By Hanna Raskin

Proof’s celebrated gin-and-tonic still leads its cocktail list, and the King Street bar wouldn’t dare do away with its Knuckleball, better known as the whiskey drink with pickled boiled peanuts in it. But Proof’s menu has undergone a significant overhaul, featuring a slew of cocktails developed by staff bartenders.

Of the 38 cocktails on the menu, which Proof released earlier this week, 19 are brand new.

Many of the additions are tequila-based, including The Zach the Knife, made with Cointreau, yellow chartreuse, raspberry and lemon; the Hudson Picker, featuring mulled cider, Suze, Benedictine, lemon and Jamaican bitters; and Nectar of the Night, completed by two different amari.

Owner Craig Nelson says he’s looking forward to serving all of the above, as well as a Valkyrie, which combines Wild Turkey 101 Rye, Cynar, Averna and St. Germain. He’s reluctant to guess which of the cocktails will resonate with customers, though.

“It’s hard to say until you serve them for a while,” he says.

Still, at least one drink on offer has already been a hit with professional judges. Bar manager Sam Gabrielli originally created The Elephant’s Keeper (gin, pollen cream, rose water, honey, lemon, egg white and a pony of beer) for a Hendrick’s Gin contest. He won.

At $16, The Keeper is the costliest cocktail on the list; the majority of them are priced in the $10-$12 range. Most of the by-the-glass wines on Proof’s rejiggered menu run a few dollars more than the mixed drinks, but Charleston Madeira – which local restaurants typically sell for $12-$14 – is $9 here.

Deidre Schipani
Post and Courier, 2014

What’s the story?

In July 2014, Brent Stephens, master distiller, along with Alison Curry and Stephen Heilman opened the Charleston Distilling Company. The company is a micro-distillery using locally grown grains raised at Flowers Farm in Summerton. They produce small-batch spirits and liquors. The trio has outfitted its “factory” with two large copper stills imported from Eislingen, Germany, along with a tasting room and event space. Tours are available and reservations can be made online. The distillery is at 501B King St.

What is it?

Army Navy is a cocktail developed by Craig Nelson, the creative bartending wizard at Proof, 437 King St. The drink uses Jasper’s Gin from the Charleston Distilling Company.

The gin is distilled from Summerton grains, select botanicals and juniper. The blue-green juniper berries are what gives gin its unique taste and aroma. Genever is Dutch for juniper and the spirit is sometimes referred to by that name (although the Brits shortened the name to “gin” in the 1500s).

Nelson has added orgeat, made from almonds, sugar and rose water or orange flower water, Angostura bitters and fresh lemon juice to complement the blend of herbs and spices that define the flavor profile of Jasper’s Gin.

Who’s selling it?

The gin is available at the source: Charleston Distilling Company and also at Bottles in Mount Pleasant.

The cocktail can be enjoyed at Proof on King Street.

Who’s buying it?

Those who prefer small-batch distillations and custom-blended spirits. Stephens speaks to the “terroir” of the grains tasting as much of their environment as do grapes in wine.

Army Navy fans (the drink not the gridiron) enjoy the citrus-forward flavors and the “light’ quality of this balanced cocktail.

What’s the price?

Army-Navy at Proof, $9.50

Jasper’s Gin, $32 at Bottles, Mount Pleasant

Quotable

“Jasper’s Gin, hands down, the best gin I have ever had.” – Mike Evans, Thorndale, Pa.

It’s no secret that Charleston’s a port city. We’re known to drink like sailors after salty days at sea—liquors, liqueurs, and fortified wines, too. Charleston’s Madeira-sipping tradition is said to be a holdover from the days of long, trans-Atlantic passages, but we like classic cocktails and the sophisticated new concoctions, too—to make them, drink them, and talk about them. One of my friends constantly craves Xiao Bao Biscuit for the vodka-ginger-bitters Mapo Mule (and for the Vietnamese crepes). Another pal claims the icy martinis at Charleston Grill are the best in town. My favorite cocktails are made with good old southern bourbons and rye whiskeys, like the perfect Sazerac at Hank’s Seafood. Meanwhile, if you’re out late enough, you’ll likely witness a Charleston phenomenon. After restaurants’ close, the food and bev crowd is known to order shots and snifters of “Grand Ma,” aka Grand Marnier, the cognac-based liqueur from France.

Proof

Yes, it’s another King Street bar not far from the college, but there’s no kid stuff here. Known to serve the city’s best gin and tonic, Proof’s long list of classic and new cocktails includes a super-refreshing Lillet Blanc made with blood orange bitters. Add to that, a no-frills decor and hearty snacks like meatballs, boiled peanut hummus, and pickled eggs.

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For the uninitiated, Charleston, South Carolina can be a tough city to grasp. King Street—the city’s sprawling hub—was once mostly known for its yawning stretches of corporate restaurants and chain stores, which you can still find in abundance. It was where tourists went to check out a Banana Republic or American Apparel, as though those stores had something different in Charleston than the rest of their locations. In fact, the corporate absorption of the downtown had become so massive that the National Trust for Historic Preservation had listed the entire city on their 10 Most Endangered Historic Places list for the better part of the 2000’s.

