REYNOLDS

 

Presiding over the Black Crescent cocktail and spirit program is Michael Reynolds of Lincoln, Nebraska. After starting out at Bricktop in Nebraska, he expanded his cocktail knowledge at The Atomic Cowboy in Denver and the Gaslight District in Vancouver, Michael, known simply as Reynolds to those lucky enough to have sat before his shaker, brought his considerable talents to the barrooms of lower Manhattan six years ago.  After opening and designing the cocktail menus at Lovers of Today and Black Market, Reynolds moved to the north end of Tompkins Square Park to pour at East Village stalwarts The Beagle and Booker & Dax. During which time Reynolds would also curate the cocktail programs at the well known watering holes in lower Manhattan, before heading uptown to the Mckittrick Hotel to manage the bar at Gallow Green and work alongside punch savant Dave Wondrich. With a superb understanding of the ethos and structure of classic cocktails and their attendant culture, Reynolds is able to create cocktails without any of the pomp and circumstance that is all too commonly peddled by charlatan “mixologists” the world over.  He makes drinks that at once harken back to their forebears while remaining innovative and fresh.  The kind of cocktail Ernest Hemingway would have enjoyed right before happily punching you in the face.