This story is featured in CityBeat's Oct. 4 print edition.
The Gaslight District in Clifton is a hot spot for nightlife in Cincinnati. Ludlow Avenue, the main street within the Gaslight District, includes many bars, restaurants and even the Ludlow Garage venue. These attractions pull many people to browse around Ludlow and surrounding streets during a night out on the town. At the beginning of August, a new bar, Alive & Well, opened just around the corner on Telford Street.
Alive & Well was conceptualized by Hickory Wald, a hospitality group that operates many bars across Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, including Nation Kitchen & Bar, Rhinehaus and others. Andrew Salzbrun worked with Jack Weston and Aaron Kohlhelpp of Hickory Wald to establish and open Alive & Well. The goal was to continue establishing hospitality venues in the area while placing one in a location that was close to Salzbrun’s heart.
“We're looking to continue to grow our portfolio of hospitality venues consistently, but this one was really special because I actually grew up going to grade school down the street from Alive & Well,” explained Salzbrun. “After basketball practice, after school, we would walk up to Ludlow and skateboard to get donuts at Graeter’s and wait for the bus right in front of the building, so I've always had a soft spot in my heart for the building from a nostalgic standpoint.”
Salzbrun and his partners went into their venture for Alive & Well with the goal of bringing a quality drinking establishment to the Gaslight District. “We wanted to create something that residents that live in the neighborhood can be excited to go to, but also so people that are visiting the Gaslight District for a date night at the Esquire, or show at the Ludlow Garage, can have someplace to convene before and after an event like that,” he said.
The space features a darker ambiance with a variety of seating arrangements. Surrounded by wood fixtures full of a range of vinyls, patrons can choose a seat at the bar, on a couch or at one of the many high and low-top tables. With dim lighting and abstract artwork, Alive & Well provides a diverse and edgy take on the trendy bar scene.
Aside from the alternative indoor theme, Alive & Well also boasts a huge patio with a wider selection of seating options. “We are the only establishment in the Gaslight District that has an outdoor street-level parklet patio, and it's a fairly significant one, so we have a lot of street frontage,” explained Salzbrun. “But from an offering standpoint, just the interior design and the finishes are two steps above anything else that's offered in the Gaslight District.”
The menu began with just spirits and wines, but the bar has now added a draft beer list, along with a small bites menu. Cocktails featured on the menu are meant to be familiar, and not too overwhelming to recreate. Salzbrun pointed out that the goal of their drinks is to want more than one, not to make every single drink an elaborate experience. The cocktail list includes familiar favorites such as an old fashioned, a house margarita and Mai Tai, along with Alive & Well originals such as the Thunderbird, Gin Fizz and Two to Tango.
“We did a big workshop amongst some of our key leaders in the organization upon developing what the cocktail menu was going to be,” said Salzbrun. “We wanted this to be a menu that had some familiarity but also had some really fresh takes that you couldn't get anywhere else in the district, but also for it to be approachable. We're not trying to be a Sundry and Vice-style cocktail bar, where it's super over the top with smoke and garnish and like a science experiment.”
The small bites menu includes items such as olives, charcuterie, truffle popcorn and salami florets. Soon, Alive & Well is adding seasonal menus, including fall cocktails and holiday specials. They will even be selling Christmas trees on the patio during the holiday season, and decoration packages for the trees. The bar is also hosting themed events on certain nights, such as ping pong on the patio on Mondays, vinyl listening on Tuesdays in partnership with Torn Light Records, and a running club on Wednesdays.
Salzbrun vocalized the need for community gathering at the establishment and the wide amount of opportunity that exists for this in Clifton’s Gaslight District.
“It's getting a chance to meet neighbors that I wouldn't have otherwise in our community,” Salzbrun said. “It’s developing some nice relationships close into a very transient community due to the universities that are nearby, and the hospital systems, which is great. We felt like this was a place that would allow us to develop some longer-term relationships with the people that live around us.”
The University of Cincinnati is just around the corner, with many surrounding Clifton neighborhoods as well. Community engagement is likely, and Salzbrun recognizes that as a citizen of Clifton himself.
Overall, the newly established bar, Alive & Well, hopes to be just what Clifton needs for some edge, casual drinks and a fun night out.
Alive & Well, 3410 Telford St., Clifton. Info: aliveandwellbar.com.
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