New flavors from an old standby.
Here's lookin' at you, kid. Reeves's Tunisian Whiskey Sour, at Mediterrano: Bulleit rye, lemon juice, and house-made orgeat, shaken, and poured over a two inch ice cube containing a mini rose bud, in a rose water-rinsed glass. Photo courtesy of Travis Reeves.
With the recent arrival of Raven’s Club and The Last Word , downtown Ann Arbor has achieved a truly staggering ratio of mixologist to fair citizen. If liquid culture is to have a Mecca, tree town has certainly thrown its hat into the ring as a contender. But what with all the hip new tipplin’ spots cropping up between Huron and Williams, it would be easy to overlook other exciting developments in local quaffable culture, such as the recent rebirth of the barspace at Mediterrano. This Ann Arbor staple, long familiar almost to the point of invisibility, has taken on new life with the acquisition of a few talented creatives, and we stopped by recently to sample a few of the new offerings.
Travis Reeves, Mediterrano’s new bar manager and mixologist, got his start in the craft designing drinks for Eve: the Restaurant and Pacific Rim. He’s just plain fun to watch in action, which is lucky, as in action is where you’ll likely find him. Like any prolific artist at home in his medium, he’s always working on something new, or what’s much more likely, he’s working on six things new. When he’s not dreaming up the perfect vehicle for the new house-infused syrup, he’s figuring out how to inject your drink into a sphere of ice. And if he’s not doing any of that, he’s probably just acquired a fun new amaro with a really unique set of aromatic qualities, and he’s looking for just the right seasonal citrus to complement it.
Never tried an amaro before? Well then, you’re in for some fun. I could tell you about the stuff, but you should ask Travis, who enjoys discussing up and coming projects. But be warned: thirst is an inescapable consequence. This works out well for me, as talking about drinks is always way more fun when you get to taste them too. In the meantime, enjoy a few more highlights of our visit.
- Keep an eye out for ephemeral sculptures floating in your glass, like this rose petal, frozen in a block of ice.
Kraken black spiced rum, Amontillado sherry, Ramazzotti amaro, and Aztec chocolate bitters, served in a sphere of ice. This cocktail comes with a hammer! Check out my own efforts in the video below.
This was great to read, watch and hear. I was surprised that Travis was at Mediterrano, they are very lucky to have him. It’s a great space and has some nice food, it’s just in an unusual spot. That said, Travis is enough of a draw that if I still lived in the area, I’d make it one of my haunts.
Great to hear both yours and Travis’ voice. I really need to up my mixology game!