Lexington, KY - Recently one of Richmond’s long-established watering holes took an important step to evolve in a way that retains its core strengths but offers even more for its loyal clientele and the city of Richmond.
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(right) The Copper Still owner, John McCullough
When it was acquired in 2007 by central Kentucky native and Marine Corp veteran John McCullough, the Player’s Club at 212 Water St. had operated since 1994. In late 2011, McCullough changed the name of the business to The Copper Still, and in addition to maintaining it as a neighborhood bar/pub, he evolved the spot into a “bourbon bar” — one of the few establishments in Kentucky that really deserve that label.
With the name change, The Copper Still now offers more than 60 bourbon and Scotch brands, and the list is growing. He also is continuing to take beer seriously and is improving the food.
When McCullough took over the business, he was methodical in his approach by not making immediate changes and taking time to grasp the details. He also took time to get to know the customers, the employees and the Richmond market.
Over time, he made minor changes and slowly developed in his mind how to take the business to another level. By late 2011, he was ready to implement some bigger changes.
McCullough pays close attention to customers, the venue’s pub-style menu, its lineup of spirit offerings and quality entertainment. The business has the feel of the bar from the television series Cheers that ran from 1982 to 1993.
The Copper Still has a lineup of bourbon options that will appeal to the mainstream bourbon drinker and to those who have an affinity for some of the more rare and niche products. A prime example of this is the lineup of Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve products, the flagship brand of bourbon whisky owned by the Old
Rip Van Winkle Distillery. The Copper Still
offers the 15-, 20- and 23-year-old versions. The Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve 23-Year-Old Bourbon was named “Spirit of
the Year” for 2010 by Wine and Spirits
magazine.
Because of the very limited production of Pappy Van Winkle bourbon, not all distribution outlets can get inventory to sell. McCullough had to convince the distiller that his Copper Still concept was going to be a bar that “took bourbon seriously” in order to get the product. The Copper Still passed the test, and the products are proudly displayed on the shelf behind the bar. Other notable products include Hudson Baby Bourbon Whisky, Basil Hayden, Eagle Rare, Fireball Cinnamon Whisky, Elmer T. Lee and Jim Beam Devil’s Cut.
In addition to bourbon, The Copper Still also offers a selection of Scotch.
They even have Lucid Absinthe Superieure, which is a traditional, French-made absinthe verte (green absinthe). The formula Lucid uses was approved in 2006, and the product was introduced in the United States in 2008. This makes it the first genuine absinthe to obtain approval for legal distribution in the United States since 1912.
The Copper Still also takes beer seriously and has 12 varieties on tap. It is one of the few establishments in Kentucky that serves Falls City Beer on tap. Falls City is a Kentucky brand that as been around since 1905. After an absence of several years, it is now back in production and making a resurgence.
If you come to The Copper Still hungry, you won’t be disappointed. It has a solid menu of pub food, with a focus on pizza. The menu includes burgers, sandwiches, salads and appetizers. Items added recently and available from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. four days a week include Atlantic salmon, Maryland crab cakes, pork tenderloin, crab-stuffed shrimp and a twice-baked potatoes. And, of course, what would a bourbon bar be without a bourbon steak on the menu?
McCullough said he will continue to evolve the menu over time based on input from his customers.
The layout of The Copper Still is flexible and conducive to different events. There is live entertainment on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. The flat screen TVs are located strategically so customers can watch games. There is also a pool table, and when climate permits, they have a patio area with an outside bar.
The Copper Still is a good example of an entrepreneur taking his existing business and evolving it up a notch by using products of Kentucky heritage. The business has a Facebook page and is a short drive from Lexington. Like Cheers, if you are a regular there, it is indeed a place “where everybody knows your name.”