City Sips 2022

May 1, 2022

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

The cold refreshment of a margarita. A flight of wine or sangria. The inventive flavor of a beermosa. These are just some of the summertime refreshments that can be found at some of Toledo’s most celebrated watering holes. We asked some of our city’s best bartenders for the stories behind their signature drinks, and what they have when they’re relaxing at home.

Bar 145

Kamey Richards, Bartender
5305 Monroe St. 419-593-0073. bar-145.com
Kitchen Hours: Monday-Thursday, 4-10pm. Friday & Saturday, 11:30am-11pm. Sunday 11:30am-10pm
Bar Hours: Monday-Thursday 4pm-1am. Friday & Saturday, 11:30am-2am. Sunday, 11:30am-1am

SIGNATURE SIP
T.L.C. – A blend of tequila, charcoal agave syrup & fresh lime juice with a Tajin spiced rim. It’s a very unique cocktail that really gives the tequila a chance to stand out without being overwhelming & ends with a little spice.

What’s your favorite uncommon liquor or spirit to use in a cocktail?
Domaine De Canton Ginger Liqueur is always a good choice for a good refreshing cocktail.

What’s your favorite summer drink recipe?
Anything tequila based is always a good summertime choice!

Do you have any happy hour specials and/or featured summer cocktails?
We have happy hour Monday thru Friday, 4pm until 6pm! We are currently working on a few new cocktails for patio season but right now our Signature Reset Fishbowls are a great choice and give you that summertime feel!

I walk into your place and say “surprise me!” What do you serve me?
We have a few new Martini additions. They’re always a great choice & usually get the trick done!

Basil Pizza & Wine Bar

Hayley Barrett, Bar Manager
3145 Hollister Ln, Perrysburg. 419-873-6218. basilpizzaandwinebar.com
Sunday, 10am-9pm (Brunch from 10am-2pm). Monday-Thursday, 11am-9pm. Friday and Saturday, 11am-10pm.

SIGNATURE SIP
One of our signature sips at Basil is our flights! We offer wine flights, sangria flights, and mimosa flights! Wine flights have been on our menu since the beginning of Basil, and the sangria and mimosa flights have been added within the past year! Our wine flights consist of any four wines of your choice off of our wine glass pour list. Our sangria flights feature all four of our sangrias including the Sicilian, Strawberry Rhubarb, OG and Ride the Tiger. Occasionally we rotate in a seasonal sangria to give our loyal sangria loving customers something new to try!

Our mimosa flights are most popular during our Sunday brunch and consist of an orange, strawberry, cranberry, and cherry mimosa. Seasonal juices are sometimes available by request.

I believe our flights are so popular because they have the ability to satisfy a range of taste palettes, and stand out in the Toledo drinking scene because we offer flavors you won’t find elsewhere. If you aren’t sure what to try during your next visit to Basil, flights give you the opportunity to try it all!

What was the first mixed drink you really loved?
The first mixed drink I really loved at Basil is our Spice Jam cocktail. It’s perfect for people who love gin, and equally perfect for people who don’t. It’s a wonderful balanced blend of the locally made East Side Gin by Toledo Spirits, our homemade apricot merlot jam, citrus, and ginger beer. Refreshing and slightly sweet, with a little spice and bite.

What’s your favorite uncommon liquor or spirit to use in a cocktail?
One liquor we love at Basil that I get asked about most is Tuaca. Tuaca is an Italian Brandy with notes of citrus, vanilla, and spices. While Tuaca can be served chilled or straight, our favorite way to serve it is in a Lemon Souffle Martini. This martini can be found on our cocktail menu and tastes just like the creamy delicious dessert it’s named after.

Are there any exciting new cocktail trends that readers should keep an eye out for?
One trend I’ve noticed lately and am totally on board for is interactive drinks. People don’t just want a drink, they want an experience. Whether it’s edible garnishes that change the flavor and sensation of your drink or multi-part drinks you mix together at the table, interactive drinks are fresh, fun, memorable and hopefully here to stay!

Do you have any happy hour specials and/or featured summer cocktails?
Summer is our favorite time at Basil! Summer is when our patio opens and our outdoor live music starts! We have plenty of refreshing wines and sangrias to keep you cool all summer, or if you’re looking for a cocktail try our Berrysburg Breeze or Raspberry Fizz! We also always have a rotating feature menu that we tailor to each season giving you even more new, exciting options for food, wine, beer, and cocktails.

