Watershed Distillery / Watershed Kitchen & Bar (Columbus, Ohio)
I’ll be honest here: Liquor isn’t my go-to choice of libations. After attending my first college party (which seems like eons ago), liquor and I shook hands to agree to keep one another at arm’s length, beginning my slow descent into the craft beer world. Don’t get me wrong, I do like a nice glass of scotch on occasion, however you’ll very rarely see me drinking cocktails if there is a solid choice of beers at hand.
With that out of the way, when it does come time for me to dip into some cocktails, I like to spoil myself big time. With some of my girlfriend’s family coming into town and trying to find things to do when Ohio’s winter is in full swing, getting into a distillery tour over at Watershed seemed a good idea to escape the frost. Watershed was founded in 2010 in response to the growing number of breweries in Ohio, as at the time there were hardly any micro-distilleries across the state. Since then, you can barely scrape through a cocktail menu without seeing at least one of Watershed’s spirits listed and for good reason - they’re all delicious.
One of the best and easiest ways to sample what their liquors can do is to head over to the Watershed Kitchen & Bar, easily one of my favorite dining experiences in town. The menu is constantly changing in terms of what to eat and to drink, on this visit they even replaced the menu mid-meal. The cocktail menu has never been simple; as the cocktail menu changes, so does the menu itself. I’ve seen the cocktail menu be a travel pamphlet, a passport, and on this last visit, a magazine. There are always more than a dozen different combinations they offer for their cocktails, ranging from dark and smoky to fruity and funky.
The food is what does it for me - Fresh, locally sourced, seasonal. Foods in season always taste the best and a menu that shifts to highlight the season will always rank high in my book. The Watershed Kitchen also offers 2 Chef’s Pairing Options, allowing for a fixed price to select items from the menu. The Lil’ This And Lil’ That option comes with a small Amuse, a small plate, and a large plate, while the Lil’ This, Lil’ That & Then Some adds on dessert or the option of a take home cocktail should you be too full for some sweets.
If you’re ever looking for somewhere to have good drinks and good food, Watershed will always be one of the top choices I recommend.
Featured Foods and Drinks:
Midwest Chips & Dips - Potato Chips, Sour Cream And Confit Garlic, Pickle Salsa
Crispy Fingerling Potatoes - Rosemary Aioli, Parmesan, Lemon
Broccolini - Swainway Mushrooms, Front Axle Spring Onions, Black Bean Sauce, Rice Tots
Confit Wings - 8-hour Confit, Chili & Garlic, Green Onion
Market Fish (Halibut) - Low-country Style Red Rice & Beans, House Sausage, Celery
Braised Short Rib - Robuchon Potatoes, Pea Purée, Tallow-glazed Carrots, Pea Tendrils
Bourcino Cheesecake - Candied Walnuts, Banana Chip, Bourcino Chocolate Sauce
Calpico Swizzle - Watershed Four Peel Gin, Sake, Calpico, Sparkling Wine, Blue, Fun Cherry and Sansho Pepper
Slow Lane - Cachaca, Overproof Rum, Passion Fruit, Lime, Coco-blaster, Mint
Check out the amazing liquors over at Watershed Distillery: https://www.watersheddistillery.com/distillery
For the food and cocktail menu at the Watershed Kitchen & Bar: https://www.watersheddistillery.com/kitchenandbar