While most of Indy’s cocktail connoisseurs have been so preoccupied with brown-liquor-this and absinthe-that from the bar chefs at Severin, The Libertine, and Bluebeard, a couple of local entrepreneurs have been preparing to mix things up with a mixology-focused place just a tad further north. How far north? Almost road-trip north: try downtown Noblesville. Dave Pumphrey and John Manley have recently purchased the Conner Station on the square at 917 Conner Street. The bar will be renamed Copper Still and will get a fresh makeover, inside and out. They’ve tapped Brad Gates Catering to consult on the food. “Expect back-porch food, but better,” says Pumphrey. The menu’s still being rolled out, but the owners tell IM that dishes such as Carolina barbecue, corned beef, and cole slaw will be available.
Wilks & Wilson will develop the drink menu. (We’ve featured W&W’s locally-produced syrups in the past, like in this mai tai recipe.) And we like what we’re hearing about the Moonshine Shakeups, kitschy coolers featuring high-proof hooch made unaged white whiskey and Wilks & Wilson syrups, served in 16-ounce mason jars and shaken tableside. Not to worry, the booze is legal and coming from distilleries like Buffalo Trace, Heaven Hill, and Hudson Whiskey.
