Along Watson Road (aka Route 66) in west St. Louis County, there once was a friendly bar called George’s Route 66 Bar and Grill, which became Cruisin’ Route 66. Then the bar closed.
Those wondering what happened to that watering hole should find the answers in this week’s Riverfront Times. In the regular Bartender of the Week feature, we learn that the Route 66 tavern has reopened as Danno’s American Pub, at 7895 Watson Road.
The Bartender of the Week, Chris Muether, seems to have arrived with this honor legitimately:
Chris Muether crafted a creative list of microbrews and went to work studying spirits and the history of cocktail culture. Inspired by a trip to the Asian-inspired New York City speakeasy Angel’s Share, he began flourishing a cocktail shaker. Aspiring to the mixological stylings of local luminaries Ted Kilgore (Taste by Niche) and T.J. Vytlacil, Muether joined the local chapter of the United States Bartenders’ Guild and dove headfirst into the competitive cocktailing scene.
“Me and T.J. qualified for the finals of the Greater Kansas City Bartending Competition,” Muether says. The young upstart finished in the top ten, raising eyebrows around town — including, presumably, those of Kilgore, who judged the event.
The story says that Danno’s will expand its food and cocktail menu in the next few weeks. In the meantime, you can surf over to the RFT’s story to see a video of how Muether mixes his Agent Orange cocktail.