Tavern Law

"Sixpence Gin & Jam" Cocktail at Tavern Law Lauded by Seattleite: "Signature Washington Flavors Combine with Deliciously Potent Results"

2012-01-05T09:29:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to our team's talented Monica Buntha for this spotlight on her delicious cocktail.

"Every Seattleite knows how closely the smell of gin resembles the natural outdoor scent of the Pacific Northwest — junipers are evergreen, after all. Arguably, it’s the quintessential Seattle spirit — and thanks to Monica Buntha, it’s now part of the quintessential Seattle drink. The manager of Capitol Hill’s Tavern Law, Buntha created this sweet drink after a visit to Pike Place Market. 'After…drawing inspiration from seasonal produce, I put unexpected flavor combinations together to create a familiar cocktail,' she said."

Click link here to get the recipe to try Monica's drink at home. Or join us at the New Year's Libations event January 19 with Seattleite. Tickets are available at http://newyearlibations.eventbrite.com/

Food & Wine magazine Names "America's Best Bars": Tavern Law on the List

2011-12-08T13:39:00.001-08:00

Thank you to Food & Wine magazine for including us on your list of the country' best bars: http://bit.ly/ucHK7b

The story describes us, "From the duo behind the gastropub Spur, Tavern Law has classic cocktails, lots of whiskeys and fancy bar snacks like oxtail banh mi sandwiches. Through a heavy vault door is Needle & Thread, an upstairs bar where drinks are custom-made."

We're honored Food & Wine. Thank you.

Tavern Law's Chef/Owners Dana Tough and Brian McCracken Named "Chef of the Year, Seattle" by Eater

2011-11-15T08:47:00.001-08:00

What news! Eater has named our Chefs, Brian McCracken and Dana Tough, as "Chef of the Year, Seattle". The announcement read:

"In over 50 categories spanning thirteen cities, the winners comprise a diverse bunch of the finest and most interesting chefs, operators, and characters in the country. We applaud them. You are hereby instructed to applaud them".

The entire story can be read here.

Thank you to Eater's editors and all of you who also voted. We're humbled and so look forward to seeing you at Spur, Tavern Law and The Coterie Room soon.

12th Avenue Neighborhood Festival on Sunday

2011-08-11T14:45:00.000-07:00

Seattle Met reports, "Ever looked at 12th Avenue on Capitol Hill and seen just one long smorgasbord? That’s exactly what it becomes from noon–6pm on Sunday, August 14.
It’s the second annual 12th Avenue Neighborhood Festival, and more than 32 food and retail vendors plan to open their doors or set up tents on 12th Avenue between Madison and Pike Streets...Tavern Law is flying by the seat of its pants, serving ice cream they won’t create until the day before the fest. It will all depend on what inspires the chefs on Saturday night, so we have our fingers crossed for tequila-flavored gelato."

We'll surprise you with a delicious ice cream Sudnay, so come by to say hello.

Click blog title above to read Seattle Met article.

Tavern Law Tip from Kathy Casey in the Wall Street Journal

2011-06-16T12:05:00.000-07:00

In the Wall Street Journal, locals like Dale Chihuly, Howard Schultz and Kathy Casey were tapped for tips on the Insider's Guide to Seattle. WHAT MAKES THE EMERALD CITY SHINE? "The Foodie Seattle-based chef, restaurant consultant and cookbook author," Casey suggests: "Secret Sipping: Needle & Thread (upstairs at Tavern Law). When you enter, head towards the bank vault door, pick up the old-fashioned wall phone and ask for a seat. If lucky, head upstairs to this sexy speakeasy, where the bartender will craft you a custom cocktail. Just name your spirit and how you like it. 1406 12th Ave., tavernlaw.com"

Click blog title above to read all about the City's don't miss spots.

Thank you Kathy and the Wall Street Journal.

The List is Out: Best Bars 2011: 10 Top Seattle Bars Right Now

2011-02-23T10:23:00.000-08:00

The Best Bars of 2011? And Tavern Law plus our little upstairs spot made the list!

Seattle Met mag wrote, "Tavern Law attracts a comely crowd that sips expertly wrought flips, slings, sours, and punches while snacking on small plates (foie gras, fried oysters) rich enough to hold up against those potent pre-Prohibition potables. But the real magic is upstairs at Needle and Thread, the bar’s second-level spirits sanctuary. Lined with artisan bottles and sepia-toned nudie photos, this 30-seat “speakeasy” benefits from the undivided attention of one silk-vested, mustachioed barman who crafts each drink to order. (There’s no menu, so prepare for a conversation). Tavern Law, 1406 12th Ave, Capitol Hill, 206-322-9734; tavernlaw.com"

Photo of The Last Word by Ryan McVay for Seattle Met. Thank you Seattle Met!

Tavern Law’s Needle & Thread Makes Worth Magazine’s “Elite List of the Top Ten (Secret) Hot Spots” in the World

2011-02-09T13:13:00.001-08:00

The Top Ten. Claire Willett’s article in the February - March issue of Worth magazine begins, “Walt Disney holed away with Hollywood bigwigs at Club 33. Parisian cinephiles built a cinema beneath the Trocadéro. International artists create forever hidden work in abandoned New York subway tunnels. Man’s fascination with the clandestine is strong. Today, secret places are more likely to be luxe and exclusive than dangerous or debauched. The following 10 have the additional bonus—and challenge—of being rather difficult to find. Something hidden this way lies..."

From London to South America, Sydney to Hong Kong, and straight to us here in Seattle— check out this great story on where to travel around the globe for a bit of hidden pleasure.

Thank you Bob Peterson for the wonderful photo of Tavern Law’s not-so-secret main bar and to Worth magazine for deeming us worthy of the list.

Tavern Law's Nathan Weber: Answers 5 Questions from Seattle Met Mag

2011-02-03T10:56:00.000-08:00

Jess Voelker interviewed Weber for today's "Five Questions for the Bartender" feature while photographer Anne Dixon snuck in to snap this portrait.

The mag writes, "Weber brought his impressive resume—which includes stints at San Fran’s Washington Square Bar and Grill and Solstice Restaurant and Lounge—to the cocktail bar on Capitol Hill, and the rest was history.

