saying. Come dressed however you want. If you are hungry, bring in food - I don't care. The only difference between this place and my house is that I have to charge you for your drinks," Wellmann says.
That's not a bad deal, considering you'll never have pay more than $10 for a signature cocktail at Japp's.
My first experience at Japp's was magnificent - in fact, it inspired this article. It was a girls' night out on the town, and we made a pit stop at Cafe De Wheels (conveniently situated outside the entrance of Japp's) for a bite to eat before heading inside. With our fresh burger in tow, we shimmied our way along the bar and over to Wellmann. It was my first time meeting her in person, and immediately she reminded me of a 1920s pin-up model, a woman obviously drawn to an era well before her time. Because I'm not very savvy with cocktail varieties, I asked her to surprise me with one of her favorite drinks. She carefully and quickly sized me up and returned with an ice-cold, pale rose drink filled just beneath the rim of a classic cocktail glass glazed with tiny beads of sparkling condensation. It looked like a real rose covered in morning dew. It was so pretty.
Just one sip of my cocktail, and I knew she had me pegged. My drink tasted exactly like an English rose would smell, and that just so happens to be my favorite flower. The rose drink was blended with Wellmann's own strawberry syrup, a dash of rose water, Stone Creek vodka - a Cincinnati vodka - freshly-squeezed orange juice and a splash of soda water. It was beautiful and unlike anything I'd ever tasted before. This is what you can expect, too, when you order a cocktail at the new Japp's.
"I'll always offer something interesting; when time allows, I really try to take the time to explain what someone is drinking. We aren't just order-takers, we give the best amount of service possible, and we put love in each glass," says Wellman, a self- taught mixologist who has spent years carefully studying, sampling and experimenting the art of the cocktail. In fact, all of her bitters and syrups are fresh and made from scratch, often using her own recipes.
The art of Japp's cocktail doesn't end here, though. Read the next edition of Vine + Table (July 18) and find out about the caffeine dream inside Japp's where Tazza Mia's Bonder turns up the heat on your nightlife with a concoction of coffee and liquor drinks that will have you begging for more.
Japp's business hours: Tuesday 4 p.m. to 1 a.m., Wednesday through Friday 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. and Saturday 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. It's closed Sunday and Monday.
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