The Passport: a first look at the new bar in Downtown West St. Louis

Pour Decisions STL has opened a cocktail bar and bottle shop on Washington Avenue

Pour Decisions STL launched in 2020 as a mobile bar company offering expertly crafted cocktails at events around town. Co-owners Javia Gilliam-Sanford and Kaje Sanford experienced so much success with the operation that they decided to make it even more official with a brick-and-mortar location called The Passport at 1321 Washington Ave. in Downtown West St. Louis in the former Whisky on Washington space.

Inspired by the owners’ travels around the world, The Passport offers an array of interesting and unique cocktails. “Traveling is our love language, so this bar is our homage to that part of our story,” Javia explained.

Some of the featured cocktails include the From Mykonos, With Love, which features Mastiha, a sweet and rich Greek liquor, mint, lime juice, simple syrup and club soda; Earl’s Fever Dream, a riff on an espresso martini with Earl Gray vodka, espresso, coffee liqueur, simple syrup and lavender cold foam; the Golden Martini with gin, dry vermouth, bitters and three caviar-stuffed Sicilian olives; and the I Said What I Said, a play on a Last Word cocktail, with gin, maraschino liqueur, creme de violette, lemon juice and egg white. Kaje is the mixology specialist of the two, although they both had a heavy hand in creation of the menu items.

Javia is a certified sommelier and she’s putting her expertise to good use, so guests can expect a robust wine list and many great bottles available for purchase in the bottle shop. There’s also a great selection of whiskeys, classic cocktails, including a short list of gin and tonic variations.

On the food side, you’ll just find a few snacks: truffle popcorn, gummy bears, and savory trail mix with jerk plantains, dehydrated olives and five types of nuts. No outside food is allowed in as the owners envision their bar as a place where people will stop in for a few drinks before or after dinner. 

The 1,200-square-foot space feels roomier than its size suggests with a huge street-facing window letting in plenty of natural light until the sun sets. There’s an elevated stage area up front, so the owners are looking to add live music soon. “It would be small – we don’t want the music to overpower the space,” Javia said. 

Nods to their many travels are evident throughout the bar, with photos from around the world adorning the walls, along with thrifted mid century-modern furniture such as lotus flower lamps from the ’70s, French bistro tables, and banquettes made out of refurbished church pews. Guests also receive international postcards included as a fun tidbit with all checks. “It’s a cozy, chill vibe,” she said. “We’ve got a lot of modern disco and R&B playing, and we want people to be able to come in and relax.”

There’s also a membership program in which members will receive perks like discounts on room rentals, exclusive happy hours and tasting events. The Pour Decisions mobile bar will still continue operating but on a much more limited basis as the owners get things rolling at the new brick-and-mortar. In the near future, you’ll be able to find the mobile bar at Frizz Fest at Tower Grove Park on Sept. 21, as well as at the Missouri Botanical Garden’s Best of Missouri Market the first weekend in October.

The Passport is open from 6 to 11 p.m. Thursday, 6 to midnight Friday and Saturday and 2 to 8 p.m. Sunday.