You may have heard of Bourbon & Banter in Dallas Texas, but that doesn’t mean it’ll be easy to find. This sophisticated speakeasy is so well hidden they put signs up to help you find the way and it’s STILL tricky! It’s establishments like this that inspired this blog in the beginning, and Bourbon & Banter is here to keep the inspiration flowing, enticing you to find their secrets and enjoy phenomenal cocktails.
To point you in the right direction but not spoil all the fun, B&B is located inside the Statler Hotel below the lobby. Wandering around you’ll find a sign that tells you where to go and then a neon BAR sign above a door even further down. Seems almost too obvious up until this point. But when you walk into a shoe shine room with no where to go and the shoe shiner staring like you’re lost, the pressure is on. Look for the phone booth and the rest is up to you! (If you ever want to know specifically how to enter feel free to DM us on IG).
Once you get through the door, B&B is a lively den of class and dark vintage elegance. They have just changed management and the new team has come up with some incredibly creative cocktails that delight the senses and pay homage to previous B&B classics to carry on the legacy. As a true craft cocktail bar, they make most of their ingredients in house, creating beautiful garnishes, and utilizing innovative techniques.
Malice, manager and mixologist, made two of the upcoming drinks from the new menu for us and both were amazing. Sex & Candy is a playful mix of fruits and vodka with a sexy powdered sugar finish; and the Smokers Can’t Elope is a whiskey based drink with an intriguing addition of cantaloupe and tajin. We also recommend a classic from the previous menu they are keeping on, the Pompadour: a bourbon forward libation you have to crack to get into. The new menu at B&B is sure to spark your senses and keep you coming back to try more.
We were thrilled to discover Bourbon & Banter; so much so we uncharacteristically went two days in a row! One night was busy and bustling, the second was right when they unlocked the secret door, and it is apparent that no matter when you visit, this will be a new favorite spot. You may also find yourself returning two days in a row!
Cheers fellow libation hunters, the world is opening back up!
Your light weight drinkers post-quarantine,
The PLIs