Central Ohio earned a brand new cocktail bar final week with the opening of The Lion in Bexley! The Lion is just a little outpost on East Important Avenue from the Bexley Hospitality Group, and it payments itself as Bexley’s solely cocktail bar. It attracts its identify from the Bexley highschool’s mascot.
The storefront itself, located in a strip between a Nice Clips and a group middle, could seem unassuming, however contained in the bar includes a mushy and enjoyable vibe, with darkish inexperienced accents, uncovered brick, wood flooring, plush couches and cubicles, greenery adorning the entrance, and mirrors scattered all through.
The bar workforce is busy at work with their creations, which run the gamut from all of the classics to one of many metropolis’s extra distinctive cocktail choices.
Opening weekend they have been sampling a few of their menu, just like the Corn cocktail: a concoction that concerned Mellow corn whiskey, a discount of it, and filtered liquid from corn itself. It was like a candy corn model of of an quaint.
The The place Are We? cocktail blends blanco tequila, sake, and snap pea – it’s frivolously candy and barely vegetal.
The Lion’s beverage program is headed up by Dustin Ross, who has expertise with quite a few spots round city. You possibly can learn my interview with him at Service Bar for Expertise Columbus right here.
Our second spherical of drinks included the Lucky One (proper) with rum, mezcal, guava, and a contact of kanzuri chili paste. We additionally tasted the Trieste Melon (left) with oyster blanc vermouth, melon lassi, and Prosecco. Each an attention-grabbing steadiness of flavors (sure, you’ll be able to style a contact of the oysters) whereas nonetheless being refreshing and distinctive.
In fact, if you’d like one thing extra conventional, they’re greater than adept on the classics, like my favourite rye Manhattan.
The Lion’s mushy opening hours are Monday-Thursday, 4-11 p.m.; Friday, 4 p.m. to midnight; Saturday, midday to midnight; and Sunday, 1-11 p.m.
The Lion
2511 E. Important St.
Bexley, OH 43209
Internet: thelionbexley.com
IG: @thelionbexley
