Narwhal's will open a second location in The Streets of St. Charles
Just in time for next year’s boozy slushy season, Narwhal’s Crafted Urban Ice has announced its second storefront, slated to open on The Streets of St. Charles late in spring 2019.
“It made sense to bring the concept far enough west to make it more accessible to people out there who don’t want to go [into St. Louis City],” said co-owner Brandon Holzhueter. “If we hadn’t been so well received, there’d be no way we’d be doing a Narwhal’s 2.”
Featuring seasonal frozen cocktails filled with fruit, herbs and other artisanal ingredients, the subtly nautical-themed bar opened in September 2016 in the Central West End. The company’s success prompted them to launch a mobile drink truck on May 11; it can be seen around town at art fairs, farmers markets, corporate events, weddings and more.
“We’re predicated on doing [frozen cocktails] differently than what most people expect,” he said. “They’re all from scratch with a sophisticated touch. We’re using real fruit, real agave; there’s no high fructose corn syrup and no added colors.”
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As Holzhueter and co-owner Brad Merten prepare to expand the brand, they look forward to growth in the St. Charles location, including doubling its current 50-seat patio. In addition to frozen cocktails, Narwhal’s currently offers a full bar complete with craft beer and non-frozen cocktails, but the co-owners hope to expand the beverage offerings in the new location.
“We currently have 14 machines on, but we’ll probably add a few more,” Holzhueter said. “We started doing draft cocktails on tap. They’re all from scratch; we’re making our own tinctures and infusions, then we keg and carbonate them. Maybe instead of six [at the current location], we’ll have 12.”
Although Narwhal’s does not sell food, patrons are encouraged to bring in their own bites to battle booze-induced hunger. “We do one thing and do it well, but Streets has a lot of great food out there already,” he said. “We’ve even seen people bring a sack lunch from home.”
Lauren Healey is associate editor at Sauce Magazine.
