[Metromode] Bustin' Up the Boy's Club: Metro Detroit's Female Mixologists

Jackie Foucha at The Oakland. Photo by David Lewinski Photography for Metromode.

Last week we ran a story about the rise of craft cocktail culture in metro Detroit and some of the key players who have pushed it forward. While forward-drinking female bartenders Lola Gegovic, Jacqueline Foucha, and Adrianne Martin were all name-dropped, the focus was all on the boys in the business. Through conversations with people interviewed for that story, it became glaringly obvious that female bartenders in metro Detroit get none of the press that their male counterparts do.

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[Metromode] The Rise of Metro Detroit's Mixologists

Shane McGrath at The Oakland. Photo by David Lewinski Photography for Metromode. 

Maybe it's because of metro Detroit's automotive history, but whenever a new trend hits we have a tendency to take it from zero to 60 with ear-splitting speed. We did it with food trucks. We did it with pop-ups. We did it with coffee and craft beer and artisan spirits. And we did it with craft cocktails.

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[HOT LIST] Cocktails

Dave Kwiatkowski of the Sugar House. All photos by Nicole Rupersburg.

It goes without saying that the BEST best places in metro Detroit to get a craft cocktail are Roast, the Oakland, and the Sugar House (which was just named one of the best bars in America by Playboy). But as the trend has grown over the last couple of years - so much so that Michigan Radio recently took notice and ran a state-wide poll looking for Michigan's best craft cocktail bar, and Michigan State University has their own Artisan Distilling Program (the Master Distiller of Death's Door is a graduate of this program) - an ever-increasing number of bars and restaurants are getting with the craft cocktail program. And not in the half-assed way they did before (changing the name of their martini menu to "craft cocktails," yet keeping all the same candy-flavored vodka drinks) - this time it's in earnest. Top-shelf spirits (think bourbons, gins, and boutique liqueurs), fresh-squeezed juices, and house-made bitters and infusions separate the men from the martinis. What a difference two years make, eh? These are some of the best places to get some (aside from Roast, the Oakland, and the Sugar House, of course).

#1 Pizzeria Biga Royal Oak, Southfield, Ann Arbor (opening soon)
Pizza and craft cocktails? Absolutely, when the pizza in question is made by James Beard award-nominated chef Luciano del Signore (along with house-made charcuterie) and the cocktails by some of the best local bartenders in the business. Biga's beverage program in general is a thing of excellence, with proper dues given to its Italian inspiration in its selection of Italian beers, wines, and liqueurs. They also have a great selection of craft beers and have recently started hosting beer dinners. As for cocktails, they have a full selection of classic craft cocktails as well as some of their own creations.

Red Crown. 

#2 Red Crown Grosse Pointe Park
Turns out, Grosse Pointers are a bunch of booze-hounds. (This probably surprises no one who is familiar with Grosse Pointers and their lifestyles.) Mixologist Thomas Phillips, a self-described liquor nerd, leads the bar's cocktail program, which includes a mix of classic cocktails and his own creations, which he changes seasonally. The renovated historic gas station in Grosse Pointe Park opened earlier this year and was an instant hit with the community that has been woefully underserved in their demand for drink. This summer, enjoy their expansive, beautifully-landscaped patio with a cold cocktail and some smoked meat and Southern-style comfort food.

#3 The Last Word Ann Arbor
The Last Word takes its name from the classic cocktail of the same name, which is fitting for this Prohibition-era craft cocktail bar. This place is all about the booze, and be sure to shop in for Whiskey Wednesdays when they serve Scotch (SCOTCH SCOTCH SCOTCHY SCOTCH), bourbon and rye half-off. It's a classy joint in a college town, and their cocktails are on point.

#4 Bailout Productions Detroit
We all know that Roast is one of the best places to go for a craft cocktail, and that's because of the talent behind the bar. Bailout Productions has its roots in Roast, where founders Travis Fourmont (who now works at Great Lakes Wine and Spirits) and Joe Robinson (still holding down the happy hour fort) both worked. They now team up for pop-up bar events at places like Green Dot Stables and the currently-uninhabited Rhino Club in Harmonie Park, and bring their full cocktailing skills along with some friends – like chef Andy Hollyday, who recently left his post at Roast to work on opening his own restaurant in Midtown. They've got more events planned for this summer, so be sure to follow them on Facebook for updates on their upcoming pop-ups.

#5 Sardine Room Plymouth
The much-buzzed-about Sardine Room in Plymouth just celebrated its one-year anniversary earlier this month. Known for their selection of fresh seafood (oysters, the oysters, especially the oysters) and elevated small plates, the Sardine Room also has an excellent selection of craft beer and craft cocktails. What with all of the oysters and the hot sauce and the lobster rolls (basically a lobster po'boy) and the shrimp and grits, the Sardine Room has a vaguely New Orleansean vibe, so it seems only fitting to sip on a Sazerac (the drink that originated in the Big Easy over 150 years ago) while you're here.

