Credit: Natalie Jones
Credit: Natalie Jones
“Two Social is meant to be a place where everyone feels comfortable — whether you’re new to town, bringing your friends and family — it’s just a place where you can come hang out,” Owner Kelsey Omlor said. “Whether you drink or not, you can feel comfortable playing games and having something to do that’s not just drinking.”
Holiday-themed cocktails
The cocktail menu at Two Social typically rotate every six to eight weeks.
“My personal favorite is the “You’re a Mean One” and it’s obviously Grinch-inspired,” Omlor said. “It’s green and sparkly. You top it with a cherry for his little heart and it just brings it all together.”
Credit: Natalie Jones
Credit: Natalie Jones
Other favorites include the Christmas Mule and Toasted Marshmallow Old Fashioned. Take a look at the cocktail list:
- You’re a Mean One ($12.50) Barcardi, peach schnapps, blue curaçao, orange juice, sprite, green edible sparkles and a cherry
- Merry Cranberry ($11) featuring tequila, triple sec, cranberry, pomegranate, lime, sour and simple
- Christmas Mule ($10.50) featuring Tito’s vodka, cranberry, lime and ginger beer
Credit: Natalie Jones
Credit: Natalie Jones
- Iced Peppermint Mocha Latte featuring peppermint vodka, Kahlúa, white chocolate liqueur, peppermint schnapps, cold brew and cream
- Nutcracker Nog featuring Captain Morgan, Frangelico, eggnog and nutmeg
- Christmas Cookie Martini featuring vanilla vodka, Irish cream, white chocolate cram and simple
- Blue Christmas Margarita featuring Espòlon Tequila Blanco, blue curaçao, lime, coconut, simple and blue edible sparkles
- Toasted Marshmallow Old Fashioned featuring Woodford whiskey, house made toasted marshmallow syrup and chocolate bitters
Credit: Natalie Jones
Credit: Natalie Jones
A new cocktail menu is expected to launch in mid-January featuring Valentine’s Day and winter-inspired cocktails.
Advice for making holiday cocktails at home
Omlor recommends making a drink at home using ingredients that are easy to buy and those that everyone seems to like. For example, she recently made a Cranberry Sparkler cocktail for a Friendsgiving a couple weeks ago that went over really well.
Here’s the recipe:
- 1.5 oz. vodka
- 1 oz. cranberry juice
- 0.5 oz. lime juice
Combine ingredients listed above and top with ginger beer or champagne. For mocktail, omit vodka and champagne. Use Sprite or ginger beer as topper.
What’s trending?
As far as cocktails, Omlor said people are typically choosing to go more simple. Most people gravitate towards the mules or margaritas at Two Social.
Everyone likes the sparkly, cute drinks, but if they’re at Two Social just to chill, then they typically grab a beer or cider, Omlor said.
“It seems like young people, like 25 and under-ish, aren’t really drinking as much as other generations have — whether or not that’s our bar or just like across the board — but THC beverages have really skyrocketed,” Omlor said.
Two Social has been testing out Urban Artifacts’ Coastalo, a hemp-derived D9 THC soda line, for the last two months.
In regards to liquor, whiskey and tequila continue to be the bar’s top choices.
A place to connect
Two Social is more than a gather space, it’s a place to connect with others. The bar has been focusing the last several months on hosting events for singles.
On Jan. 12, a singles cornhole league will kick off. It’s $30 per person for four weeks. There will be two age brackets and by the end of the league, participants will have “dated” everyone there.
This will be followed by another Date My Friend event 7 to 9 p.m. Feb. 13. Prior to the event, people will submit an application for their friend. During the event, those that submitted an application will present their friend for 3 to 5 minutes using a PowerPoint presentation. After each PowerPoint, a QR code will be available for the audience to submit themselves or other people who could be interested.
Omlor was inspired to start these type of events after seeing connections and relationships form during Gem City Social Sports, an adult social sports league she launched in 2017.
“I think it was already hard, but then since COVID it’s just like, how do you get out and meet people?” Omlor said.
She hopes to give people a space where they can comfortably come and put themselves out there. In the future, she is planning to host other mix and mingle events.
MORE DETAILS
Two Social, located at 123 E. Third St., is open 5 to 11 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday. The space is available for holiday parties.
For more information, visit 2socialdayton.com or the venue’s Facebook or Instagram pages (@2socialdayton).
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