Perez Klebahn – Baltimore Magazine https://www.baltimoremagazine.com The Best of Baltimore Since 1907 Wed, 05 Aug 2020 23:46:48 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://www.baltimoremagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/cropped-favicon-32x32.png Perez Klebahn – Baltimore Magazine https://www.baltimoremagazine.com 32 32 Review: Rye https://www.baltimoremagazine.com/section/fooddrink/review-rye/ Sun, 02 Jun 2019 18:13:28 +0000 http://server2.local/BIT-SPRING/baltimoremagazine.com/html/?post_type=article&p=3966

Change is hard. Especially for Baltimoreans, who are particularly reluctant to adapt. So when beloved cocktail bar Rye shuttered its Broadway doors in March, booze buffs were nervous about what the next chapter would look like.

As it turns out, very different. The bar moved down the street to the former home of Leadbetter’s (1639 Thames St., 443-438-3455), which closed in June—yet another hard pill to swallow. The aesthetics of the new space—full of rustic touches like dried flowers, a cream and teal bar, and a bronze animal head—are more ornate than the chalkboard and dark woods of the dimly lit, speakeasy-esque original.

Granted, this Rye arrives at a time when cocktail havens are the norm, whereas the first, which opened in 2011, felt more groundbreaking. Even more apparent is that the bar staff has changed. But a welcome bright spot is beverage director and partner Perez Klebahn, who has poured at Sugarvale, Ware House 518, and Mr. Rain’s Fun House.

The cocktail menu reads like Klebahn’s personal playground, with ingredients like absinthe, house caramel, and shiso. One standout concoction, Juniper & Lace, felt in keeping with the bohemian bar—bright Haymans gin, apricot-like Dimmi liqueur, Carpano Bianco vermouth, and a sprig of aromatic lavender. The beer list is well curated, too, with options like Right Proper White Bicycles and Key Brewing Co. Chesapeake lager. There is, however, noticeably no option for a can of Natty Boh, which was always a welcome and familiar choice back on Broadway.

The night we spent gathered around the front corner of the bar, door wide open to allow in a warm breeze, was quite lovely. And, more importantly, there was not one cocktail that disappointed. That said, here’s a suggestion: The owners should have started from scratch, naming the bar something new entirely, so it wouldn’t quite feel second best.

Source

]]> New Rye Opening in Fells Point on September 10 https://www.baltimoremagazine.com/section/fooddrink/new-rye-opening-in-fells-point-on-september-10/ Wed, 07 Sep 2016 14:24:00 +0000 https://www.baltimoremagazine.com/?p=30669 Continued]]> When beloved cocktail Rye closed its doors on Broadway last winter, Fells Point drinkers felt a void. But now a new iteration of Rye is opening this Saturday, September 10, just down the street in the former home of Leadbetter’s.

Though no original Rye bar staff will be a part of the new concept, veteran cocktail crafter Perez Klebahn will be managing the beverage program. Klebahn previously had stints at Mr. Rain’s Fun House, Warehouse 518, and Sugarvale.

“The thing that patrons will recognize is the similar dedication to the craft of the cocktail and dedication to our clientele,” Klebahn said. “Now the idea of a cocktail menu has become more ubiquitous and customers are walking into a very welcoming experience.”

That atmosphere, which Klebahn describes as “Victorian meets punk rock,” includes new touches and remnants of the old. Owner Ryan Perlberg kept the exposed brick and graffiti-laden bathrooms of Leadbetter’s, but added new touches like chandeliers, dried flowers, and ornate picture frames.

Rye’s cocktail menu, which its staff is still workshopping, will include 16 concoctions focusing on the use of American whiskies, house-made ingredients, and French liqueurs like absinthe. One of the cocktails on the menu is Down By Law with Rittenhouse rye whiskey, absinthe, orgeat syrup, lemon, and Swedish spiced liqueur besk.

“With the space being the way that it is, we decided to highlight some masculine drinks with higher ABVs, but with a more delicate nuance,” Klebahn said. “But we also want people to feel comfortable coming in and ordering their favorite glass of wine or beer.”

This weekend for Rye, which opens at 5 p.m., will be a so-called “test drive” and the kitchen won’t be open yet. However Cyrus Keefer, of Alewife and Fork & Wrench fame, consulted on the cuisine, which should roll out in three weeks and will focus on small plates and seafood.

Klebahn, who got started in the business more than 10 years ago, says that modeling the food menu off of a cocktail menu is now becoming a lot more commonplace—as opposed to the other way around.

“The cocktail scene mirrors the expectations of dining out,” he said. “The clientele is a lot savvier now thanks to the hard work my colleagues have done to open bars, create menus, and make it visible. It has certainly raised the level of what we do behind the bar.”

Source

]]>