Bubbling under Valentine Distillery (Ferndale), Gastronomy (Southfield), Zingerman's Roadhouse (Ann Arbor), St. Cece's Pub (Corktown), Vellum (Ann Arbor), Great Lakes Coffee (Midtown), Union Woodshop (Clarkston), the Raven's Club (Ann Arbor), Imperial (Ferndale), the Bar at 327 Braun Court (Ann Arbor), the Laundry (Fenton), the Root (White Lake), Torino (Ferndale), Lena (Ann Arbor)

[NEWS BITES] Travis Fourmont leaving Roast, joining Great Lakes Wine and Spirits

Mr. Manhattan himself, Travis Fourmont

Travis Fourmont, one of the friendly faces behind the bar at Roast and also one of the top bartenders in the country, is leaving his position at Roast to join Great Lakes Wine and Spirits, the Highland Park-based wine and liquor distribution company.

Great Lakes, the end result of the 2007 merger between General Wine and Liquor and J. Lewis Cooper, is the largest distribution company in Michigan and is getting bigger. They currently employ about 900 people all over the state and want to further expand their offerings and services (which includes not-yet-official plans to acquire a Michigan beer distributor and get back into beer distribution).

Travis is joining the team as the corporate mixologist, a brand-new position being created so that Great Lakes can keep its competitive edge on the market, following the lead of major national distributors like Southern Wine and Spirits, which also employs a corporate mixologist.

His position is more akin to being a consultant for Great Lakes accounts. His role will include anything from collaborating on craft cocktail programs at bars and restaurants to assisting bars in keeping down liquor costs and product consultation. For Great Lakes accounts, his services come free.

Great Lakes also carries many of the top shelf spirits he is accustomed to working with, like Woodford Reserve and Bombay Sapphire, both of which he has won competitions using -- Travis makes the best Manhattan in the country according to Woodford Reserve, and also placed in the top 10 as well as winning the audience choice award at a Bombay Sapphire competition in Las Vegas last year.

Also joining the Great Lakes team is Antoine Przekop, a big name in the local liquor industry who has worked as a general manager and sommelier at places like Tribute and SaltWater and is considered one of the local authorities on wine and spirits. Antoine, who just passed the Certified Wine Educators (CWE) exam and is in the process of completing this certification (which no one else in Michigan has), will come on board on the sales side, working with top-shelf and boutique spirits. This is his first job working in sales for a distributor and outside of the restaurant industry. After 15 years on the customer service end, he welcomes this professional change and the ability to focus more on sales and portfolio development, his particular strengths.

Snagging these two well-known and well-respected names in the local beverage industry is a major coup for Great Lakes and a boon for their long-term growth plans.

In the meantime, Roast's cocktail program will remain just as strong as ever. They are rolling out a new spring cocktail menu, which was mostly hands-off for Travis, and from the three (*gulp*) I've tried so far there is no reason to mourn Travis's departure other than for the fact that we'll miss his smiling face. Check out the full new cocktail menu below. Travis's last days at Roast are Wednesday and Thursday this week; stop by to wish him well and have one last award-winning Manhattan.

Roast's Spring Cocktail Menu (with thanks to Roast's Joe Rob for providing)

Awww Snap
Sugar Snap Pea Infused Gin, Cocchi Americano, Fresh Lemon, Simple Sugar, Mint, Celery Bitters, Crushed Ice, Pea Tendril

The Last Straw (like strawberry lemonade!)
Sugar Snap Pea Infused Gin, Strawberry Infused Chartreuse, St. Germaine, Fresh Lime, Strawberry Garnish

Green Machine
Muddled Avocado, Ilegal Joven Mezcal, Spiced Agave Syrup, Fresh Lime, Cracked Black Pepper

Turnin’ on the Screw
Citadelle Gin, Aperol, Fresh Lemon, Rhubarb Bitters

Phosphene Dream
Mindo Cocoa Tea Infused Bourbon, Averna Amaro, Orange Flower Water, Xocolatl Mole Bitters, Mezcal Rinse

Self Portrait in a Convex Mirror (hello super-awesome beer cocktail)
Bulleit Rye, Crème De Cassis, Fresh Lemon, Egg White, Petrus Aged Pale

Je Ne Sais Pas
Ron Zacapa 23, Fresh Lemon, Simple Syrup, Mint, Xocolatle Mole Bitters, Egg

The Mazatlan (HOLY SHIT - order this by the pitcher)
Cilantro Infused Gin, Jalapeno Syrup, Fresh Lime, Chili Oil, Sea Salt

Bar Fly
Fig Infused Gin, Campari, Cherry Heering, Cranberry, Angostura, Vanilla Fig

Cucumber Collins
Cucumber Infused Gin, Fresh Lime, Simple Sugar, Soda

PRCPU
Old Overholt Rye, Fernet Branca, Tawny Port, Aperol