By Patti Nickel
When Zeena Brady talks, you hear the heathered hills of Ireland in her voice. But the Dublin-born Brady is quick to tell you that despite her accent, her heart is only part emerald green. The rest is pure Kentucky Bluegrass. Brady arrived in Lawrenceburg 10 years ago by way of New York City and West Virginia. As of July 12th, she has deepened her roots here as one of the owners of Broadway Barrels LLC.
Three years in the making, Broadway Barrels is described by Brady as “a place for adults to go to enjoy socializing” and “the first establishment of its kind in Lawrenceburg.”
As to the first point, while there are a few TVs scattered around, Brady stresses that Broadway Barrels is not a sports bar geared to rowdy college kids looking for cheap beer and a chance to cheer on their favorite team. (College kids are welcome, of course, but only if they are of legal drinking age). Rather, it’s a clubhouse of sorts for those who take their drinking a bit more seriously. For that reason, she refers to her establishment not as a bar, but as a “barrel lounge.”
“Anything that comes out of a barrel, we serve,” says Brady.
For starters, they offer 22 different types of beer, both domestic and international, including Irish favorites Guinness, Smithwick and Harp. If you’re more into the harder stuff, Brady says Broadway Barrels has an extensive inventory of some 122 bourbons, ryes and whiskeys. “We have a good mix of American, Irish, Scottish and Canadian brands,” she assures. “So, whether your preference is Four Roses and Wild Turkey or Jameson and Bushmills, we’ve got you covered.”
Broadway Barrels is still in its soft opening phase, and on any given night you might find Brady or one of the other owners (all veteran bartenders) presiding over the bar. “My favorite drink to make is a Pixie Martini,” says Brady. “It’s so colorful.”
Just in case you’re not a trend follower, no, this is not a special Irish concoction. A Pixie Martini can be any flavor of martini. What makes it unique is rimming the glass with pixie dust in the form of sweet and tart candy powder in various shades of pinks and blues.
These days it seems a successful bar has to be more than just a purveyor of alcoholic beverages and occasionally, sage advice from a savvy bartender. It must be a source of entertainment as well. Broadway Barrels LLC is open seven days a week for beverage purveying, and on a couple of nights for entertaining. “Right now, we offer trivia contests on Tuesday night and live music or karaoke on Friday and Saturday,” says Brady, adding that they are thinking about turning Thursday into open mic night.
Along with entertainment, today’s successful bar needs a food component. While Broadway Barrels doesn’t have its own kitchen, it does offer a food truck, Taqueria Garcia, every day, with a goal of mixing it up in the food department, according to Brady. “For example, on Tuesday, they do Mediterranean food, on Thursday, Louisiana dishes and Saturday, home-style cooking,” she says.
While there is currently no patio for enjoying the food and drink in an outdoor setting, Brady notes that future plans call for a traditional beer garden . We don’t have a specific date yet, but it’s coming,” she says.
Have Brady and her partners been surprised at the popularity of their new business? “We had done our research and had a pretty good idea that tourists, especially those on the Bourbon Trail, would be interested in a place with such a large selection of bourbons,” she says, “but what really came as a surprise was the number of locals requesting to book for special events.”
FYI: If you want to celebrate your birthday, engagement, wedding or any other milestone, better get your name on the list. If not, just pop in anytime and listen to Brady’s lilting Irish brogue as she pours you a cold one.