St. Patrick's Day at Bryant's

Bryant's is a unique place that doesn't exactly fit the trends of other bars and lounges in the area.  When other bars are slow, we may be packed and when other bars are busy, we may be slow.  A beautiful spring night?  Dead.  A blizzard with 10 below wind chill.  Packed.  It's funny how often this is the case.

St. Patrick's Day is one of the holidays that is slower at Bryant's.  Maybe it's because we don't have green beer or little plastic bowler hats.  Or, maybe it's because our clientele stays away on St. Patrick's Day because they think we will be too busy.  Either way, it is generally a mellow night where the words "Erin Go Bragh" are not heard.

Looking back at Bryant's 74 year history, we found that this was not always the case.  In fact, the second owner, Pat Malmberg, was quite a fan of the holiday as was most of the clientele.  One year, Pat wanted to "set the mood" for the holiday, so he changed all the amber lights to green.  A valuable lesson was learned on that night: people look awful under green light.  It was a failure, but people still had a great time.

A Bryant's St. Patrick's Day tradition that wasn't so ugly was the St. Patrick's Day Punch.  The third in a series of punches at Bryant's (behind the Holiday Punch and Valentine's Day Punch), the St. Patrick's Day Punch was a strong punch with a lovely green hue and the taste of spiced limes.  Hard to describe, but easy to drink.

In addition to Pat's efforts, much of the Irish spirit at Bryant's was added by the employees and management of Allen Bradley.  Allen Bradley's Headquarters was located at 2nd and Greenfield, about 10 blocks from Bryant's Cocktail Lounge.  At one point, the huge plant with the massive 4 sided clock employed nearly 6,000 people working 24 hours a day.  Many of the workers and management would frequent Bryant's, especially around the holidays including St Patrick's Day.  The management of Allen Bradley, in a show of Irish cheer, would even send Irish dancers to Bryant's to entertain the guests.

Over the years, Allen Bradley lost employees and St. Patrick's Day revelers moved to pitchers of green beer.  The St. Patrick's Day punch disappeared and (thankfully) so did the green lights.

This year, we are bringing back the St. Patrick's Day cheer.  No, we won't be transforming in to O'Bryant's and we won't be resorting to cheap gimmicks.  We will, however, be celebrating Bryant's style with an awesome list of St. Patrick's Day themed cocktail and, yes, St. Patrick's Day Punch.

Plus, just for you old timers, we will have one green bulb glowing by the bar.

See you on St. Patrick's Day!

Cocktail of the Week: Lapham Punch

There are several secrets that surround Bryant's Cocktail Lounge.

Some secrets are known by regular customers and those who have frequented Bryant's for years. For example, if you want a good cocktail, just tell the barman what you are looking for and trust that he will deliver.

Other secrets are known by just the staff. For example, what gives the Black Magic that magical taste that leaves you wanting more.

Still other secrets are even better kept and are known only to two or three people. One of these secrets is the ingredients in Pat's punches.

Pat, the second owner of Bryant's Cocktail Lounge, became somewhat well know for his boozy punch concoctions that would be sold around special occasions- the most popular of which was the Holiday Punch, which we still serve from Thanksgiving to New Years. These punches pack a kick that helps fuel Holiday revelry and are sweet enough to go down like candy.

Many people have tasted the Holiday Punch, but not many have tried the other punches that were served back in the day. One of the most obscure is the Lapham Punch, which was primarily sold around St. Patrick's Day and has a limey, whiskey fueled taste. This punch hasn't been mixed in years and years, but is available this week at Bryant's as the Cocktail of the Week.

If you are a fan of the Holiday Punch, you will most certainly like the Lapham Punch. Stop in during Old Fashioned Cocktail Hour to try this well kept secret for only $5 a glass. Plus, as usual, it is available for only $5 all night on Sunday.