At the CITY Newspaper Best of Rochester party this year, my friend and I became instant fans of the whiskey distiller, Iron Smoke Distillery. Iron Smoke also teased their product at the party by giving out yummy samples to the attendees. The person giving us the samples was super knowledgeable about the craft of distilling and it made us curious to dive deeper into the art of whiskey tasting. And after we heard that they were opening a brick-and-mortar location in Fairport, NY, my friend and I were on high alert.
Last Friday, we visited their new location after their opening weekend - in part because we had heard one of our favorite mustachioed Rochester bartenders, Matthew Pawloski, previously from The Daily Refresher, was going to be doing a guest bartending stint during their first few weekends. As we arrived, we were greeted by Matthew who had been cut for the evening from serving but was happy to chat with us about the new establishment and his new ventures. It was really nice to hang out with Matthew on the "other side of the bar" and we really enjoyed our conversation with him.
We were served by one of Iron Smoke permanent bartenders who was really helpful in explaining the flavors of each house cocktail on their menu, each containing an Iron Smoke spirit mixed in with their own spin on some popular beverages. I decided to go with their take on an "Old Fashioned", made with Iron Smoke's own Bourbon Whiskey, muddled sugar cubes, Fee Brothers' Old Fashioned bitters, and a flamed orange zest. I was enthralled with my choice as it may have been one of the best Old Fashioned cocktails I've ever had. The flavor was drinkable in a way that kept me coming back for more, but the light burn from the whiskey kept me from drinking it too quickly. The smell was the most amazing part - the scent of fresh orange with a cinnamon-y sweet smoky note made me insist on letting everyone at the distillery know that they should make a candle out of it. I really hope they do.
My friend ordered their version of a Moscow Mule, which they called the "ISD Mule", consisting of your choice of either the Iron Smoke Bourbon or Rattlesnake Rosie's Apple Pie Whiskey, mixed with lime juice, and topped with ginger beer. My friend chose the bourbon and quite enjoyed it. Of course, after a while he took a sip of my Old Fashioned and decided to make that his second beverage, as he had conclusively agreed with me and my raving about it.
After we got our beverages we noticed the plethora of places to sit. The ambiance definitely reminded me of The Daily Refresher with its Victorian, steampunk-style furniture. In the primary room with the bar, there was a noticeably large metal boiler in the corner which, presumably, was part of the original factory building that they kept for the charm aspect. In addition, there was a large antique wooden dining table set with plenty of chairs around it, a raised platform with a few couch chairs and a wooden Ouija board on the coffee table in the middle, and in the back they had an area with Iron Smoke bottles to take home, as well as quite a bit of souvenir merchandise.
My friend and I decided to sit in the secondary room, which had an area of more antique couches, chairs, and even a chaise lounge if you wanted to be extra fancy. The bathrooms were also in this area, as well as a stage and soundboard fit for a decent sized music performance. The atmosphere of the distillery felt very open but still cozy. In my opinion, it gave me the respectability of any Finger Lakes winery but with the thrill and enchantment of going out on the town with friends on a Friday night. I'm also really loving this current trend in cocktail bars that add eclectic collections of antiques to their decor. Not only does it excite me as an antique collector myself, but I feel that it gives the customer a sense of respect for the business they're entering - a bit of a "treat this bar like your grandmother's house" kind of vibe. I'm into it.
The distillery closed around 11pm which, for a Friday, initially seemed early to me, but around 10:30pm the small crowd started to thin. Personally, I think Iron Smoke is an excellent first stop place for your weekend night, and I would totally do the same. If you'd like to visit Iron Smoke for a taste or a 'tail, they are located at 111 Parce Ave in Fairport, NY, and they are open until 10pm on Thursdays, 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and 6pm on Sundays. You can follow them on their Facebook, Twitter, and Thank you for reading my bar review, keep an eye out for more articles like this by following my Twitter or my Instagram for post updates!
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