Cocina de Carlos

Carlos Mendez, Owner
27072 Carronade Dr. Perrysburg. 419-872-0200. carlosrestaurants.com
Tuesday-Sunday, 11am-9pm, closed Monday)

SIGNATURE SIP
Summer is here and everyone loves margaritas. Our house specialty is margaritas and the different ways we prepare them. One of my favorites is my Frozen Pineapple Margarita. For years we decided to support local businesses and this margarita is made with 100% agave white tequila, aged at home in an oak barrel donated by Toledo Spirits. They complement it with a lime and lemon juice, pineapple puree, agave nectar and to give it that unique touch, locally made Orange Tiger. Served frozen.

What was the first mixed drink you really loved?
Cuba Libre in Mexico.

What’s your go-to cocktail to make at home?
Palomas (we call them cantaritos).

What’s your favorite uncommon liquor or spirit to use in a cocktail?
Mezcal.

Are there any exciting new cocktail trends that readers should keep an eye out for?
Of course, all the new Mezcal Mixology is amazing.

What’s your favorite summer drink recipe?
Micheladas of course. (Mexican Beer Bloody Mary style.)

Do you have any happy hour specials and/or featured summer cocktails?
Every day we have different drink specials, look online or social media for updates.

I walk into your place and say “surprise me!” What do you serve me?
My Golden Margarita with aged tequila.

Homeslice Pizza

Winfield Luther, Bar Manager
28 S. St Clair. 419-724-7437.
Sunday-Thursday, 11am-11pm. Friday and Saturday, 11am to 2am.

SIGNATURE SIP
Blueberry Spark: Blueberry Vodka, Redbull and Cranberry Juice. Light and flavorful. A fruity and refreshing drink for someone who can’t decide on what they want. This drink has been my go-to for years for someone who doesn’t know what they want.

What was the first mixed drink you really loved?
Long Islands were my first favorite. Just give me all the shots at once. Some places used too much sour mix, though.

What’s your go-to cocktail to make at home?
Usually anything with vodka. Depending on the mixers available but if not I have no issue with just a splash of water.

What’s your favorite summer drink recipe?
My favorite summer drink would be a mojito. Frozen is always fun to blend up the mint, and I am quite partial to slushies. Any form of the drink is fine with me though.

Do you have any happy hour specials and/or featured summer cocktails?
Homeslice always has happy hour from 4 to 6. Dollar of drafts and domestic bottles, 3 dollar wine glass and 2 dollar well drinks.

Is there anything else you’d like readers to know?
We can find the perfect drink for you here no matter what it is you are looking for this summer. Enjoy our patio and I’ll make sure get the right drink to go with it.

Inside the Five

Jordan Yeager, Bar Manager
5703 Main St., Sylvania. 567-408-7212.
Sunday, 10am-9pm. Closed Monday (this may change). Tuesday-Thursday: 11am-10pm. Friday-Saturday: 11am-midnight.

SIGNATURE SIP
One of our top selling drinks is our Beermosa. It’s our twist on a classic Mimosa. It features a fan-favorite beer, Sunshine Sky. We have it available in 3 different flavors: The original, blueberry or colada. Join us for brunch on Sunday and enjoy a Beermosa or one of our cocktails featuring local coffee.

What was the first mixed drink you really loved?
My go-to cocktail when I turned 21 was a Cosmopolitan, and I still think you can’t go wrong with a good Cosmo with light cranberry juice.

What’s your go-to cocktail to make at home?
Jameson and Ginger ale is forever my go to at home. It’s a simple, two ingredient cocktail. Jameson is also my favorite liquor and my dog’s name.

What’s your favorite uncommon liquor or spirit to use in a cocktail?
Pama is a pomegranate liqueur that can be used in all sorts of cocktails. Some ways I like to use it are pomegranate margaritas and lemonades. In the summer menu you can find it featured in The Huntsman Old Fashioned.

Are there any exciting new cocktail trends that readers should keep an eye out for?
Check out our beertails! A splash of beer on top of your cocktail can create a delicious twist on your favorite cocktails, and a great introduction to our beer. I personally love our Beergarita!

What’s your favorite summer drink recipe?
Anything that includes cucumber. Cucumber can complement so many different liquors. It makes cocktails very light and refreshing. This summer we have cucumber infusions featured in the Sylvania Spritz and Maplewood Mule.

