The bar at South on Main has seen very few changes since opening almost 4 years ago. That is not a bad thing either, it has been consistently one of the top bars in the city. Recently the original bartender David Burnette left to take an opportunity managing Ciao Baci, thankfully his long term apprentice Sarah Harrington, who we profiled late last year, slid right in. Aside from a brief departure, she has worked alongside Burnette for 3 years and has built a huge reputation in the industry as one of the best in the business.
Harrington’s first official cocktail list reflects the commitment to well crafted cocktails that South on Main is known for, while very much signifying the beginning of a new era.
“I learned so much from David, and I know this bar well. So it feels already very comfortable transitioning to the new role,” Harrington says. “This time around I wanted to focus heavily on our classic cocktail list. The signature cocktails have changed several times over the last few years, but our classics have remained mostly the same. I wanted to rework the classic list along with a few new signatures to give people a fresh set of cocktails to order from.”
Harrington says most of the old classics are still available, so if you have a favorite from that time feel free to order it up. For the new classics you will find things like a Moscow Mule, Hemingway Daiquiri, Pisco Punch, Old Fashioned, Airmail and more.
The new signatures in many ways are twist on classics as well. The Weak at the Knees for example is a classic Bee’s Knees with lavender added for an extra floral, spring time flavor.
The Burning Spear is a variation on a Bobby Burns with Jamaican Rum, which adds a great flavor, and along with the orange flame you get a bit of a show as well. Who doesn’t love a little fire with a cocktail?
Harrington also brings back some lesser known classics, like the Singapore Sling that has gin, benedictine, cherry, and lime. It is served up over mounds of crushed ice and comes across as an adult snow cone. It is perfectly light and icy for the warmer months ahead.
Along those lines the Botanist is equally light and summer ready with a tequila base and a nice basil finish.
Overall the South on Main bar looks to be running as well as ever under Harrington, never missing a beat and bringing in a huge amount of new flavors (about 13 new cocktails total) to keep the bar fresh and ready for the next era.
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