“I worked with old masters of bartending, who instilled a very old-school approach in me. Working at industry hangout Solstice, Weber met heavy weights like Neyah White and Dominic Venegas. “Spending time with great bartenders really advanced my understanding of building craft cocktails,” he says.

But it was the late, great Neil Riofski who inspired him to be a bartender in the first place. “I watched him and I thought, ‘I want to learn how to do that.’""

Click on blog title above to read the entire story by Seattle Metropolitan magazine. Thank you Jess!

2011 Must Drink List: Tavern Law Honored to Make Seattleites' List

2011-01-06T22:00:00.000-08:00

The kind editors over at Seattleite let us know that the cocktails here at Tavern Law are some of the City's best. In fact, Ian Cargil's Monical drink has made the list of the five best.

They write, "Try these top five sip sensations the next time you hit the town. The colder weather calls for this surprising sipper. The drink begins with a firm earthy and peaty taste from the Ardbeg Scotch (cited on its web site as “perhaps the most peaty malt whiskey in the world”) and slowly changes flavor gears to a semi-sweet apple for the finish. An excellent starter drink for those looking to enter the world of scotch."

To take a tour of all five drinks, and to see the recipe for Ian's Monical, click on link above.

Thank you Seattleite.

A secluded spot for New Year's Eve: sneak into Tavern Law's hidden Needle & Thread

2010-12-17T16:15:00.000-08:00

A few select spots will go on sale this evening for one of the City's most sought-after New Year's Eve celebrations. Join the award-winning bartenders of Tavern Law's "Needle and Thread" (cited in the Top 25 Bars in America list by GQ Magazine) for a proper send-off to 2010 in our lush upstairs enclave. Chefs Dana Tough and Brian McCracken have crafted an evening with special touches like complimentary caviar appetizers and more.

The $100 package will reserve you a spot from 7-10PM or from 10PM-1AM. Each two tickets purchased will receive a bottle of champagne (or a split for one). Special prize drawings, favors and a champagne toast at midnight await those who secure a spot in advance through a private red carpet entrance. Festive attire is encouraged.

Please call 206/325.0133 and leave a detailed message with your preferred reservation time with us that evening. All inquiries will be replied to in a timely fashion.

Tavern Law cocktail by Nathan Weber Spotlighted on Nordstrom.com

2010-11-27T14:36:00.000-08:00

Bartender Weber's 30th Century Man cocktail was recently selected by the creative forces at Nordstrom to anchor the virtual bar in their Country Cocktail Party fashion and lifestyle spread.

Head on over to Nordstrom.com for their party ideas (from fashion to menu) and for Nathan's cocktail recipe. Click on blog title above.

Thank you Nordstrom!

The Seattle PI Reports on the History of Seattle's Speakeasies

2010-10-15T15:57:00.000-07:00

Prohibition emptied the front rooms of bars like Seattle's own New Pal Bar shown here. The PI reports, "On January 1, 1916, Prohibition began in Washington State, making the production, distribution and possession liquor illegal. The law passed three years before the Eighteenth Amendment prohibited liquor in the rest of the nation, and it lasted seventeen long, dry years, until December of 1933. But Prohibition didn't mean the end of party - it just meant the party went underground. Washington State, in particular, became a hot bed for thinly-veiled speakeasies due to corruption within law enforcement and proximity to Canada (where liquor remained legal). By 1931 a survey reported that Washington State, alone, was home to approximately 4,000 speakeasies."

To read the entire article with a historical look from the Museum of History and Industry, click blog title above.

GQ Magazine's Top 25 Bars in the USA Party at Tavern Law

2010-10-03T15:15:00.000-07:00

The talent behind some of the country's best bars is getting together on October 10 to celebrate GQ Magazine's Best Bars feature in the October issue. #1's Murray Stenson and Ben Perri of Zig Zag will be guest bartending along with #25's Nathan Weber and crew of Tavern Law.

The evening starts 10/10/10 at 7pm at Tavern Law and will showcase 25 cocktails from the nation's winning bars along with a prize drawing and cocktails from sponsor Cruzan Rum. A photographer will be on hand to shoot guests. Attire's GQ Fashion Forward-- interpret how you like.

Photo by Chad Pryor.

Twenty one cities. 34,000 miles. 400+ cocktails. And Tavern Law's Needle & Thread makes GQ editor Kevin Sintumuang's Top 25 Bars in the USA

2010-09-16T16:03:00.000-07:00

It's Bourbon Time: September at Tavern Law

2010-09-14T09:09:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, September 14th
5-8 pm
Tavern Law hosts a Maker's Mark Happy Hour featuring Maker's Mark and Maker's 46 cocktails. Maker's Mark Diplomat Cody Rossen will mingle with guests: teaching and tasting all things Maker's Mark and sharing a few mementos to bring home too.

Tuesday, September 21st
6-8 pm
$45 per person, excluding tax and gratuity
Call 206/322-9734
Advance reservations are required for this exclusive, 20-seat seminar in Tavern Law's secluded upstairs area with Master of Whiskey Ari Shapiro leading an educational evening on bourbon. Bulleit Bourbon will be showcased in four cocktails paired with four tantalizing bites by Chefs Dana Tough and Brian McCracken.

Thursday, September 30th
7 pm-close
To celebrate the culmination of National Bourbon Heritage Month Tavern Law will throw a Bourbon celebration with drink specials all evening.

photo of Tavern Law by Bob Peterson.
Celebrate National Bourbon Heritage Month this September.

Behind the Black Door: Sheehan writes on Tavern Law

2010-08-27T14:18:00.000-07:00

"Here, drinks are the sole focus, and the bartender is there to make sure that every single person under his care gets just precisely what they want (or need) to make it through the night. There isn't even a cocktail menu for the upstairs bar, just a raised eyebrow, a questioning glance and a, "So what do you like..." from the man on the other side of the long oak."

Hear more about what Sheehan thinks by clicking on blog title above to read his entire article in the Seattle Weekly.

Tavern Law First Anniversary Party

2010-08-19T16:13:00.000-07:00

This Sunday night Tavern Law, named Seattle's "Best Old School Cocktails" (Seattle Weekly) and "Best New Bar" (Seattle mag's Reader's Choice awards), will be turning one and we'd love for you to join the celebration. Along with drink specials (don't miss the classic Hendricks Martini or sip a Floradora, named after Broadway's first musical hit in the early 1900s) we'll have specials on food as well. Not to miss items include the fried peppers, burger and salmon.

