18th Amendment: one password away from the perfect night out
Walking into 18th Amendment on Broadway in Uptown is like having a lucid dream. First, you have to find your way inside; this means passing the door to the cozy cigar shop, knocking on the heavy, unmarked door, and supplying the bouncer with the night’s password. Once inside, you emerge into a long room with a high, decoratively tiled ceiling. On your left is a long bar, its dark wood sparkling under the soft, inviting light. Behind the bar, the bartenders are dressed as they might have been in an upscale 1920s speakeasy, pressed shirts and ties. Behind them is the brightly lit wall of liquors, a selection sure to please and even surprise the most discerning palates. In particular, we were impressed with the bourbon selection, which included Blantons, among other favorites.
Of course, if your pleasure is beer, 18th Amendment offers a healthy selection of Georgia craft brews, but the real draw for drinks are the handcrafted cocktails. The dapper gentlemen working the bar operate more like jewelry makers than typical bartenders. They take their time, and the wait is well worth the result. These experts use house-made bitters and top shelf mixes, can infuse cocktails with smoke, and know what shape of ice each drink deserves. Cocktail offerings vary, though any place that can produce a perfect Old Fashioned, Mary Pickford and French 75 has something for everyone with good taste.
Take a seat anywhere in the house. Seating is plush, ample and comfortably spaced. Though a cigar bar—it’s own special perk—with a $10,000 ventilation system, non-smokers can settle in comfortably next to anyone. And as you settle in, you’ll notice that the clientele matches the bar’s aesthetic. House rules, which require collared shirts for men, ensure the atmosphere, but I’m not sure it’s needed. This is a place clearly for grown people looking for a comfortable night out, a respite from the party bars, a place where the drinks are perfect, the conversation convivial and the atmosphere nostalgic in all the right ways. The music evokes the era as much as the setting, and when the piano player takes his seat, it’s difficult to imagine a more inviting place to spend an evening.
For more information about the house rules, nightly passwords and more, visit the Facebook page, facebook.com/the18thamendmentcolumbus.