Being turned on has a different meaning at Bevy. Located a few blocks from the Naples Pier, the 180-seat gastro pub serves some of the area’s freshest cocktails. Order an Old Fashioned Cedar Fire, for example, and sit back and watch a bartender light a cedar plank to imbue your drink with a subtle woody flavor.
Smoke aside, The Bevy is far from a dark, moody cocktail bar. The indoor-outdoor space features plants, glass, and retractable ceilings that bring the outdoors in (weather permitting). Bar Manager Grant Reid leads a team of six bartenders who are tasked with delivering Signature Bevys, which range from Old Fashioned (Michter’s Bourbon, Orange Bitters, and Maple Syrup, served in a smoky glass with a topping of candied bacon) in light and elegant Italian 75 (vodka infused with rosemary and lavender, lemon juice and prosecco).
Reid, who grew up in Colorado and debuted as a barback at a company restaurant “when flavored mojitos were all the rage,” rose through the ranks to become a bartender, then manager of Naples’ Bistro 821, before moving on. find his home in Le Bevy shortly after opening in 2017. Since then he has held his court behind the 16-seat U-shaped bar, serving drinks with an emphasis on fresh juices and mashed potatoes of fruits. “As Naples gets bigger there is more stuff for younger people,” he says. “We have a young vibe, being in a modern building and with drinks focused on craftsmanship. Even our regular margaritas are phenomenal, everything is fresh.
A self-described whiskey, Reid is happy to see alcohol make a comeback in the region. And, he’s also excited about the blessing of boutique spirits, like California’s St. George Green Chile Vodka. “There are a lot of gins with different flavor profiles that are fun to work with,” he says. For the restaurant’s Blackberry Tom Cat cocktail, Reid uses Benham’s gin, a California label that counts Meyer lemon, peppermint, chamomile and star anise among its aromatics. It’s mixed with blackberries, lemon juice and Luxardo cherry liqueur.
The striking backlit rear bar features an apothecary-like display of special bottles – aged spirits, premium whiskeys, cognacs – while shelves suspended from the ceiling hold a selection of tequila, gin, rum, and other spirits. The wine list is counted by dozens and shows a great variety.
The 10-drink cocktail menu changes frequently, with plenty of fun and lively concoctions, like the Bevy Punch (a quartet of tropical-flavored rums with pineapple and cranberry juices) and the Sandstone Margarita (a variation on the classic with some blood orange, edged with lemon zest and chili lime salt). For spirits lovers, the Woodford Barrel-Aged Manhattan is an exercise in patience: the cocktail rests in a small oak barrel.
for 12 days and the extended aging helps the flavors to blend in, which is well worth the wait.
The development of new drinks is a collaborative effort. “Most of our bartenders have been doing this for as long as I have. We’re going to go in together, add a little insight and polish the recipes, ”says Reid. “This is the fun part.”