We open at 5pm, the party gets going at 7pm, and all who buy a drink will be entered to win great gifts. (The four drawings will be on the hour starting at 7:3o pm. Must be present to win.) A photographer will be roaming the room and our fine bartenders are poised to serve. Will we see you there?

I.d. kindly required.

photo by Bob Peterson. Special thanks to Hendricks Gin.

Seattle Weekly Awards Tavern Law with Their "Best Old School Cocktails" 2010 Award

2010-08-04T15:38:00.000-07:00

We so appreciate the nod given to our "canonical cocktail menu" with this award today by the Seattle Weekly.

The story reads, "The shrub. The cobbler. The fizz, the flip, and the sling. They may sound like dance moves or a list of deviant sex acts, but they're really ways your great-grandmother got hammered way back in the day. And now you can take after her at Tavern Law—where not only can you drink like they did in the old days, but get an education as well, since just about every drink on its canonical cocktail menu comes with a brief description of where it came from, who invented it, and why. The bar makes a point of searching out old, dead, lost, and forgotten mixed drinks and bringing them back to life in as close to their original incarnations as possible, sourcing all manner of super-artisan or ridiculously small-batch liquors and mixers and making everything else from scratch. The resulting drinks are not only some of the best you've ever tasted, but inarguable proof that dedicated, bookish bartenders can be just as creative and artistic as the greatest chefs out there. And also that your great-grandma really knew how to party. —Jason Sheehan 1406 12th Ave., 322-9734"

Take a tour of the other winners by clicking on the blog title above. And our sincere thanks to the Seattle Weekly.

Julien Perry Snaps a Shot of Our Sockeye + Corn Pudding

2010-07-14T14:31:00.000-07:00

Perry calls it one of the best salmon dishes she's had in years. Why, thank you!

History You Can Drink: A.J. Tigner Sips Nathan's Birchwood Cocktail and Reports

2010-07-01T14:34:00.000-07:00

The Seattle Weekly.

Tigner says that our cocktail menu "was built for the bookish drinker" and describes us a "a tribute to classic cocktails, not a museum. As such, the menu also integrates original recipes from the staff. The Birchwood (Rye, Cognac, Cynar, Punt e Mes, Licor 43 and a cucumber garnish) was invented by Nathan Weber, a current bar manager at Tavern Law. "He's working upstairs right now," said our bartender, who nodded to the bank vault door to the side, referring to the bar-within-a-bar that's the center of most Tavern Law-related conversations between people who've yet to go there.
The Birchwood's flavors are staggered so well the only thing that came to mind at first was the three-course-meal gum from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory--first the cognac, then the cucumber, rye, vermouth, and the citrus-based Licor 43 for dessert! Finally, the Cynar serves a bitter artichoke-based kick in the ass to bring your taste buds full circle.It reminded me of the prototype booze I was served at Sun Liquor, a fact that was unsurprising, as it shared a majority of ingredients. But this version was more matured, more balanced and more, well, complete. In addition to the comfortable base of cognac, vermouth and whiskey, the Cynar and Licor 43 duel for attention, both dominating the beverage in their own ways. It's like a delicious turf war in your mouth!

It was a tremendous cocktail. Knowing the creator was right upstairs definitely built on my urge to check out the bar within a bar, but honestly the kid in me was sold the instant I heard I got to go through a locked vault door."

Care to read the entire story? Click on blog title above to do so.

Thank you A.J.

The Seattle Weekly on Chefs Tough and McCracken: A Review of the Food at Tavern Law

2010-07-01T14:27:00.000-07:00

Below is an article, in part, that takes a close look at the Chefs and our Chalkboard Menu at Tavern Law. We'll ruin the punch line. The article ends with, "Which is why Tavern Law has now rocketed onto my list of favorite restaurants. It isn't merely that I would happily come back just for the food, forgoing the cocktail list and drinking nothing but water. No, if allowed I would move permanently into the crawl space below the bar and live like a troll, drinking nothing but whatever dripped from the bar gun and eating sautéed rocks two meals a day—provided that the third would come off the chalkboard menu, cooked for me whenever I got hungry."

Do take a moment to read the entire story by clicking the blog title above. It just might make you hungry.

The reviewer writes, "I want to be careful not to overstate this, but those potatoes were the single best potato-based appetizer I have ever had in my life, anywhere. Better than any order of fries. Better than all the house-made potato chips everywhere. They were what every potato wants to be when it grows up.

And it was so simple: just perfectly chosen fingerling potatoes, high in sugar, low in starch, split in half, smoked (I can only assume) by magical elves with secret powers, then crusted with spice rub and fried 'til golden in every way that word can be taken. They tasted like they'd been fried in bacon grease, and had the texture of perfectly constructed chocolate truffles—a little crunch from the shell of spice, then a warm, soft center, with a bit of texture from the skins that had been left on. They were, in a word, unbelievable.

Which of course meant I had to go back for more.

The next night, the bartender was handing out tastes of a dessert experiment from the kitchen: peaches soaked in vodka and set atop mascarpone like peaches and cream. There were a few more people at the bar, scattered around the secondary bar and the tertiary bar and the clubby interior of Tavern Law's back room. The chalkboard menu was the same, similarly simple—odd in its easy, American influences and roots, because "easy" and "simple" are not words one generally would use to describe the work done by Tough and McCracken at Spur.

There was pan-fried trout, a burger with onion jam and pork belly, a green salad, some lamb. On other nights, there's roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon, turnips, and smoked almonds; potatoes done with wild mushrooms; nearly classical confit legs of duck. I went for that most American of summertime indulgences: fried chicken with warm potato salad, because I figured that fried chicken is so easy even for a really good galley to screw up that this second-thought kitchen at Tough and McCracken's cocktail lounge stood a really good chance of blowing it completely.

But it didn't. The kitchen didn't just do a solid plate of fried chicken, but an amazing one: partially boned-out breast, rib, and leg sections done with the skin on, in a crisp cornflake crust, fried perfectly with an expert's sense of doneness so that the meat was wet with fat and the crust had formed a shell both crisp and yielding. All this was mounted over a potato salad that was barely the suggestion of a potato salad: the same fingerlings used in the smoked potatoes, boiled this time, shocked before losing their stiffness, and dressed in nothing but a smear of coarse-grain French mustard. The entire thing was excellent beyond all my expectations, delicious in a way that was totally out of line with how good it needed to be to act only in support of a very good bar."

