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The guys behind last year’s wildly successful Whiskey Rebellion are back for round two, and this time around it’s going to be bigger and better than the original.
Travis Fourmont and Joe Robinson make up Bailout Productions, Metro Detroit’s first and only pop-up bar. The duo is hosting Whiskey Rebellion II on Sunday, January 19 at Cornerstone in the old Oslo building basement, 1456 Woodward Ave., Detroit.
The party starts at 7 p.m. and goes until 2 a.m., and while it is on a Sunday evening, this is one time you’ll want to risk being overly tired (and possibly hungover) the following day at work.
The first Whiskey Rebellion was a raging success (trust me, it was packed), and Fourmont said he and Robinson were caught a little off guard with its success. This year, Fourmont said they’ll be more than prepared to deal with it all.
“Much like the first Whiskey Rebellion, this event will focus on whiskey cocktails while showcasing the overall cocktail community of Detroit,” Robinson said.
Since they’ve already been through the motions several times the duo hasn’t run into any major challenges getting Whiskey Rebellion II together. Bailout has held a multitude of other pop-up events throughout the past year, but only a few as big as Whiskey Rebellion.
Plus, these guys seriously know cocktails. Last year, Fourmont took the national title of Master of Manhattan: he not only won best of the best in the state of Michigan, but then went on to take the crown in New York City, beating out five other finalists. You may have heard about it because he was also featured in Esquire. Not too shabby, huh? This year, Robinson won the regional title for the state of Michigan. If those aren’t good enough credentials, I’m not sure what is.
Fourmont and Robinson will be crafting both classic and contemporary whiskey cocktails, as well as several cocktails on tap. A few of the draft cocktails that will be available include the Bourbon Bar Fly (fig-infused Old Forester Bourbon, Campari and cherry liqueur) and 666 Conducer (Old Forester Bourbon, allspice ginger syrup, carrot juice and lemon). I can only hope they also choose to serve Swamp Water (rye whiskey with homemade ginger green peppercorn lemonade), which they made for last year’s event. Yum.
The $5 cover charge includes charcuterie from RUBBED, a sandwich and charcuterie shop that hopes to open soon in Corktown.
“They (RUBBED) are part of the movement of Detroiters demanding a higher quality product and creating the market that we desire in the city we live in and love,” Fourmont said of personal friends Abbey Markell and Jason Frenkel, co-founders of RUBBED. “They work closely with their product and source from local purveyors. Rather than having food just to fill people’s stomachs while drinking, this has some meaning behind it.”
If you’ve never been to a Bailout Productions event, there’s no time like the present! In addition to phenomenal drinks and great snacks, Whiskey Rebellion II will feature live music by local band Shine on Kentucky Moon.
“You can expect high-level craft cocktails in a fun, approachable environment,” Robinson said. “The crowd typically consists of friendly industry savvy Detroiters socializing over music and drinks.”
All in all, Whiskey Rebellion II (and all Bailout events) gives Metro Detroiters the opportunity to do something out of the ordinary with an eclectic group of people, according to Fourmont.
“When you come to a Bailout party, it’s hard to know what to expect, and everybody that comes through the doors can share that experience. Ultimately, we just try to have a party that we wouldn’t want to miss,” Fourmont said.
As for the cocktails themselves, he and Robinson collaborate on the recipes fifty-fifty. You’re not going to find these concoctions anywhere else, so consider it a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
“There’s no pretentiousness with us. Yeah, we like good whiskeys and geek out over amaro and bitters, but we also understand that a lot of people don’t give a s*** and that’s cool,” said Fourmont. “They just want a good drink in a fun, easy environment and we can facilitate that.”
Whiskey Rebellion II is sponsored by Old Forester Bourbon and Woodford Reserve, and will be held in the Oslo’s basement, so make sure you find the entry through the side door.
For the foreseeable future, Fourmont and Robinson are planning a huge cocktail event for Saturday, April 5. Since it’s too early to share any details, you’re going to have to check out Bailout Productions on Facebook for updates!