Do you have any happy hour specials and/or featured summer cocktails?
Happy Hour is Monday-Friday from 3pm-5pm. Our happy hour is $8 beer flights and $2 off glasses of wine and signature cocktails. Don’t forget to enjoy a Bum Punch or any of our adult lemonades.

What are five absolutely necessary ingredients for the home bartender?
For an at home bar I’d recommend your favorites and a fan favorite. For a fan favorite I’d recommend a vodka and cranberry, or a sweet bottle of wine. If you’re an Old Fashioned person they’re easy and simple. A bottle of bitters will last you a very long time at home, and simple syrup is only 2 ingredients.

I walk into your place and say “surprise me!” What do you serve me?
I’d ask the customer if they had a preference between a beer or cocktail. If you chose beer, I’d make a flight of surprises curated just for you. If you wanted a cocktail I would make you my personal favorite cocktail on our new menu, the Sylvania Spritz.

Is there anything else you’d like readers to know?
We look forward to seeing your smiling faces at Inside the Five, and can’t wait to introduce you to our new cocktail menu.

Maumee Bay Brewing Company

Cody Sutter, Bartender
27 Broadway St. 419-243-1302. mbaybrew.com
Monday-Thursday, 11am-10pm; Saturday, 10am-midnight; Sunday, 10am-9pm

SIGNATURE SIP
MacQueen’s Hard Cider Mule. This drink has our house cider mixed with a slightly modified Moscow Mule base which leaves a feeling in your mouth similar to a champagne.

What was the first mixed drink you really loved?
The first mixed drink that I really loved was an Old Fashioned.

What’s your go-to cocktail to make at home?
At home, I love making Strawberry Margaritas by the batch.

What’s your favorite uncommon liquor or spirit to use in a cocktail?
Sour Apple Pucker.

Are there any exciting new cocktail trends that readers should keep an eye out for?
Moscow Mule variations for the easy summer sipping.

What’s your favorite summer drink recipe?
In the summer I like to drink berry mojitos.

What are five absolutely necessary ingredients for the home bartender?
Oranges, triple sec, lime juice, fruit purees and any clear liquor.

I walk into your place and say “surprise me!” What do you serve me?
I would serve a sample paddle of 6 great MBBC beers!

Is there anything else you’d like readers to know?
MBBC has a lot to offer guests of all ages. Our staff of friendly faces are always here to create a family friendly environment for you in one of our restaurants of event spaces.

Rosaria’s on Third Street

Katelyn Murray C.S., Director of Wine & Beverage
135 W 3rd St., Perrysburg. 567-898-2121. rosariason3rd.com

SIGNATURE SIP
Enomatic Wine Stations from Italy in our bar. These innovative machines allow an interactive experience for our guests to choose and pour their own glass of wine while you are waiting for a table, grabbing a DORA drink or just meeting up for a quick catch-up with a friend.My favorite benefit of the system is that it allows us to bring a larger variety of unique wines to the public to encourage tasting outside of the box and show an array of amazing options available from anywhere in the world. We also have the luxury to rotate wines to pair with food, the seasons, and host weekly wine tastings while maintaining wine freshness and integrity.

What was the first wine you really loved?
Chianti Classico. Sangiovese was the grape that turned me onto wine as a potential career. The complexity of acid, meatiness, earthiness and bright fruit that went perfectly with the food I was enjoying, motivated me to learn more and keep learning to this day.

What’s your favorite uncommon liquor or spirit to use in a cocktail?
The new favorite that I have discovered recently is called Italicus. It is a Bergamot Liqueur that has such a refreshing fresh flavor that brings a beautiful citric yet herbal quality to cocktails and spritzers.

Do you have any happy hour specials and/or featured summer cocktails?
Aside from featuring our Enomatic Wine Stations, we have an incredible Seasonal “Beve” list we crafted up that highlights European-style spritzers, mocktails, Sangria, and DORA drinks.

Is there anything else you’d like readers to know?
We are looking forward to bringing another great experience to downtown Perrysburg and elevating whatever you are celebrating, even if it’s “just because it’s Tuesday!” We have several unique dining spaces, a four-season patio with a stage for live music with an attached DORA window for fast drinks. Come meet our fantastic team, and treat yourself to some oysters, bubbly, and an affogato!

Rosie’s Italian Grille

Matthew Fredericks, Bar Manager
606 N McCord Rd. 419-866-5007. rosiesitaliangrille.com.
Sunday-Thursday, 11:30am-9pm. Friday and Saturday, 11:30 am-10pm.