Thank you Jason Sheehan!

Seattle Times writes: Arresting pub grub & cocktails at Tavern Law

2010-06-23T11:50:00.000-07:00

Tan Vinh took a look at our Happy Hour and wrote in today's Seattle Times, "Tavern Law in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood has gussied up pub grub (oxtail banh mi sandwiches, cheeseburgers topped with pork belly) and fine cocktails, $7 at happy hour.

No furniture has been moved around or replaced at Tavern Law. Yet, things feel a bit different, a bit more approachable. The speak-easy style bar feels less self-conscious now.

It's partly the food. Less dinner fare and more pub grub, albeit gussied up: an oxtail banh mi sandwich one week, a cheeseburger topped with pork belly another week.

It's also the cocktails. All specialty drinks cost $9 now, none more. There's happy hour now too, with $7 cocktails — a rum drink with aggressive notes of clove, cinnamon and nutmeg called Kingston Cocktail; a sparkling take on the mojito called Old Cuban; and an English Fizz that tasted like a spiked Earl Grey iced tea with a squeeze of lemon.

That fizz sounds about perfect when Tavern Law starts outdoor seating in mid-July. And that succulent burger, coated in provolone and topped with two slabs of sous vide pork belly, the soft bun spongy enough to absorb the fat that would have dripped on your shirt otherwise. Juicy and rich. And evil. Just pure evil.

Tavern Law, 1406 12th Ave., Seattle, runs happy hour 5-7 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays and all day Sundays with selected cocktails for $7 and well drinks $4. All food 10 percent off (206-322-9734 or www.tavernlaw.com)."

Photo of David Nelson pouring an Old Cuban cocktail at Tavern Law. A Gun Club sits in the foreground. Photographer = Joey Anchondo, Seattle Times

Clancy Reminisces on Her Favorite Bartenders in the U.S.

2010-06-02T08:33:00.000-07:00

San Diego's Maureen Clany wrote a nice article musing about Frank Bruni's recent New York Times story on The Bartender of Your Dreams. She wrote in part, "After reading Bruni’s article, I'm excited to re-visit what some call “the Vatican of saloons." I plan to put a Doug Quinn performance at the top of my agenda the next time I’m in New York. In the meantime, I’m sloshing together a Tanqueray & Tonic on this sunny Memorial Day and giving thanks for the fabulous bartenders and bar scenes I’ve gotten to know over the years.

These are some of my favorites. I’d love to hear about yours.

I was first introduced to David Nelson (left) over a captivating concoction called a Kentucky Tuxedo, a heavenly marriage of Bulleit Bourbon, Sherry, homemade lavender syrup and homemade orange bitters. But the engaging bartender/mixologist of Spur Gastropub and Tavern Law in Seattle has charmed me in many other way since that first sip. At Spur, David’s creative, but never contrived, cocktails share the stage with the fabulous food of chefs Brian McCracken and Dana Tough. But at Tavern Law, it's all David, all the time. Even though McCracken and Tough offer a tantalizing menu, the focus at Tavern Law is on Nelson’s unique, delicious drinks. It’s a treat to soak up the warmth and quiet energy of the room and to watch Nelson deftly whip up both classics and original potions. He loves to share his knowledge and passion with customers. Pull up a bar stool and you, too, will find out that Becherovka is not a Slavic dance."

What an honor to be included. Thank you!

Tavern Law Honored as Best New Bar

2010-03-25T11:38:00.000-07:00

Seattle magazine's Best Restaurant issue is out and we're honored to be the Reader's Choice of Best New Bar of the year.

Our sincere thanks to all of you!

Seattle's Evening Magazine Sneaks a Discreet Peek Upstairs

2010-03-05T14:38:00.000-08:00

Looking for a glimpse into the bar-within-a-bar our upstairs discreetly holds? Our local NBC station, KING 5, took a look around the other day at Needle and Thread... while David Nelson crafted some classics for them.

Thanks Evening Magazine. Click on blog title above to view the segment.
Photo by Kristin Zwiers/ Tavern Law.

David Nelson's Drink in DETAILS Magazine

2010-02-27T10:46:00.000-08:00

The March issue of DETAILS magazine has an article by food writer JJ Goode entitled, "Bed and Breakfast". Goode was good enough to include David Nelson's Antoinette cocktail in this story... recipe included. Here it is, "'Day Drinking': The best ways to wash down your breakfast--and potentially get an A.M. party started.

Antoinette
From David Nelson of Tavern Law, Seattle
Combine 3/4 oz each of St-Germain elderflower liqueur, Strega, and freshly squeezed lemon juice in a shaker filled with ice. Shake with conviction, strain into a Champagne flute, and add enough Champagne to fill. Garnish with a lemon twist.
(206.322.9734; tavernlaw.com)"

Thanks you DETAILS and Mr. Goode.

DIY or Just Come By: David's Maple Sangaree

2010-02-05T17:21:00.000-08:00

In an article by Dr. Cocktail Ted Haigh on the history of sangaree Imbibe Magazine shares David Nelson's top secret Maple Sangaree Cocktail recipe:

Maple Sangaree at Tavern Law
Rich maple simple syrup combines with bourbon and calvados and a hint of nutmeg in this spiced sipper from Seattle’s Tavern Law.

1 oz. bourbon
1 oz. calvados
1 oz. maple simple syrup (2:1 maple syrup to water)
Crushed ice
Tools: barspoon
Glass: Collins
Garnish: fresh nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a glass, fill with crushed ice and stir. Garnish with a grating of nutmeg over the top.

Photo by Philip Thompson for Tavern Law. To read the article in Imbibe visit: bit.ly/937ae2

Tonight's Menu

2010-01-08T14:24:00.001-08:00

Wino Magazine's Rocky Yeh Writes-Up Tavern Law

2010-01-07T09:45:00.000-08:00

Check out the latest article on Tavern Law, this one from WINO Mag, where Yeh says, with Tavern Law:

"chefs/owners Brian McCracken and Dana Tough, along with bar manager David Nelson, further extend their vision of good food paired with exceptional drink."

Read the entire article online by clicking on the link above.

