photographs by bruce vanwyngarden
L-R: Inkwell manager Joe Beasley, Sam Reeves Hill with a “Danielle’s Ballad,” and Khi Eckles making a “New York Sour.”
I stroll into Inkwell at five o’clock sharp on a recent Friday. The place is just opening and I’m hoping to get a few minutes with some of the staff before the crowd arrives. I want to learn more about the Black-owned bar in the Edge District that’s getting so much buzz.
The first thing I notice is the interior light, a diffuse illumination that enters from the store-front windows along Madison Avenue. The next thing I notice is the floor of the bar area, which is inset with a charming and apparently ancient tile pattern.
Behind the bar is Sam Reeves Hill, who’s been making drinks at Inkwell since June, a month after entrepreneur and ad agency owner Ben Colar opened it. Sam’s a big fan of her workplace.
photograph by bruce vanwyngarden
The elaborate floor design is evidence of the bar’s earlier home as a custom tile company.
“I worked at Paramount, and at Alchemy — where I learned a lot about making specialty cocktails,” she says, “but this place is special. The atmosphere, the customers, the vibe — it’s all good. And everyone who works here likes being here, which is rare in this business.”
As if on cue, co-worker Khi Eckles appears. He’s about to craft a “New York Sour” for a customer at a nearby table.
“What’s the difference between a regular sour and a ‘New York Sour,’” I ask.
“It has a red-wine float on top,” he says, smiling. “I like the oohs and ahhs I get when I bring it to the table.”
Off he goes, and within a couple seconds, I hear a couple oohs from across the room. Mission accomplished.
I turn back to Sam and she asks me what I’ll have. I scan the menu on my phone and decide to try “Danielle’s Ballad,” a concoction of sloe gin, St. Germain liqueur, soda, and lemon simple syrup.
“It’s very light,” says Sam.
And it’s very good, says I, as she watches me take a sip. “Refreshing” is the word that comes to mind.
I ask about the tile floor and learn that this building was formerly a custom tile shop, with detailed tile work in several spots in the building.
“That’s another reason I like this place,” Sam says. “It has so much character. I’m a visual artist and this place has such an interesting atmosphere. When I came here for a drink with a friend in May, I looked around and immediately wondered if they were hiring. And they were!”
As I eat and sip and enjoy the conversations around me, I savor again the light and feel and ambiance of this place. And it’s all good. Really good. I’ll be back.
A few minutes later, Inkwell general manager Joe Beasley enters the scene behind the bar, carrying fruit, lots of it, ready to be sliced and prepped for a busy weekend ahead. After introductions, I mention that I might stay and try another drink and have a bite to eat. He suggests the grilled cheese, which I’d spotted earlier, and I take him up on it.
Now for that second drink. After perusing the menu again, I ask Sam about the “All in All,” a cocktail with an aperitif called Bonal that I’m unfamiliar with.
“The Bonal is floated with mezcal and limoncello,” she says. “It’s a little complex but good.”
I’m down, I say, or all in, so to speak.
photograph by bruce vanwyngarden
The “All in All” is a cocktail with an aperitif called Bonal.
I’m soon looking at a cocktail glass filled with three layers of liqueur (and liquor) nestled around a large square cube of ice. This drink looks like it means business. And it does. There’s an initial smoky mezcal taste, followed by a lemon tang, and then a slight, pleasant bitterness on the back of the tongue. I’ll need to savor this one for a while.
Joe arrives with my grilled cheese, just in time. It’s a simple plate — a sandwich sliced into four squares, with hues of yellow and orange melty goodness oozing out. Lawd.
I comment about the flavors of the “All in All” and he says the Bonal is a wine-based aperitif, which is probably the flavor that’s lingering. I take him at his word and have another sip as he hustles off. It’s a stellar drink.
“This feels kind of old-school,” I say to Sam. “Yeah,” she says, “we have some classic recipes we can do — unusual drinks or variations that you don’t see as much anymore.”
As I eat and sip and enjoy the conversations around me, I savor again the light and feel and ambiance of this place. And it’s all good. Really good. I’ll be back.
Inkwell is located at 631 Madison Avenue.
