Barbershop Cuts and Cocktails / Photo by David J. Crewe
A happy accident before a wedding led Alex and Dawn Mongelluzzi Quintana to make a spirited change to their Cleveland Heights barbershop, The Speakeasy at Quintana’s Barber & Dream Spa.
“The first weekend of December 2014, we had a groomsmen party that was scheduled for the day of their wedding, complete with straight razor shaves, haircuts and beard trims,” says Dawn. “They brought their tuxedos to change into and food to snack on, which included beer, bagels and bourbon.”
The group settled into the upstairs spa room and wound up repurposing manicure/pedicure stations into bar seating.
“My husband, Alex, was doing a straight razor shave, and I excitedly told him, ‘I think we should open a bar, especially for days like this!’” Dawn recalls. “He… always says, ‘Who am I to argue with my wife?’ ”
“Most of our customers love the idea of being able to kick back with their favorite brew during their service.” —Richard Corio, Barber and Brew
Less than a year later, the Quintanas opened their speakeasy behind a bookshelf in the barbershop. If guests get haircuts when the speakeasy isn’t open, a beer fridge in the barbershop keeps them hydrated. The Quintanas say it’s not uncommon for guests to tack on an extra hour or two for “appointments” to kick back with a beverage before, during or after their cuts, too.
Barbershops across the country have begun to offer beer or spirits during service as another way to relax and unwind in what is already a social setting.
“We always envisioned our shop as the friendly neighborhood barber where people would feel comfortable relaxing, meeting new and old friends, and unwinding in a chill atmosphere,” says Richard Corio of Barber and Brew in Cold Spring, New York. “Most of our customers love the idea of being able to kick back with their favorite brew during their service.”
At Barber and Brew, you don’t need an appointment to have a drink. “We welcome folks for just a cut, just a beer or both,” says Corio.
Whether it’s a Prohibition-era cocktail and a beard trim or a craft brew after a hot towel wrap, these boozy barbershops are serving up the perfect pairing for looking good and feeling great.
Barber and Brew
Cold Spring, NY
When he opened Barber and Brew, Richard Corio was eager to serve his neighborhood.
“As luck would have it, the space we took over had this amazing vintage barber station up front in the main shop window, but it also had this cozy, almost speakeasy-type space in the back that was bigger than we needed.”
The lightbulb went off, and soon the owners were building out a 10-tap craft beer bar with a rotating menu of taps and cans from local breweries. Open since May 2017, the bar’s a la cart beer program highlights Industrial Arts, Hudson Valley Brewery and other nearby breweries, but also features best-in-class beers and ciders from across the U.S.
A “haircut and a pint” is the most requested service, Corio says.
The Barbershop Cuts & Cocktails
Las Vegas, NV
There’s a secret lurking behind the janitor’s door at The Barbershop Cuts & Cocktails in the Cosmopolitan Hotel. Just beyond the three custom barber chairs, where customers sip a complimentary cocktail or beer while leather-and-canvas-clad barbers perform a range of grooming services, lies a swanky, Prohibition-style cocktail lounge and music venue.
The barbershop opened in March 2019, and it’s not uncommon for visiting artists to pop onstage for impromptu performances in the speakeasy (Machine Gun Kelly did so most recently). Although drinks are complimentary in the barbershop with any service, including beard trims, straight razor shaves or haircuts, many barbershop customers end their services with a trip through the door for a whiskey on the tufted leather couches.