Thank you Rocky and WINO Mag!

Seattle Metropolitan Mag's Jess Voelker Suggests: Study "Bartender's Choice" in 2010

2010-01-06T11:40:00.000-08:00

In her article entitled Improve Your Drinking in 2010: Simple resolutions for optimal imbibing this year Voelker shares Resolution #1:

"Embrace bartender’s choice. Alcohol is, admittedly, an indulgence. But even—no, especially—if you’ve resolved to drink less in 2010 (last year was a tough one for all of us), there are a few things you can do to get more bang for your liver-processing buck.

Here, five ways to drink better this year.

1. Leave it up to the bartender.

When Tavern Law opened on Capitol Hill last year, people raved about the upstairs bar. (Needle and Thread, I think they call it?) Accessed through a discrete hidden stairway, the hideaway bar offered no menus—patrons described to the tender their favorite spirits and tastes (sweet, bitter, etc) and the bartender mixed them up a cocktail of his choice.

Thing is, “bartender’s choice” has been the convention at cocktail bars for years—and it’s pretty much standard policy for serious drinkers. There’s no need to study up on sidecars and pisco sours before sidling up to a bar stool, just walk in and ask the bartender what he feels like serving. You’ll get better drinks, and learn something new.

This is also an excellent test if you’re unsure about a drinking establishment: if a bartender ever gives you a funny look, shrug, or surly retort after you ask what he/she recommends, you’re in a bad bar.

Places to practice: Zig Zag, Vessel, and Sambar."

Thanks for including us Jess!
Photo from Seattle Met.com

Seattle Weekly Critic Jonathan Kaufman "Savors the Highlights of a Million-calorie Year"

2009-12-30T13:45:00.000-08:00

The best of 2009 is out. Kaufman's picked his top ten "dishes" of 2009 and included is Tavern Law's Gun Club cocktail by David Nelson. Kaufman writes, "I've drunk too many of these (damn that six-block walk!) to omit the Gun Club at Tavern Law, Dana Tough and Brian McCracken's new cocktail bar. Of course, you can make a reservation upstairs and get a customized cocktail designed to your tastes, but I've preferred to pick through the arcana listed on master bartender David Nelson's menu downstairs. Made with gin, Lillet, Maraschino, and a few drops of Scotch for smoke, the Gun Club tastes like a downed electric wire, crackling and throwing sparks. It's a dangerous and compelling drink, as several mornings-after have proven."

Thanks Jonathan: http://www.seattleweekly.com/2009-12-30/food/the-top-10-dishes-of-2009/

Critic Maureen Clancy Writes Up Tavern Law

2009-12-11T13:09:00.001-08:00

Clancy stopped by the bar a few week's back and sipped some of David Nelson's creations. Today she writes, "Seattle’s Tavern Law successfully invokes the glory days of American bartending while also offering the best food, drink, talent and know-how of the new millennium."

In addition to diving into the allure of Becherovka (which she describes as "a prized alcoholic drink, made in Karlovy Vary (aka Karlsbad) in the Czech Republic, from anise seed, cinnamon and a secret mash of 32 herbs") Clancy also sips Nelson's Eastern Waterfront. Of it she says: "a fragrant mingling of gin, Peychaud’s Bitters, Martini & Rossi white vermouth and Becherovka. It’s one of the many fascinating cocktails dreamed up by the eatery’s talented bartender/mixologist David Nelson (pictured here, photo by Clancy). On the same night that he splashed Becherovka into my son Nicholas’ cocktail, Nelson swirled together for me two types of rum (Rhum Agricole and blackstrap), allspice liqueur, lime juice, Chartreuse and Demerara sugar. Though it didn’t have a name yet, the “work-in-progress” was an aromatic and warmly satisfying cocktail, perfect for sipping while the rain drummed the sidewalks in front of the atmospheric new saloon. (Since that night, Nelson has christened the drink The Indecent Monk, a reference to the French monastery where the liqueur was originally produced and the green-brown color of the monks’ robes.)"

To read the entire review, please visit her blog Matters of Taste: http://www.maureenclancy.com/2009/12/seattle-celebrates-the-golden-age-of-cocktails.html

Thank you for coming by Tavern Law, Maureen.

Tavern Law in the Seattle Times

2009-12-04T17:02:00.000-08:00

Thursday's Seattle Times takes a look at our neighbors along 12th Avenue, everything from this street's great restaurants, to shops and martial arts schools. Tan Vinh described us as "The city's premier speakeasy-style cocktail lounge and worst-kept secret. It's located upstairs through the bank-vault door. Pick up the rotary phone to get buzzed in."

Thanks for including Tavern Law, Tan.

Photo by Kristin Zwiers for Tavern Law.

The Seattle Times Reviews Tavern Law Today

2009-10-30T15:35:00.000-07:00

What a way to start the weekend! Restaurant Critic Providence Cicero reviewed us in today's paper, peppering her article with words like "phenomenal" and "perfect" to describe our food and calling us "the thinking drinker's watering hole". She wrote, "Drinks include a thoughtful selection of cider and beer, plus a wine list commendably long on half-bottles, but the cocktail is king and the chief courtier is David Nelson, also Spur's talented bar manager.
Libations are crafted in the wood-paneled, book-lined downstairs as well as in the secret lounge above by a cadre of professionals in silk vests and ties whose passion for and knowledge of spirits equals their prowess at blending them.
They are conjurers bent on surprise; virtuosos who mix and stir with precision, shake with vigor, then pour the results into just the right vintage vessel. The most high-tech tool at their disposal is a hand-operated juicer.
Come here to learn the difference between a rickey and a buck, a daisy and a smash. Can't decide? Let the bartender take your measure, and tailor a drink to your preferences."

To read Ms. Cicero's entire review, please visit the Seattle Times website at http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/restaurants/2010163657_cicero30.html. Photo of Tavern Law's Death Before Sunrise for the Times by Cliff Despeaux.

Imbibe Magazine Says Tavern Law is "Where to Go Now"

2009-10-29T15:27:00.000-07:00

In the magazine's Scene Scout section, Imbibe magazine has featured Tavern Law in their November/December issue. "Behind the tall, frosted glass windows at the intersection of Madison and 12th Avenue streets in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood, bar manager David Nelson is re-creating long-forgotten cocktails at Tavern Law, the bar recently opened by Spur Gastropub owners Brian McCracken and Dana Tough. Inspired by Nelson's affinity for vintage bar manuals, the cocktail menu is cleverly built like a book divided into chapters of Sours, Flips, Slings and Punches, while the bar's interior is equally vintage in style."

