Josh Streetman: Raising the Bar for Columbia’s Bar Scene
January 31, 2014
By Jillian Owens
January 31, 2014
Anyone who knows me knows I have a pretty active social life, and I love going out and about in our fair city. I can always find something fun to do, whether it’s going to an art exhibit, checking out a new play, or just drinking wine and having a nice dinner at one of our many awesome restaurants. But Columbia is lacking in one area. While I never seem to have a hard time finding a delicious hand-crafted cocktail in our surrounding cities, I frequently find myself sucked into the pattern of excitement at a the opening of a new upscale restaurant that promises amazing drinks, followed by disappointment when I end up with yet another glass of watered-down unimpressiveness made by yet another lackluster bartender who would rather text at the end of the bar than serve their clientele.
I didn’t always have these high standards, mind you. I can remember a night during my freshman year of college when I thought Listerine would be a suitable mixer for vodka. This was, of course, a terrible idea, but after a few Gin & Gatorades, you get experimental. As the years passed and my palete improved, I grew tired of the vodka & cran scene. As I traveled around, I discovered bars that served cocktails of great complexity with ingredients I hadn’t even heard of. For these amazing bartenders, the goal wasn’t to merely produce as many beverages in the shortest time possible…Their goal was to create a drinkable work of art. There was a better way. I didn’t have to rely on the pathetically simple drinks of my misspent youth. There were better drinks out there. Drinks meant to be savored…Drinks that could make a lousy day suddenly less bad with just one delectable sip.
The best place I’ve found to order a cocktail of such high standards in Columbia is Motor Supply Company. Hands down. If you’ve found another contender for my high esteem, message me at [email protected]. This is largely due to the incredible skill of their Bar Manager/ Mixologist, Josh Streetman.
Hi Josh!
When Josh invited me and a couple of pals to take a gander at his new winter drink menu, we were powerless to refuse. Josh is constantly experimenting with new and exciting recipes that fit with the time of year and what is new and exciting in the world of mixology. Here he is carbonating a cocktail by infusing it with CO2 directly, rather than depending on watering it down with soda water to give it its fizz.
I didn’t even realize this was a thing that could be done!
I’m happy to report that the new winter lineup is just as delicious and thoughtful as I expected!
Our first drink, the Truth or Dare, a tequila cocktail with a hint of tangerine!
Literary types will appreciate Prisoners in the Still Castle, a lighter Mezcal concoction
Each Mork and Mindy is carbonated using the method I described above. Made with rye and applejack, it’ll definitely warm you on these cold days, but the fizz keeps it refreshing!
The Six String Bass was probably my favorite. Made with Pear Vodka, Sherry, and Orange Bitters, it’s a far cry from my college days!
As my friends and I chatted with Josh, he told us how Columbia is in the process of setting up a United States Bartenders’ Guild (USBG) chapter. If you’re a bartender or involved in the restaurant business at all , you should definitely check out their facebook page. This would offer our local bartenders valuable networking to share knowledge as well as provide vendors a chance to spend an hour with the group to share their products, rather than a quick 10 minute meeting with each individual. If Columbia ends up with a USBG chapter, we’ll all be happier and we’ll finally raise the bar on our bar scene.
We’re all for it!
Cheers!
Jillian Owens is a writer, designer, and eco-fashion revolutionary. A Columbia SC transplant, she graduated from the University of South Carolina with a BFA in Theatre and English. When she’s not gallivanting about, she’s busy refashioning ugly thrift store duds into fashionable frocks at ReFashionista.net. Jillian has been featured on The Rachael Ray Show, Good Afternoon America, ABC Columbia, Jasper Magazine, Skirt, Columbia Metropolitan, The Free Times, Grist, and NYC’s Guest of a Guest. She also reviews local theater productions for Jasper Magazine and Onstage Columbia.
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