May 26, 2021

The owners of two popular downtown cocktail bars are adding a third.

The Carpenter Bar Group, which also owns The Treasury, will bring its newest concept, Highball, to Railyard Flats this summer.

The three-story Railyard Flats project on East Eighth Street includes 41 lofts and is the first laminated mass-timber structure in the state.

By adding the cocktail bar, the goal “is to be an amenity within buildings,” co-owner Anne Haber said. “That’s part of our model; we want to bring a lifestyle factor to the building, whether it’s a hotel, office or a residential building. And this space spoke to us. Anything in this building is going to be so dynamic that it became an opportunity we couldn’t refuse, and we just love the neighborhood.”

Highball is “a fun combination of a cocktail term along with a rail yard term,” Haber explained.

A highball historically was a white sphere mounted on a pole next to railroad tracks. If the ball was at the top of the pole, the train had permission to move ahead at full steam.

“It means you’re good to go and was train lingo from the 1800s prior to electricity,” Haber continued.

“And a highball in the cocktail world is a type of glass – a high, tall glass – as well as a type of cocktail. The whiskey highball is the classic, but a highball can be many tall drinks that combine a base spirit and a nonalcoholic mixer or two.”

The cocktail lineup at Highball will be “playful, fun and approachable,” Haber added. “This is an artistic, more laid-back part of downtown, and we’re not going to take ourselves too seriously.”

The goal is to be an approachable spot and to elevate classic cocktails, she said.

“It’s bringing something like a Long Island iced tea or a Cosmopolitan into today,” Haber said. “We’ll have a whole section of highballs on the menu. We’ll innovate them, we’ll have specials, but throughout we’ll use very good ingredients.”

There won’t be a large food menu, but there will be bar snacks inspired by the spherical nature of the highball. Think “a fun assortment of cheese balls,” for instance.

The aesthetic of the space plays off the location, the history of the area as a rail yard and the name Highball.

“We wanted the interiors to push in a new direction that feels very distinct from the Carpenter and Treasury,” Haber said. “It’s a contemporary design, overscaled pattern with an interesting mix of bold graphics, glass blocks, copper, textural fabrics, and I think the linear architectural elements are softened with the use of the round fixtures and the curved and warm textures throughout the space.”

Highball will have access to the building’s patio, which is designed for as much of the year as possible, with a variety of seating.

The goal is to be open sometime in July, with the first residents moving in a couple of weeks earlier.

The other commercial tenants for Railyard Flats are Confluence and Co-op Architects, which both plan to move in this summer, as well as a leasing office for Pendar Properties.

The lofts are about half-leased, Haber said.

“We’ve been encouraged by the early interest and think as more residents are able to tour and see everything this building has to offer – including Highball – we’re going to see even more momentum,” she said.

Residents also will have a private courtyard and a third-floor community lounge and roof deck. A bike trail runs along the east side of the building.

“We think this is a very up-and-coming area of downtown, and we’re honored to bring another place for people to meet and relax and live and enjoy each other,” she said.