It's a terrific piece and we're honored Imbibe covered our opening.

RESTAURANTS NOW: TAVERN LAW in GOURMET

2009-09-30T10:30:00.000-07:00

Matthew Amster-Burton writes about Tavern Law for Gourmet saying, "At Tavern Law, the new Capitol Hill bar from the creators of Spur gastropub in Belltown, you’ll want to go upstairs, and not just because of the rigmarole involving a locked door, an antique telephone, and a dark staircase. No, you’ll want to go upstairs because the speakeasy-style mezzanine is where bartender Miles Thomas is waiting to design a special drink to please you. Into ginger? Thomas might pull out a cloudy vial of house-made gingercello and combine it with rum, simple syrup, and orange juice for a spicy, invigorating, one-of-a-kind cocktail. Then again, downstairs you have full access to Tavern Law’s encyclopedic drink menu, equipped with a glossary in case you don’t know your fizzes from your flips. The food—poached salmon, fried oysters, sautéed pimientos de Padrón—is expertly cooked and appropriately modest, as if devised to keep your mind on beverages.
Tavern Law 1406 12th Avenue, Seattle (206-322-9734; tavernlaw.com)".

a recent menu

2009-09-30T09:23:00.001-07:00

Pan seared butterfish. $15
fregola sardi, kale, herb couslis

Cod fritters. $9
sauce remoulade, lemon, Chervil

Foie gras terrine. $15
angostura bitters gelee, warm toast

Pork belly. $14
cranberry beans, autumn plums, mustard

Braised shortribs. $15
spaetzle, fondue, red onion jam

Lolla Rossa lettuce. $7
fennel, picholines, parmesan

Baby beets. $9
chicory, Alioli, pecorino Romano

Truffle risotto. $14
celery, Parmesan, olive oil

the Seattle Times takes a look at Speakeasy-inspired hideaways

2009-09-24T09:37:00.000-07:00

Today Tan Vinh gives lovers of classic cocktails a glimpse into the backrooms and upstairs of a few of our area's Prohibition-era-inspired spots. He was kind enough to include Tavern Law writing,"In Seattle, where some folks seem to embrace all things classic cocktail, now comes the hideaway bars that replicate the hush-hush aura of the Prohibition-era speak-easies... The hotly anticipated Tavern Law — mentioned in The New York Times and on cocktail-geek blogs — debuted in late August on Capitol Hill, opened by the owners of the nationally acclaimed Spur Gastropub in Belltown. At Tavern Law, a vault door leads to a den adorned with Prohibition-era motifs: a flask believed to be owned by Houdini, vintage glassware and custom furniture recalling designs from the 1930s. Above, antique chandeliers. Below, a floor constructed from reclaimed barn wood in Montana. "We wanted to celebrate the classic cocktail and the art of bartending," said Brian McCracken, who co-owns Tavern Law with chef Dana Tough. Instead of a cocktail menu, the speak-easy bartenders craft drinks based on the customers' flavor profiles (a cocktail with smokey notes, for instance).

...Customers also like to dress the part. Dec. 5 is considered Seattle's biggest cocktail party, when cocktail geeks every year don Bonnie and Clyde get-ups to celebrate the end of Prohibition in 1933... Those costume parties are more frequent with the faux speak-easies. Recently, Tavern Law was rented out for a private party at which folks dressed in gangster suits and flapper dresses arrived in a stretched Rolls-Royce."

To read the entire article and more about Maxwell's, Bathtub Gin & Co., and Knee High Stocking Co., click on blog title above. Thanks Tan!

Angele Garbes of the Seattle Weekly Sips w/ David Nelson

2009-09-21T13:01:00.000-07:00

...she writes, "David Nelson, bar man at Spur and newly opened Tavern Law, is a man who takes his cocktails very seriously. The bar of Spur is lined with myriad squat, cork-topped glass bottles containing tinctures and bitters that Nelson is crafting and tweaking, and at Tavern Law the emphasis on traditional techniques continues with house-made syrups and freshly squeezed juices. While Nelson's cocktails at Spur are classics reworked with decidedly modern elements (smoky martini with liquid olive, anyone?), Tavern Law is focused squarely on his scholarship of the classic cocktail. Here, Nelson shares his recipe for a Crimean à la Marmora Cup, an 1862 cocktail that he describes as "complex and refreshing." The cocktail contains a homemade almond syrup called orgeat, the recipe for which Nelson also shares."

Click link above to view the recipe. Thanks Angela!

photo by Kristin Zwiers

a story on Tavern Law: KOMO's Julien Perry reports

2009-09-18T08:18:00.000-07:00

One of the oldest temptations is now one of Seattle's newest obsessions - the speakeasy. And the one getting all the buzz is Capitol Hill's Tavern Law. "(In the 1930s) it legalized the sale of liquor in public establishments without the sale of a room. It was really a pivotal law in developing what we know as bars and saloons and taverns today," says Brian McCracken.McCracken, along with Dana Tough -- the same guys behind Spur gastropub -- opened Tavern Law in late August. It's a fun, approachable space where you can enjoy some really good food and interesting pre-prohibition cocktails. "In the main bar, we've got a very early 20th century-inspired masculine feeling space with a lot of rich, dark woods and dark leather seats and booths, and a really nice curving mahogany bar," says Brian.

The two were inspired to open Tavern Law after a trip to some of New York City's finest speakeasies last December. "I feel like a few of the different speakeasy-style places were destination spots that after one visit, you kind of got your fill, you know?" says Brian. "I want Tavern Law to feel like some place that you've had a really great experience that you want to recreate and you want to come back and you want to try it over and over again."

Tavern Law is all about classic cocktails, whereas Spur's have a more modern twist. And while the food at Spur leans towards the higher-end, Tavern Law offers up a more humble menu which Dana describes as good products prepared simply. "We have a chicken leg and thigh which is served with some new potatoes, English peas dressed with creme fraiche and grenache vinegar reduction with a little sea salt on top of the chicken; very simple," he says. "One of our more popular dishes is our foie gras terrine which is topped with angostura bitters Chile and served with some warm toast, which basically is a little bit thicker sliced crostini."

