Rediscovering Your Hometown

 

Can you really go home again AND find a good cocktail?

They say home is where the heart is … or wherever you have family … or something like that.  For Scott, “home” is always going to be Morgantown, West Virginia. That’s where he was raised, went to school, and had his first drinks (legal and not-so legal as a teenager). It makes sense that we would take advantage of a chance to rediscover Morgantown’s tastiest drinks from a more adult perspective.

That opportunity has presented itself in the last couple of years. Scott’s dad is 89 … and in 2020 we committed to visiting him at least once a month.  He lives in a two-bedroom house, with one bedroom as a den, in Morgantown. That means our visits have most often involved hotels close to his house and to downtown Morgantown, which these days is full of mostly college bars. Challenge accepted.

Let’s start by saying there’s nothing wrong with college bars … they have a time and place. Our experiences are more about quality rather than quantity, and that’s the audience we are hoping to attract with our musings.

Believe it or not, there are some excellent places to get craft beer and cocktails in downtown Morgantown!

There are lots of places to drink beer (including some good microbreweries in Morgantown), but for some of the tastiest beers around the world and an ever-changing menu, Apothecary is our place. This beer bar attracts a varied crowd – yes, including college students, but also professors, locals, young professionals, etc. The bartenders are versed in the offerings, including different styles, countries and often the breweries. We hear they are moving to a bigger venue with some outdoor space in summer 2022. Good luck to them!

As for cocktails, it’s hard to beat the menu and expertise at Tin 202. Their classics like a Manhattan or an Old Fashioned are on point and their wine list is extensive. The food is exceptional as well! We want to try their Sunday wine tasting experience sometime. It’s an added bonus that Scott remembers coming here as a kid when it was a drug store.

Two of our favorite downtown hotels also have excellent cocktail bars – Bourbon Prime at the Marriott at Waterfront Place, and Anvil & Ax at the Hotel Morgan.  Unfortunately, both of them close fairly early (11 p.m. at the latest) so you have to get your drinks in at a “decent” hour. The Manhattan in Morgantown (essentially a smoked Manhattan) at Anvil & Ax is particularly good, as is their Lavender Rhodo.  Bourbon Prime, as you might expect, has a good bourbon selection and classics like a Manhattan and an Old Fashioned.

And for a waterfront view, Table 9 is hard to beat. Their cocktail and wine selection makes for a good evening out and they have an outstanding brunch.

One of the best things about coming back to Morgantown is the places that haven’t changed. You can still get a frosty fishbowl at Mario’s Fishbowl, now in several locations! We need to invest more time in visiting some of the classic spots including Crockett’s (a favorite of Scott’s in college), Mundy’s Place and Gene’s Beer Garden. 

If anyone has tips on something we should try next time, please let us know at offthetipsypath@gamil.com or visit our FaceBook and Insta pages … and if you’d like to join us when we’re in town, we’d love it! Oh, and GO MOUNTAINEERS!