SIGNATURE SIP
At Rosie’s, we are very well known for having an array of sangria options in the summertime. We always have our red and ginger peach sangria. Last year we added the raspberry rose sangria and it has been a hit! They are perfect in a glass of a carafe to share on the patio and sip with friends or family.

What’s your go-to cocktail to make at home?
Right now I have been loving making mules at home with Hendricks Gin. I am a Gin lover and it’s a very refreshing drink.

What’s your favorite summer drink recipe?
If I were to pick right now it would be the featured drink called the Polynesian Punch. It has Malibu, Captain Morgan and Myer’s rum, so it is sort of like a rum punch. Then we finish it with pomegranate, orange, and pineapple juice. We will be featuring these at Rosie’s starting in May.

What are five absolutely necessary ingredients for the home bartender?
For the bartender at home, you definitely need to have at least vodka, gin, rum, tequila and a triple sec. Plus, a variety of different bitters to spice things up!

Sidelines Sports Eatery

Kelly Hamilton, Bartender
5806 Telegraph. 419-724-0097. sidelinessportseatery.com
Monday-Thursday, 11am-11pm. Friday & Saturday, 11am-midnight. Sunday, Noon-11pm.

SIGNATURE SIP
Our signature drink is the Sidelines Slammer. It’s a delicious drink with the flavor of fruit punch and the kick of a Long Island iced tea. Never a disappointment when you order this!

What was the first mixed drink you really loved?
I always keep my cocktails simple, but my first love was and still is Captain and ginger ale. So smooth and a great flavor combination.

What’s your favorite summer drink recipe?
There’s nothing more refreshing than a Mojito made with fresh mint from my backyard. I like to use Bacardi and throw some fresh strawberries in, too.

What are five absolutely necessary ingredients for the home bartender?
I would definitely start with a shaker and lots of ice, but I would say you can’t go wrong with Vodka, Rum, the fruit juice of your choice, some fresh cut lemons and limes and Bloody Mary mix!

Is there anything else you’d like readers to know?
Be ready with what you want to order when you are standing at the bar. We are always happy to serve you but we have to keep moving and be quick, especially when we’re busy!

Souk Mediterranean Kitchen & Bar

Brandon Mansfield, Bartender
139 S. Huron St. 567-777-7685. soukkitchenbar.com
Tuesday-Thursday, 11am-10pm. Friday, 11am-11pm. Saturday, 10am-11pm.

SIGNATURE SIP
Taboulitini. A cocktail inspired by the traditional Mediterranean tabouli salad. Tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, fresh parsley all muddled with house infused cucumber vodka, organic lemon juice and finished with a few drops of olive oil. This cocktail is a newer creation for us. We started serving it in March and customers have been loving it. Some guests have even stated this should be Souk’s signature martini. This cocktail is truly one of a kind. We have never seen a cocktail like this anywhere else.

What was the first mixed drink you really loved?
One of my first drinks I loved was Jameson and ginger ale.

What’s your go-to cocktail to make at home?
My go-to cocktail is an Old Fashioned made with walnut bitters.

What are five absolutely necessary ingredients for the home bartender?
My 5 necessary ingredients include: Walnut bitters, maple syrup, high proof whiskey, good tequila and fresh citrus.

I walk into your place and say “surprise me!” What do you serve me?
When a guest says “surprise me” I always ask “do you like spice” and “what type of liquor do you like” and go from there. It’s always something new.

The Village Idiot

Aleha Almester, Bartender
309 Conant St., Maumee. 419-893-7281. villageidiotmaumee.com
Sunday-Thursday, 11am-midnight. Friday and Saturday, 11am-1am.

SIGNATURE SIP
A sangria. It’s a blend of mango purée, white wine, apricot brandy, triple sec, orange juice, pineapple juice and lemonade.

What’s your go-to cocktail to make at home?
Bulleit Bourbon on the rocks with a splash of goslings ginger beer and a fresh lime wedge.

What’s your favorite uncommon liquor or spirit to use in a cocktail?
Cachaça. It’s a Brazilian spirit made from 100% cane sugar and the flavor profile is somewhere between rum and tequila.

Do you have any happy hour specials and/or featured summer cocktails?
Yes! We’ve been serving up a tasty sangria at the Idiot. I rotate the flavors each week, usually focusing on seasonal themes. My favorite so far was Mango Tango.