Fortunately, South Carolina overhauled their alcohol laws in 2007, loosening the reins for the first time in decades, finally doing away with a ridiculous law that required all liquor to be served in mini bottles, so as to better regulate its sale. What followed was a boom of independent bar owners and restaurateurs reclaiming the commercialized street with reckless abandon, a fierce eye on innovation and a keen respect for tradition and craft. There are so many places find a good cocktail, so many glasses to poke your nose into that it can be overwhelming. But there are a few cocktail bars that have truly made their mark on the city. Here are five you should check out the next time you’re in “The Holy City.”

The Belmont

The Belmont has become my customary first stop when I pull into Charleston. Joey Ryan got this bar up and running in 2010, overseeing a sharp dressed crew bedecked in long black skinny ties with a bright red “B” and white dress shirts. I usually kick my trips off with Ryan’s “Off Duty Bartender”, a boozy, bitter and delightful mix of Rye whiskey, Fernet Branca, Cynar and Punt-e-Mes. Their extensive liquor selection and sizable amaro collection are well worth your time and the sacrifice of your liver. The vintage looking space, decked out with tin ceilings and retro lighting, gives just enough of that Mad Men feel without getting too kitschy.

Proof

Just up the road, Craig Nelson has meticulously assembled what might be my favorite cocktail menu in Charleston. Constantly changing, insanely creative, and surprisingly reverent, Proof’s cocktails represent roots in classic compositions and spirits, with fresh squeezed juices and house made sodas and ginger beer, but with a penchant for more pungent flavors like mezcals and scotches. The tiny space and intimate, candle-lit vibe are a perfect excuse to tuck into a corner or sidle up at the bar and enjoy more than a necessary amount of libations from one of the most dedicated minds in the Southern cocktail scene.

Xiao Bao Biscuit

Let’s face it, you will go to Xiao Bao for the food, but if you are wise, you will stay there well past your meal because even after you have been to Belmont, you will still want more of Joey Ryan’s drinks. Ryan helped open Xiao Bao with friends Joshua Walker and Duolan Li, and his cocktails do tend to stand out. Particularly the Sichuan Sting, a cheeky mix of Sichuan peppercorn infused gin, lemon, ginger beer, dashed with house made orange bitters.

Gin Joint

Whether seated at the patio or bellied up to the tiny six-seat bar, you can either peruse the expansive cocktail and spirits list, or jump straight to the “Bartenders Choice” option. Combine two of the 16 listed words for a surprise cocktail that could be “sweet and spicy” or “bitter and vegetal,” it’s all up to you and the whim of bartender Joey Raya. With a strong focus on classics, Raya’s list lends a fresh perspective to centuries of respected tipples.

Husk

Directly beside Sean Brock’s acclaimed restaurant is the namesake’s bar. Tucked into what may as well serve as a narrow hallway, the warm wood and exposed brick feel as though you stumbled into something that’s been there for a hundred years. Admittedly, I have never had a cocktail there. When in Rome, do as the Romans do, and here, the order of the day is Bourbon. After all, why would you not peruse their lengthy collection of whiskeys? Especially in a place where the chef has been very openly involved in bidding wars for vintage bottles of Pappy Van Winkle with none other than Julian Van Winkle himself! And with a whiskey list boasting over 54 bourbons and 16 rye whiskeys, you’d be hard pressed to find a better way to enjoy one of the most well regarded restaurants in the low country.

Leon’s Oyster Shop

Here’s one to keep your eye on. Leon’s isn’t open yet, but the oft praised Brooks Reitz—formerly of the Ordinary—and restaurateur Tim Mink—the brawn behind Taco Boy, Monza, Poe’s, Closed for Business, and the Royal American—are opening an oyster-centric bar that is sure to be one to check out once its doors are open. If Reitz offers anything like he did at the Ordinary, Leon’s will be quickly known for its carefully crafted, creative cocktails.

In Craig Nelson’s eight years of bartending, he’s used a lot of different techniques to come up with new cocktails: scouring mixology books, learning from friends, pulling bottles from his liquor cabinet in the dark so as not to wake his sleeping baby—well that drink was sort of an accident. But what he’s discovered is that some of his best concoctions happen when he puts an unexpected twist on an old favorite.

Such is the case with the refreshing Van Lear Rose. “It’s my take on a gimlet,” says Nelson, co-owner of King Street’s Proof Bar, opened in May. The gimlet was invented by Sir Thomas Gimlette, a British naval surgeon. “He made a vitamin-packed lime cocktail to prevent sailors from scurvy,” Nelson explains. Naval officers were given a ration of the drink, which was made with Plymouth gin so it would keep on long voyages. For the Van Lear Rose, Nelson uses that same Plymouth gin but mixes in Lillet Rose and agave nectar.

“The Lillet Rose adds the pink color, and the agave is a natural sweetener that provides an earthiness,” he says. To make one at home, pull out your cocktail shaker and, Nelson suggests, a stainless steel jigger. “Measure all liquids with a jigger to ensure consistency,” he says. “Some people think a bartender is giving them special treatment when they serve a heavy pour, but good cocktails aren’t about quantity. You want quality.” In a shaker, pour the Lillet, gin, lime juice, and agave nectar, then add one drop of rose water and two drops lime bitters (Nelson suggests using Charleston’s Newtonian brand). Add ice, shake, and serve in a martini glass for a pink drink even the saltiest sailor will enjoy.