TAYLOR — When it comes to hospitality, the husband-and-wife team of Grant and Jennifer Lewis have done it all.
Now, they’re bringing their favorite experiences to a new enterprise, 1922 Libations & Bites, which recently opened at 410 W. Seventh St., Room 110 in Old Taylor High.
“This has been a long process. Fine dining, country clubs, golf styles — we’ve done every type of industry and the culmination of our experience is finally kind of showing off our work and getting to highlight all the things we love about the service industry,” Jennifer Lewis said.
The couple’s new venture is based on their combined 50 years in the food and beverage business.
“The concept is vintage, classic, comfy, homey ... just where you want to walk in and you feel comfortable. Good cocktails and a friendly place to come to,” Lewis added.
The decor features bee-themed elements, included because of the symbolism.
“Bees work together for their community, there’s a strength in their numbers, and they’re really symbolic of home. This is home, and we want people to gather and buzz around here,” said Lewis.
She makes all the syrups for the cocktails from scratch, as well as the house-made teas and horchatas, the latter a chilled, sweet rice or nut milk-concocted drink.
Grant Lewis, a former beverage director at upscale tourist resorts, is an accredited sommelier with certifications in California and Italian wines. The couple is bringing a specialty wine program to Taylor.
“We’re not looking for that white tablecloth feel, just a higher-end cocktail experience in Taylor that is still catered around what people are asking for and telling us that they want,” he said.
The bar carries a wide selection of wines, and often uses locally sourced ingredients for libations.
“For our prickly-pear syrup, the cactus is foraged by a man in Taylor. In our dessert cocktails, we’re utilizing Big O’s Ice Cream (Room 120, Old Taylor High) and I get my herbs from Rituals Herbal (Room 209, Old Taylor High) so that a sense of community spreads through our products as well,” Jennifer Lewis said.
The lounge features an outdoor service area, and the owners have partnered with a food truck. Setting up in the former high school holds special significance for them, the couple said.
“The school was built in 1922. We loved the idea of the history of the building playing into the bar, and throughout our 12 years together the number 22 has been significant. So once we heard the building was made in 1922 the name just came naturally and it made it really special to us,” Grant Lewis said.
Hours are 3-10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 3-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
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