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If there’s one thing you know you’re going to get at Boatman Spirits Co. when it opens in late May, it’s a damn good cocktail. Curated over the last decade-plus by local cocktail legend and Boatman co-owner and Manager of Beverage and Hospitality Zack Thomas—of Foundation and The Crunkleton fame, to name just a couple—the extensive menu boasts ample flavorful ops to satisfy all taste preferences.
And these aren’t just your run-of-the-mill ’tails—see: even boat-inspired bevs like the Punch Romaine, aka the last drink served on the Titanic (you know, before Rose didn’t make room for Jack on the door). Reminiscent of a fluffy snow cone, the rum- and white wine-based bev with egg white, shaved ice and soda is served in a big coupe glass for one.
“There are so many unique flavors in Raleigh that not a lot of people have tapped into,” says Thomas. Launching with bevs crafted around spirits the Boatman team has come to love, the forthcoming distillery addition in a few months will give Thomas a broader arsenal—“like a cocktail bar with a lot more tools I can utilize,” he muses of the restaurant-bar-distillery trio.
Similar to Death & Co Market’s Cocktail Codex, Boatman’s menu will be divided into classifications based on how the ingredients interact with the base spirit. Think sections like old-fashioned/julep-style drinks; “duets” (or “alcohol modifiers”) like Manhattans and martinis; “harmony-style” drinks such as sours; and “ensembles” including Tiki drinks and the like. NA selects round out a refined program to ease selection.
Leaning into the restaurant’s Mediterranean theme are such cocktail standouts as the Cleopatra julep, feat. a fragrant mix of olive oil-washed rye whiskey, cinnamon, rose, myrrh, cardamom and mint reminiscent of what historians have determined about the Queen of the Nile’s signature perfume; and the West Side Garden, paying homage to the Mediterranean meals that shaped Thomas’ West Raleigh upbringing via a medley of traditional ingredients like scotch, apricot and tahini.
Serving sips with a story, Raleigh history will be further reflected in bevs like the Black Velvet-esque Velvet Cloak—its name a nod to the historic Hillsborough Street inn—and Little Italy-inspired Little Raleigh, anchored by an acorn amaro Thomas is crafting in collab with Boatman co-owner, distiller and Production Manager Geremy Prichard.
“The cocktail medium is awesome in that it’s one of the few culinary experiences where you have to tell a story,” emphasizes Thomas. “Why do we call a Manhattan a Manhattan instead of rye whiskey and vermouth? It’s meant to talk about the story.” And soon, that drink menu will write its own story—one that’ll have Raleighites talking for months to come. boatmanspirits.com
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