Highball to open this week

Aug. 26, 2021

Downtown’s newest cocktail bar, Highball, will open this Friday.

It’s the latest offering from The Carpenter Bar Group, which also owns The Treasury, and it’s located in the first floor of Railyard Flats along East Eighth Street next to East Bank Depot.

“We’re here to be an amenity to the building and to the neighborhood,” co-owner Anne Haber said. “We love the space, and we’ve really enjoyed bringing this to life.”

The tables and chairs were custom designed and built.

“It’s a modern organic feel, with wood warm tones and good texture. It’s amazingly comfortable.”

There’s a variety of outdoor seating, from drink rails to soft seating.

“Those are extremely comfortable as well and it’s just a fun setting and gorgeous space,” Haber said. “We plan to use it as much of the year as possible.”

The final lounge furniture is expected to arrive in the next couple of weeks.

And at night, the bar becomes a standout with colored back lighting.

“Glass blocks act as an industrial architectural element in the space,” Haber said.

A highball historically was a white sphere mounted on a pole next to railroad tracks. If the ball was at the top of the pole, the train had permission to move ahead at full steam.

In cocktail terms, a highball is a type of high, tall glass, as well as a type of drink. The classic is a whiskey highball, but it can be many tall drinks that combine a base spirit with a nonalcoholic mixer or two.

For instance, Highball offers a blue lavender lemon drop with blueberry vodka, lavender syrup and fresh lemon, along with a Verdita margarita made with El Jimador silver tequila, Tattersall orange creme, pineapple, lime, sugar, cilantro and jalapeño.

The classic highball include your spirit of choice and a classic cola recipe, a spirit and house-made tonic or a Damrak gin cocktail with lime and soda.

There’s also a selection of beer and wine and an abbreviated snack menu to start: A cheeseball made with cream cheese and crab, covered in sesame seeds and served with fried wonton crisps, tinned fish and crackers and classic cheeseball snacks.

“We’ll be adding to the menu in the future with a few kinds of cheeseballs and other “ball-inspired” small plates like meatballs,” Haber said.

And don’t miss the “two-dollar toots.” Every time you hear the nearby train, the bar staff will serve up $2 shots of the bartender’s choice. There also are $4 “skinny” pours of draft beer and $6 house wines.

“This is a fun, accessible place,” Haber said. “We’re not taking ourselves too seriously.”

While Highball has enough staff to open, “we’d welcome more applicants,” Haber said. Apply by emailing [email protected].

Highball opens Tuesday through Saturday at 3 p.m.

Railyard Flats also is filling up with residents and businesses. CO-OP Architecture has moved its office into the building, Confluence is under construction and there are three lofts left, along with a furnished one-bedroom and two-bedroom that ultimately will be available.

“We’ve been so happy with the response to the building and are excited that more people are about to discover it through Highball,” Haber said.

Want to stay in the know?

Get our free business news delivered to your inbox.



Highball to open this week

Downtown’s newest cocktail bar, Highball, will open this Friday.

News Tip

Have a business news item to share with us?

Scroll to top