Detroit Cocktail Bar Hammer & Nail Opens Friday With Mid-Century Drinks | Eater Detroit

"A sleek, roughly 60-seat mid-century lobby bar tucked into the base of the restored 1966 Plaza, the venue pairs a polished retro aesthetic — Nero Marquina marble bartop, walnut chairs, brown leather banquettes, brass lamps and floor-to-ceiling windows — with bartenders in white jackets serving updated throwback cocktails. The program, developed by Rick Paulger of TreeFort Hospitality, revives and tweaks '50s and '60s drinks: expect slightly modernized Harvey Wallbangers and Tom Collinses, a sparkling Moonwalk said to have been served to Apollo 11 astronauts, and nostalgic offerings like Pink Squirrel and Blue Hawaii. The Pink Squirrel is highlighted for its use of Crème de Noyaux (an apricot-pit/Amaretto-style liqueur that had to be added to the Michigan liquor list through lobbying), two cocktails are offered on draft (including a nitrogenated Black Russian with an optional cold-foam float), and a selection of old-school beers such as Carling Black Label, Blatz, Schlitz, and Stroh’s is available. A small snack menu supplied by sister bar Monarch Club features classic bar bites like deviled eggs, shrimp cocktail, and warm onion dip. The bar also showcases a restored neon Hammer-and-Nail sign (refurbished by Spectrum Neon) as a colorful focal point, and validated parking is available nearby at the Ellington structure." - Brenna Houck