There is a hidden speakeasy element to Tavern Law. It's a charming little secret called Needle & Thread. Just look for the telephone. And don't tell them I told you.For more information: http://tavernlaw.com/

Places Brian likes to Go Eat!: Shiro's

Places Dana likes to Go Eat!: Harvest Vine, La Carta de Oaxaca

Photo by David Kronstad/Trace

Click on blog title above to listen to or read Julien's story.

...

sweet news: Daily Candy on Tavern Law

2009-08-21T22:18:00.000-07:00

It reads:

Barely LegalTavern Law Bar Opens

The verdict is in. In light of recent evidence, your temporary prohibition (which began last night at 2 a.m.) of all alcohol is lifted.

Bust out your desk drawer flask, Don Draper.

Twisted classic cocktails and elegant pub fare continues at Tavern Law, Spur owners Brian McCracken and Dana Tough’s new project, opening tonight. With its curved mahogany bar, masculine leather booths, and bookcase stocked with vintage law tomes, the remodeled mercantile building recalls a privileged private library.

Study up on the short chalkboard menu with rotating specials like carnaroli risotto, braised pork belly, and fried oysters with beefsteak tomato and horseradish aioli.

Cocktails like the vintage Monkey Gland (gin, orange juice, grenadine, absinthe) and the newly fashioned Pike & Pine (rye, rosemary, lemon, kummel, egg) make a case for sticking around late into the night.
Setting a precedent.

Photo credit Kristin Zwiers for Tavern Law.

Tavern Law, 1406 12th Avenue (206-322-9734 or tavernlaw.com).
More In: Food Bar

Bethany from the Stranger writes about our opening

2009-08-21T21:28:00.000-07:00

The Stranger's blog gave a countdown to Tavern Law's opening this evening. They wrote:

Tavern Law Opens in Fifty-Two Minutes

Posted by Bethany Jean Clement on Fri, Aug 21, 2009 at 4:08 PM

Tavern Law—in the Trace Loft building at 12th and Madison on Capitol Hill, brought to you by the gentlemen of the massively popular Spur Gastropub in Belltown—opens very, very soon, and people who love good cocktails are very, very excited. Look for anything with cranberry—chef Brian McCracken's family owns a cranberry farm, and barkeep David Nelson knows what to do with carefully sourced ingredients. In terms of food, McCracken and co-chef Dana Tough will be making classics like oysters Rockefeller, the fabled Monte Cristo, clams casino, and more. Tick tock.

Paul Orchard welcomes Nelson's Tavern Law to Capitol Hill

2009-08-21T13:46:00.000-07:00

If you're not familiar with the Northwest Beer Guide (aka The Pickled Liver), take a look by clicking the link above. Today, Paul "Fruit Tree" Orchard reports on Tavern Law's arrival on Capitol Hill, offering a look into the history of the Speakeasy and more. Paul first achieved Craft Beer enlightenment in 2003 and is guest columnist for the Seattlest's craft beer column when he isn't reporting elsewhere.

Nancy Leson of the Seattle Times on our opening day

2009-08-21T09:25:00.000-07:00

The Seattle Times reports today:

Tavern Law open. Don't expect a Spur-of-the-moment seat
Posted by Nancy Leson

With all the early press -- both locally and nationally, my guess is there won't be a lot of room to move at Tavern Law when the Capitol Hill restaurant and speakeasy-styled drinks-joint makes its public debut at 12th and Madison tonight. Doors open at 5 p.m. and listen up: it's 21-and-over.
Considering the talent at hand (chefs Brian McCracken, Dana Tough and their barman David Nelson -- who brought us Belltown's Spur gastropub), and the foot traffic alone on this Pike/Pine corridor (they're ensconced in the Trace Lofts complex), chances are you might just have to poke your nose in and head elsewhere. Not that you'd have far to go given the implosion of worthy places to eat and drink within a few short blocks.
Chefs Dana Tough (left) and Brian McCracken want you: to check out their new place.

photo/Kristin Zwiers

Copyright © 2009 The Seattle Times Company

Tavern Law is Opening Friday August 21 at 5pm

2009-08-20T16:34:00.001-07:00

Our opening day is Friday. We look forward to seeing many of you on Friday, over the weekend and in the coming weeks.

Brian, Dana, David et all

Speakeasy to open in Seattle - MyNorthwest.com

2009-06-15T12:34:00.001-07:00

Speakeasy to open in Seattle - MyNorthwest.com

Posted using ShareThis

Seattle Metropolitan mag talks Tavern Law

2009-06-04T08:20:00.000-07:00

Jess Voekler was looking for the scoop on Tavern Law and here's what she wrote:

“Booze News: Tavern Law Opening Delayed. A bit about what we're waiting for... Talk about good press. Tavern Law got a fourth-graf mention in William Grimes’ article about speakeasies in today’s New York Times, and the place hasn’t even opened yet. Opening has, in fact been delayed: Chef/owners Brian McCracken and Dana Tough hope to be up and running by mid-July. The Capitol Hill bar and restaurant will have a cocktail menu with more than 70 pre-prohibition and prohibition-era drinks designed by “stone cold fox” David Nelson, who will be a far less frequent site at the trio’s well-loved Spur, though he will continue to manage the Belltown bar as well.

Food, according to McCracken and Tough, will be more “humble” than at Spur. Humble being a relative term: the Tavern Law Monte Cristo ( “around $12”) is stuffed with sliced pork shoulder with maple and smoked olive oil that they’re cooking sous vide for seven hours; a jam of fresh huckleberries; and the gruyere-esque Valentina cheese from Estrella Family Creamery. What they really seem to mean by humble is a certain old-school efficiency. “We’ll bring in a case of fresh vegetables and use them until they’re gone…buy a whole pig and serve dishes with all the different cuts of meat,” says Dana. The simple chalkboard menu with feature 8-10 revolving plates, all under $15.

Happy hour is still in planning stages.

Classic cocktails, seasonal food. Sounds good. But what makes it a speakeasy? Dana and Brian say they were inspired by NY’s throwback bars—they recently went on a 2.5-day Manhattan speakeasy bender, and were especially impressed with Milk and Honey—but they’ve also built in some speakeasy-style surprises.

