![]() “My fave is a Hotel Nacional with Probitas rum. “It’s a Cuban fusion bar packed with rum finds, rum barrel picks, rum dinners, fantastic food,” says LeNell. While the full restaurant tempts with plates of ceviche and empanadas, the rum program is the reason to visit, with a list of more than 140 labels and a menu of cocktails from classic Mojitos and Daiquiris to playful riffs like the Singapore Green (a Sling tinged with pandan and herbal liqueurs). | Photo by Josh Schaffĭesigned in homage to the art, food, and drink of 1930s and ’40s Cuba, Cayo Coco opened in summer 2019 in Birmingham’s Founder’s Station, a mixed-use renovation of some of the city’s oldest historic buildings. “An ofrenda stands in the corner year-round, so if you are grieving a lost loved one, you can leave a memento or photo.” Cayo CocoĪ Watermelon Daiquiri at Caya Coco. “Their Camazotz Oaxacan Daiquiri made with Huana (soursop) liqueur is my favorite, but they also have great nonalcoholic options made with items like house-made tepache,” says LeNell. The bar pulls both flavors and design elements from the owners’ native Mexico, from drinks like the Miel de Maguey (tequila, raicilla, two dry vermouth, celery bitters, saline) to artwork by modern Mexican artists. AdiõsĪlso opened in the fall by another pair of longtime industry vets, Adiõs is the passion project of José Medina Camacho (formerly of Automatic) and Jesús Méndez. “One of the owners is a baker, so anything on the dessert menu will be a treat paired with a fun wine,” LeNell notes. Once you’ve got a glass or bottle, don’t sleep on the food menu. To decode the list, and offer recommendations from a wide range of perspectives, Bar La Fête brings in a rotating cast of wine professionals from all facets of the industry, featuring at least three guest sommeliers working the floor each weekend. Opened this past fall by Birmingham hospitality vets Victor King and Kristen Hall, the petite, Parisian-inspired Bar La Fête offers small plates and a big wine list, both leaning heavily French. “It’s savvy and fun-loving, and places like Feizal Valli’s new House of Found Objects bar proves you can have quality drinks and an ambience of lighthearted fun,” she says. Today, the Birmingham scene simply wouldn’t be the same without LeNell-she’s a first-name-basis kind of person-and here she offers the places where she can be spotted enjoying a beverage around the city. Her Birmingham liquor store, LeNell’s Beverage Boutique, is something of a reincarnation of her beloved Brooklyn shop that closed in 2009. ![]() Integral to that scene is LeNell Camacho Santa Ana, an Alabama native whose life journey has seen her in a variety of roles in the drinks industry. That magic is still present today, with a food-and-drinks scene that can more than hold its own. Sitting at the crossroads of two major rail lines, Birmingham long served as the primary industrial center of the American South, with a population that grew so rapidly from the late 19th century to the mid-20th that it was dubbed the Magic City. ![]()
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