What differentiates a cocktail bar from its counterparts? For some, it’s the inventiveness of its menu, or the ambiance as soon as you enter. For others, it's the expertise and enthusiasm of its team. At the recently opened Hemlock in Catskill, it’s all of the above.
“We're a cocktail bar in the heart of Catskill; it’s sort of something you have to see to understand,” says Adam Minegar, owner and operator. “I call it approachable elegance; it’s a rustic cocktail lounge with a quiet, friendly environment that appeals to locals and out-of-town guests. There’s nothing else like this around here.”
Open since June 1, Hemlock’s menu is testament to Minegar’s vision for classic cocktails made with high-quality spirits and as few ingredients as possible, creating a simplicity that allows bold flavors to shine.
“Take the pineapple daiquiri,” he says. “The daiquiri itself has been bastardized over the years. People tend to think of it as a huge blended drink with a ton of fruit. Our pineapple daiquiri is a prototype of what we do. We press fresh juices every day, and the drink is just lime, pineapple, white rum, and a little sugar. It’s been a favorite so far. The key is fewer ingredients, but really good ingredients.”
Other top choices are their margarita and the garden paloma, made from tequila with lime and grapefruit juices, jalapeño agave syrup, and celery bitters, with club soda. Cocktails run $12 each.
“We have some standards, but the menu can change based on what we have available. For example, we ordered a case of cucumbers for the kitchen but didn’t need as many as we received, so they were used to make the Gourgeous. We juiced them to make cucumber syrup, and made a gin drink with a beautiful pale green coloring that’s smooth and refreshing,” he says.
Although they’re not currently listed on the menu, Minegar says non-alcoholic cocktails are readily available and made with just as much effort. “Non-alcoholic drinks are a really important part of cocktail culture,” he says. “People are often apprehensive to ask, but it’s important to us to accommodate guests who don’t drink alcohol.”
Hemlock also offers a small, moderately priced menu of elevated bar food, with items like a Wagyu beef smash burger with the works—cheese, caramelized onion, lettuce, pickle, and A1 aioli ($9); and a big leafy salad ($9), but they’re constantly selling out of the vegan chopped cheese: an Impossible patty chopped with vegan cheese, onions, sriracha ketchup, and pickle ($9).
Since opening, Hemlock has received a warm welcome at their history-rich building on Main Street. Built in 1802, it’s seen several lives from a private home to a laundromat, and most recently a restaurant. Minegar convinced the owner to let him renovate to achieve the vibe he was going for. “Renovations started in January. I took about 40 trips to the dump,” he laughs. Dropped ceilings were removed to reveal original hemlock beams and rafters, exposed brick was polished up, and the hubbub drew the interest of curious locals who seemed to have become regulars before the place was even open.
WIth the help of a close friend, Chad Arnholt, who professionally assists with opening bars around the country, and Minegar’s partner, Charlotte Daniel, who designed the space, work was finished the afternoon of June 1. They opened that evening.
Inside, low lighting in amber hues sets a warm tone, while burnt-orange, velvet banquets against navy walls, and tables made from the building’s original siding create a fun and inviting mood. Speakers playing low-volume yacht rock bring it all back down to Earth.
“One part of the design that I’m really excited about is our bartop made of Brazilian bubinga, from an old bar in Brooklyn where Chad and I worked called Diamond Reef, which is now demolished,” Minegar says. “They donated this beautiful 40-foot bartop, which we cut a few feet off to make extra shelving. It’s a sentimental thing for visitors, too, because some of our guests from Brooklyn recognize this top from its past life.”
Sentimentality threads through the bar, even from how Hemlock got its name. “I grew up in Indiana on Hemlock Drive, and it was always a name I wanted for a cocktail bar,” he says. “Without mentioning that, I asked a local friend for name suggestions, and he coincidentally suggested Hemlock because the Catskills contain a vast amount of the trees. And then we discovered that the wood used to construct the building’s rafters are hemlock.”
Stemming from something defining to both Minegar and to the region, Hemlock fits right in. “In many ways, he says, “it’s already become something very meaningful.”
Hemlock is open Thursday through Monday from 5 pm until at least midnight; their kitchen stays open until 10 pm.