What those are, exactly, McCracken and Tough want to keep a secret for now, but, they say, word is out among industry types. So if you really want to know, try bribing your bartender. Or just wait until the place opens in July."

Photo by Kristin Zwiers for Tavern Law.

...

The New York Times William Grimes Includes Tavern Law in Article Today

2009-06-03T09:52:00.000-07:00

click on blog title above to read the NY Times article

In an article in The New York Times today, "Bar? What Bar?", Grimes writes about a nostalgia gripping the country for Prohibition era bars. Tavern Law is included in his piece on "new bars going for the speakeasy look".

Food & Wine magazine Spills our Secret Nationally

2009-05-22T11:53:00.000-07:00

Assistant Editor Kelly Snowden of Food & Wine magazine wrote today about Tavern Law:

Seattle's Next Speakeasy
By Kelly Snowden, Assistant Editor

Related Categories: Bars, Chefs, Cocktails, Restaurants

It hasn’t even been a year since Seattle’s Brian McCracken and Dana Tough opened Spur Gastropub, but they are already neck-deep into their next project. Piggybacking onto the speakeasy trend that has been sweeping from East to West, they will debut Tavern Law in late June, a joint project with bartender David Nelson. The trio visited many New York City haunts, such as PDT, Pegu Club and Milk & Honey, to get inspired for their next spot, which will be in the city's new Trace Lofts. When Tavern Law opens, expect to see a chalkboard menu with bar-friendly dishes like their take on the Monte Cristo, with slow-cooked pork shoulder on a brioche bun with huckleberry compote. Nelson, who made the tinctures and bitters for Spur, will offer a new lineup of drinks as well, including his interpretation of a Bourbon Swizzle with lemon juice, falernum and chartreuse."

Thanks Kelly!

...

“Spurred on by success Spur team to open Tavern Law”: Nancy Leson, Seattle Times.

2009-05-20T16:41:00.000-07:00

Click on blog title above to read all of the article:

In her column Seattle Times food and restaurant writer Nancy Leson tells the story of our team’s newest venture opening this summer. As well as updating readers on the food and focus at Spur, Leson wrote that “now they're set to do it all over again with Tavern Law -- a "speakeasy bar" expected to open late next month at the Trace Lofts complex on Capitol Hill.

Today, the windows at 1406 12th Avenue stand covered, but what we'll eventually find inside is seating for 80, upstairs and down. "It's going to have a very dark-wood masculine feel downstairs, with a beautiful mahogany curving bar and a vintage cooler behind that," says Tough. A 20-foot Venetian-plaster mural depicting a lovely lady draped in a glamorous gown will overlook bookcases, dark leather banquettes and booths, and we can expect "some little surprises along the way."

It will come as no surprise that these roaring 20-somethings and masters of the memorable menu plan to replicate the formula that's brought them so much praise. Nor that (barman David) Nelson will fuel the fire on the Hill with another classic cocktail agenda. "David's staying true to that era," says Tough.

McCracken describes their chalkboard menu as short and ever-changing "so it doesn't get boring." We might find tweaks on a wedge salad with Green Goddess dressing, perhaps a Monte Cristo sandwich, or clams and oysters dolled up in Casino finery. McCracken insists their fare will be "less fussy" than Spur's but no less appealing. Prices? They'll call $15 the ceiling.

"Capitol Hill is a vibrant, fun neighborhood and there's always energy out on the streets," says McCracken of their decision to hit the Hill with their second location. And given the proximity of colleges and an oft-changing restaurant landscape, "Capitol Hill will always stay young," says Tough. "People go out every night of the week." Unlike Belltown, "it's not so much a destination spot, it's a self-contained neighborhood."

If anybody can capture the zeitgeist of Capitol Hill and its growing collection of go-to eat-and-drinkeries it's these young cowboys of cuisine…”

construction photo of Tavern Law’s future space and mural by Kat.
…

Seattle Weekly's Voracious writes about Tavern Law

2009-05-10T21:19:00.000-07:00

Maggie Dutton of the Seattle Weekly reported this afternoon on our soon-to-open spot on Capitol Hill. She writes:

"Tavern Law, Spawn of Spur, Coming to Capitol Hill in June: I have no idea where anyone is finding the money to open a restaurant or bar in these tough economic times, but more power to them. I will be perplexed and still get excited about chef owner Brian McCracken and co-chef Dana Tough of Spur opening a second joint. Ridiculously talented bartender David Nelson will concoct cocktails rooted in the classics. Tavern Law shoots for a late June opening in the crown jewel spot of the Trace Lofts, at 12th Ave E. & Madison. Click on the link above for the official word from the bar's blog and follow along. In other news, I covet that glass.*"

Thanks Maggie.

*Maggie's referring to the glass depicted on our blog photo here-- part of a collection McCracken's been culling.

Photo by Kristin Zwiers.

We're Opening on Capitol Hill: Summer 2009

2009-05-10T14:59:00.000-07:00

Seattle Chefs Brian McCracken and Dana Tough are opening a new speakeasy style bar in Seattle. Last summer the duo opened Spur Gastropub in Seattle’s Belltown neighborhood which has already been recognized as one of the country’s six top gastropubs by Food & Wine magazine. This year they join lead bartender David Nelson in opening Tavern Law in late June on Seattle’s Capitol Hill. The 21-and-over restaurant/bar will anchor Trace Lofts, the historic-meets-modern residential and retail project located on 12th Avenue within the Pike Pine Triangle. At Tavern Law the trio will focus on classic cocktails and full-flavored, refined foods served in an environment reminiscent of Speakeasy-era establishments of the 1920’s.

In 1832 the Pioneer Inn and Tavern Law legalized drinking in public bars and saloons. The Golden Age of cocktails thrived for nearly a century until the 1919 Volstead Act almost destroyed the craft by outlawing the production and pleasure of alcoholic beverages. However, in hidden rooms and dark basements, thirsty patrons still sought spirits. And so the Speakeasy was born, booming until the repeal of Prohibition in 1933. Tavern Law is a celebration of this history. To join Tavern Law’s email list for more information, email us at speakeasy@spurseattle.com .

to learn more

2009-03-06T16:25:00.000-08:00

email us at speakeasy@spurseattle.com to get the inside info on tavern law.