HAMBURG, N.Y. (WKBW) — A new whiskey lover's paradise is now only weeks away from opening in the Village of Hamburg.
The highly anticipated Black Smoke Bourbon Bar, located at 50 Buffalo Street, is set to hold its soft opening during the Hamburg Music Festival schedule on Saturday, June 3.
"It's been a long process, but it's finally here," said Shane Stewart, one of the co-founders of Black Smoke Bourbon Bar, "Bourbon and whiskey are up and coming. It's something that has so much of a back story to it. You can go and have a wall of bourbon, and everyone you try is a different story, a different flavor profile,"
Stewart has teamed up with a long-time friend and business partner Michael Maiorana on the whiskey-centered project.
"We are really trying to bring a cocktail experience that has a laid-back tone to it, where we have a speakeasy vibe, but also a marriage with a blue-collar feel," said Maiorana, "If you are eating a fancy dinner restaurant and you're in a suit and tie, or a dress, you can come in here, but also that person who has shorts and a t-shirt on is welcome here as well."
Black Smoke Bourbon Bar is an extension of the popular First Line Brewing in Orchard Park, a craft brewery opened by Stewart and Maiorana in 2020, that has evolved to include a love of bourbon.
"We're really trying to bring a fun time," said Maiorana, "We want to bring our branding and what we've done similar to Orchard Park, to Hamburg and the residents here."
To do that Black Smoke Bourbon Bar features not only a welcoming space inside but also a stunning rooftop bar that will give you views of the Village of Hamburg. At the end of the brand new patio customers will also find a Tiki bar that will be a treat during the warmer months.
"We are very excited about this (tiki bar)", said Stewart, "We are going to have a lot of blended frozen drinks here, Caribbean style drinks. We are going to have a lot of palm trees and maybe some misters for when it gets really hot out."
But at the heart of Black Smoke Bourbon Bar, will be bourbon. The team plans to feature a large selection of bourbon ranging from popular staples, to hard-to-find bottles, as well as specialty cocktails.
"Our number one cocktail is our Black Smoke Old Fashioned," said Stewart, "It's very good, and right before the customer gets to enjoy it we put a smoke top on top of the drink, and smoke it with maple wood chips. When you pull the top off the drink is just engulfed in smoke."
Tie in a full kitchen that will feature pizzas, burgers, and a Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich and you have a concept that Black Smoke Bourbon Bar hopes adds a smooth finish to the growing options in Hamburg.
"We want to be a part of that," says Maiorana, "Have people come to the rooftop bar, our tiki bar, and our fire pits, just different places and zones that people can just hang out, drink, and have fun"
The large majority of construction has been completed at Black Smoke Bourbon Bar but the Mairorana and Stewart say final touches remain.
The soft opening will take place on June 3rd. The hope is that the new location is ready for a full opening later in the month.
