Oftentimes, you will see products and objects adults use turned into alternate versions for children. Candy necklaces. The Ring Pop. Big League Chew. The Easy-Bake Oven. But eleven stories above 609 Walnut Street the tables have been turned. The new Cocktail Terrace at 21c Museum Hotel Cincinnati is offering up a new twist on an old childhood favorite: the popsicle. The Cocktail Terrace team were given a great idea from 21c Cincinnati’s Food & Beverage Director Melanie Tapp. Poptails! Says Terrace Manager Ryan Shewmaker, “the Poptail suggestion came from Melanie. She passed the idea along to our very talented bartender, Chris Brown. He has been making ice cream for some time now and she gave him the idea to run away with!”
Mr. Brown came up with three very enticing flavors: lavender blueberry, avocado, and strawberry mint. Each Poptail is made from scratch using fruit which is either blended or simmered down to a fine liquid. They are then transferred to trays and frozen for at least eight hours. Here is where we get a little more grown up – once ordered, each Poptail is then placed into a glass of chilled liquor. Vodka and limoncello for the lavender blueberry, tequila and triple sec for the avocado, and bourbon for the strawberry mint. They can be eaten solo or stirred into the spirits to create a cocktail. “It really brings out the inner child in all,” says Mr. Shewmaker.
The terrace menu also features craft cocktails created by the team at the terrace and the bartenders below at Metropole. Though, the menu does differ from the bar below. Says Shewmaker, “The cocktail terrace menu is different from Metropole’s bar menu. All of our delicious craft beers are served in bright and beautiful cans and our cocktails reflect fresh and easy to drink flavors in the warmer outdoor climate.” Aside from cocktails and beer there is also a small, yet thoughtfully curated wine list as well as a few select bar snacks that include jerk cashew trailmix and boiled peanut hummus by Chef Michael Paley and his team.
While the Poptail is definitely a standout on the 11th floor, the real star is the view. “The response has been phenomenal. We couldn’t be happier in Cincinnati. There is nothing like this in the city and the views are spectacular!” says Shewmaker. He continues, “guests will refer to it as a ‘rooftop bar’ but we try to inform them that this isn’t a bar. It’s a Cocktail Terrace, a place for you to relax. You sit back, relax and we will do the rest. We are here to take care of you and make sure you enjoy yourself.”
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