Along with my husband Mike, I ventured to the Loews Coronado Bay Resort to check out The Traveller Bar. Described as a “pop-up” experience, The Traveller Bar will spend only a month in Coronado before heading to the Loews Ventana Canyon Resort in Tuscon, Arizona, and then venturing to the remaining 23 Loews Hotels nationwide.
Reviving the “Golden Age of the Cocktail” is how The Traveller Bar is advertised, and with the bar itself constructed from an old elevator car, Mike and I immediately felt captivated as soon as we grabbed two of the four seats at the bar. We both remarked that we felt like we stepped right into the show Boardwalk Empire, which was set during the era of Prohibition. The music that played took us back to 1920-1933, when there was a constitutional ban on alcoholic beverages, and it felt like we were sitting in a speakeasy as we listened to jazz and swing music.
While the theme may have been set to an age gone by, the technology was definitely modern day. Using an iPad that sat right on the bar top, Mike and I were able to peruse each of the eight specialty drinks: Gin Fix, Whiskey Cocktail, Picador, Fedora, Daiquiri, Lucien Gaudin, Revolving Door, and Sombrero. It was certainly intriguing seeing cocktails neither of us had ever heard of before, and we really took our time looking over the selection before making our respective choices.
Like most bars and restaurants that offer specialty drinks, beneath the name of each drink was a list of the ingredients. The Traveller Bar’s cocktail list, however, went above and beyond most establishments’ drink menus. When we touched the title of one of the cocktails listed on the left, a plethora of information about that specific cocktail became available. We were able to see a picture of the original recipe of each drink as well as a picture of the specific bartender guide where each drink originated.
Mike ordered a Whiskey Cocktail, which dated back to 1895. I ordered a Picador, which dated back to 1937. I must confess that the reason I selected the Picador was because it was fun to say the name. (I dare you to try saying Picador without smiling.) Of his drink, Mike said, “I don’t normally order elaborate drinks, but it tasted extremely smooth, and I really enjoyed it. It was a nice change of pace from what I normally would order.” My drink reminded me of a margarita, but it tasted of fresh lemons rather than having lime flavors. The Picador had the perfect velvety finish, and was refreshing without being overpowering.
What impressed Mike and I even more than the old school charm of The Traveller Bar was our bartender Vernon Lucero, who could not have been any more personable if he tried. (It felt like he was our new best friend!) His service was impeccable, and Mike and I both noted how much care Vernon put into crafting each of our drinks. The Traveller Bar experience definitely wasn’t one in which we felt like we were competing with lots of other patrons to get the bartender’s attention, and that in itself was a breath of fresh air. We felt like we were transported back in time when customer service still meant something.
We both thoroughly enjoyed our cocktails, and definitely took our time sipping them as we tried to savor not only the drinks but the whole Traveller Bar experience itself. The decor, which included an array of vintage cocktail books, added to the ambiance, and we enjoyed listening to Vernon explain how the word cocktail originated. He said, “It’s called a cocktail because the cock of the barrel is the ‘cock’ part. The ‘tail’ is the residue underneath the barrel, and that is what was mixed into the liquor. That’s where you essentially had your first cocktail.”
I was hoping that we would actually get to peek at the 1862 first-edition of Jeremiah P. Thomas’ The Bar-Tender’s Guide, the oldest cocktail recipe book ever written, but Vernon didn’t have the key to unlock it from the glass cases that adorned the bar. Valued at around $8,000, it was easy for us to understand why the 154 year old book is being preserved. We were curious about the names of other cocktails that no one hears about anymore, drinks that were once just as popular as today’s Moscow Mule and Mojito.
Vernon shared, “The Traveller Bar represents that moment of Prohibition, and brings that window of time to all of the Loews Hotels so people can feel the history. You have the history, you have the drinks, and you have the concept, and it’s intriguing.” When asked what is the most interesting thing he’s learned while serving cocktails at The Traveller Bar, Vernon answered, “The names of each cocktail and where they derive from. It’s nice to learn how it evolved from straight liquor to mixing cocktails over the years.” For anyone who is unsure of which cocktail to order, Vernon suggests the Whiskey Cocktail.
Mike, our new best friend Vernon, and I discussed how it’s interesting that in fewer than four years it will be the one hundredth anniversary of when Prohibition began. Think about how many trends have come and gone in the last one hundred years with alcoholic beverages, and what is considered to be cool at the moment. One decade it’s sugary drinks, and the next it’s martinis. The age of Sex and the City was defined by Cosmopolitans. “Everything comes full circle,” Vernon said. He continued, “It’s good to see that the drinks have come full circle too. As we’re approaching the ’20s [the 2020s], sophistication is coming back.” Cheers to that!
Our experience at The Traveller Bar definitely elicited a feeling of nostalgia of a time we’ve only ever had glimpses of from watching movies and television shows. We really did travel back in time, if only for a brief moment.
For those “wanderers” interested in experiencing The Traveller Bar, make sure you head to Loews Coronado before it’s dismantled and is on its way to Arizona next month. November 4th is the last day to head there. The Traveller Bar is open Wednesday through Sunday from 5 pm through 10 pm. If you’re heading there with anyone who does not care for mixed drinks, there is a selection of beer and wine available too.
Just a mild note of caution to anyone on a budget: Mike and I each only ordered one cocktail a piece, and I’ll admit that we were both a little surprised when it came time to pay our tab. (When we looked at the cocktail menu on the iPad the prices were not listed.) Was my Picador (still so much fun to say) worth the $29 price tag? The way I look at, I wasn’t just paying for a drink; I was paying for an experience, and The Traveller Bar certainly provided that. If you see Vernon, tell him Coree and Mike sent you!
