I am so excited for the distillery game to pop off here in the TC, and I think Tattersall has done a good job of setting the bar. After 3 visits here, I've been impressed overall but am especially hopeful for what the future holds once they work out the kinks.
I have been making an effort to try as many cocktails as possible, at the risk of going outside of my comfort zone. Full disclosure: my ideal cocktail has some bubbles and a healthy dose of citrus. That being said, there are some great and some not-so-great cocktails that I have sampled at Tattersall.
So far, the "On Tap" options have been my favorite-- though sometimes they are a little too sweet. These cocktails are batched so you cannot ask for substitutions. This week I tried their Mule Variation and LOVED IT (mmm pineapple shrub) whereas a few weeks earlier I found it a little sweet. The opposite happened with the Bootleg-- that was my favorite at my first visit but tonight it was too sweet. Their G&T is a crowd pleaser. Again, I love the on tap cocktails because almost all of them incorporate citrus and soda water!
I think that their most impressive liquor is the aquavit-- it has a great, refreshing flavor. The Psycle cocktail is disappointing in that it is not spicy enough (great flavors otherwise-- but if I order something with jalapeno I expect to feel some heat), and the celery shrub cocktail was a little weird (I think lime would be a big help here). If you're just going to try one thing though, make it the aquavit as I think it is their best effort.
I tried the whiskeys for the first time tonight and though I can't speak to other reviewers foul-tasting experience, I agree that it is their weakest liquor. But you can't knock them for wanting to try something that really belongs in a barrel for a couple years.
Service has been good but sometimes spotty. One server told me that they share everything-- so they don't have hang-ups about you closing out your tab before their shift ends. However, I didn't see that camaraderie tonight when our server was facing 3 big new tables, so we ended up waiting about 15 minutes just to get waters/place our orders. One big item in their favor-- tonight their food truck bailed, so they went out and bought a bunch of food to bring out to patrons for free so we didn't get too hungry. Kudos to you, Tattersall-- I love free shit.
I will definitely keep coming back and am excited to keep trying their new boozes (i am particularly intrigued by the sour cherry liqueur from my whiskey cocktail tonight). However, there are a couple things that I would recommend that would take this to 5-star status:
-include the serving style in the menu, whether it's a picture of the type of cocktail or a simple description (e.g "served up", "on the rocks in a highball," etc) because that is make-or-break for me
-turn down the music! I get that this place is trendy, but I want to be able to talk to my friends
-fill in the potholes... the road from Central Ave is atrocious
Overall, keep up the good work Tattersall and I will see you again soon!
TL;DR: get the aquavit and prioritize the "on tap" cocktails. Hold off on the whiskey unless the pairings really speak to you. Great place for a casual night with friends but sit outside to avoid loud music. read more