Walk into Swift's Attic and you climb a long and narrow staircase, opening up to a regal dining room with plush leather booths to the right, a no-frills wooden bar to the left. An exposed brick wall overlaid with a vintage mural catches the eye. As it turns out, when owners C.K. Chin (formerly of Paggi House, Kenichi) and Stuart Thomajan tore down the old dry wall, they uncovered this 100-year-old original piece.
Jeff Hammett, the bar manager that once worked with C.K at Kenichi, brings humor and a bit of snark to the approachable cocktail menu. While he's all for the the fine craft cocktail movement, he doesn't like to take himself too seriously. "Never call me a mixologist", he warned. Fun and flavor are on the forefront of his creations and each quirky name has a story to tell.
His latest obsession is building cocktails that balance sweet and spicy, and it shows in his ingredient choices: housemade habanero sweet and sour mix, muddled jalapeño, chipotle vodka. Unwilling to just stick to the classics, the team put their heads together to test out over 20 interpretations before narrowing it down to their 10 favorites. The drinks tend to be icy, straightforward, and on the sweeter side, with undeniable Texas influence.