Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/16170
A Shot of Thunder Who is Thunder Jackson? “We don’t know,” explains Billy Bishop over the whooping din of a recent happy hour at this oddly named dive bar and restaurant he co-owns at 169 Bleecker Street in the heart of New York’s West Village. “It just sounded cool.” Cool is in full effect here, and given the 20- and 30-somethings that flock to Thunder Jackson’s, it almost has to be. There are the requisite exposed brick walls decoupaged with road signs, New York Yankee baseball headlines and party pictures of past hoopla, while random chalkboards announce that “Thursday is Dirty Steak Night.” Look around further and you’ll come across an arcade- style boxing game in the corner, and on any given weeknight, even in the early hours, you’re likely to see waitresses dancing on the bar while pouring liquor into the mouths of regulars. Bishop says it’s all part of the dive bar experience. A Shot through Time The oldest bar in Florida was built in 1907 and even through Prohibition, continually operated with its own licensed still. Unaffected by time, The Palace Saloon on Amelia Island has pushed through to the 21st century on Florida’s northernmost island, inhabited by 14,000 people, just across the water from Georgia. “We’re an upscale dive bar,” confirms General Manager/Director of Operations Bill Childers. “We cater to the service industry, local fisherman and, oh yes,” he adds, pointing, “to vacationers staying at the Ritz-Carlton hotel.” With a mix-and-match set of customers from blue collars to gold lamé sandals, The Palace Saloon exists because its management understands the concept of evolution. Owners George, Barbara and Wes Sheffield bought the property in 2003 in an effort to preserve it for the community. THE TASTING PANEL asks Childers to define “dive bar.” His answer: “A place that doesn’t focus on aesthetics. No new bar stools, perhaps some rickety furniture or equipment, but it is also defined by its customers’ loyalty.” However, at The Palace Saloon, Childers claims that the establish- Rob Jewell is a 17-year veteran at The Palace Saloon on Florida’s Amelia Island and a huge fan of HARLEM. New York City’s Thunder Jackson’s. “Thunder Jackson’s is a relaxed environ- ment where we offer affordable prices and oversized drinks with no frills,” he explains. “Leave your suit and tie at home. This is a bar that’s laid-back . . . to say the least.” Sure sounds like the description of a tradi- tional dive bar, but Bishop also believes the definition of the genre may well be changing. Just a little. “Dive bars are moving away from the ‘old man’ stigma, and more towards younger people,” he says. “Dive bars are the anti-lounge; they’re not stuffy. No bottle service, no candles. And lots of shots.” Ask Bishop about newly-popular shot potables like HARLEM Kruiden Liqueur and his face lights up. “HARLEM is hugely popular at our bar, especially when we make it a special. We like it because it has a slightly higher alcohol content than most of its competitors. And its taste profile is definitely better.” That’s probably a good thing, to borrow a phrase from Martha Stewart. At least in urban dive bars with names like Thunder Jackson’s. — Adriana DiGennaro september 2010 / the tasting panel / 109 ment embodies the “new” dive bar concept. “We actually do focus on aesthetics,” he insists. However, we try to keep it true to the historic nature of the Palace. We have added some modern day amenities like a flat-screen TV, but the original paddle fans installed in the ‘20s still hang from the ceiling. We also just purchased new furniture that matches the style of the original seating. So there are no rickety barstools, but you still have a feeling you’ve stepped back in time with the original mahogany back bar and caryatids and original tile floors. It is definitely defined by nostalgia and customer loyalty.” Bartenders who work at The Palace Saloon have been around for decades. “We carry an old-school feeling here, but our bartenders are well educated in the art of the drink—and they know their spirits. I think there is more experimentation here than in any other bar,” Childers muses. But it’s the shot program at The Palace that keeps profits up, expedites service at this always-busy bar and keeps the bartenders in good form because it motivates new shot recipes every month. “Coming up with new shot recipes inspires us to sell more drinks,” Childers notes. “With a local following, you need that, but you also need the foundation for those two-ounce pours: something that works with many, many ingredients.” The Palace Saloon—the first hard-liquor bar in America to carry Coca- Cola—was also one of the first accounts in Florida to discover HARLEM Kruiden Liqueur, an herbal spirit with complex flavors and a refreshingly delicious profile that has taken precedence as the base for The Palace Saloon’s shot culture. “A shot should be an ‘everyman’s drink,’” explains Childers. “That’s the beauty of the shot culture: It can be a $6.50 version of simple ingredients, like HARLEM and Coke, or something as expressive as HARLEM mixed with a housemade ginger simple syrup and a candied ginger garnish for $12. The two-ounce pour can be a compact delivery of liquid treats. You know the saying: Good things come in small packages.” —Meridith May PHOTO COURTESY OF THE PALACE SALOON PHOTO: DOUG YOUNG