It was a smoky, 24-hour café in Kalamazoo, Michigan that originally attracted Leadbelly bar manager and then high schooler Alex McNeely to everything that evenings had to offer. “I fell in love with the late night atmosphere there,” he remembers. Upon moving to Boston to study music, McNeely began working at beer haven The Otherside, which sparked his interest in pursuing a vocation in bartending. After a few stints at various venues, he has landed at The Leadbelly on the Lower East Side, where his flavor-ranging cocktail list pairs swimmingly with the establishment’s other main draw: oysters. Here, the Michigan native talks liquor and oyster pairings, the cocktail he’d time travel for, and why Tom Waits’ drink order sparked some behind the bar brainstorming.

BoozeMenus: What's the first thing you do when you start a shift?

Alex McNeely: I always start the shift by tasting all of the juices and syrups. Lime juice, in particular, begins changing almost immediately after juicing. After 12 hours, it’s far from ideal for cocktails, but it can still be used for things like our housemade lime cordial.

BM: What was the first drink you knew you were going to have on the menu at Leadbelly?

AM: I think it must have been the Burma Shave. I was intrigued when Tom Waits ordered white rum and chamomile tea at a previous bar I worked at, so I decided to incorporate the two in a cocktail. The result was white rum, gin, chamomile-infused white creme de cacao, lemon, peach liqueur and absinthe.

BM: Oysters are a big part of the menu at Leadbelly. Which cocktail pairs best with these mighty mollusks?

AM: I've found that a cocktail with good acidity and a bit of spice, such as our Richard Scarry, can play really interestingly with East Coast oysters. You really can’t go wrong with a classic 2:1 gin martini, though.

BM: What should people know about pairing cocktails and oysters?

AM: I think people should keep in mind it’s a very playful interaction — just have fun exploring various flavor profiles and how they work together.

BM: Tell us a crazy story that happened when you were working behind the stick.

AM: Honestly, these days everyone seems pretty mild mannered, including myself. To get into any real dirt, I would have to go back to that first bar I worked at in Boston. Pretty much everything you could imagine happened there, from the hilarious to the scary. We were younger then.

BM: When is the last time you had a drink and thought, "I've never tasted anything like this before in my life"?

AM: The last drink that I was really stunned by was actually a glass of wine. A Saint-Perey from Domaine Mickaël Bourg. He is a very young winemaker doing everything by hand and producing very small runs. His attention to detail is readily apparent in the end result.

BM: What era do you wish you could travel to for a cocktail, and what would it be?

AM: I think, right about now, I'd like to be in early 1900s St. Louis, at the St. Louis Country Club, having one of Tom Bullock's famous Juleps.

BM: What spirit are you always stocking at home?

AM: I don't do too much drinking at home, but I seem to always have some sort of good agave around. Espiritu Lauro Joven has been a staple, for sure.

BM: Are there any spirits you're loving right now?

AM: I think New York Distilling Company's Chief Gowanus is really interesting. It's a version of Holland Gin made from a Rye Whiskey base, and hops are used in the distillation.

BM: What's the last thing you learned and have put into practice behind the bar?

AM: The last thing I've learned and really adopted behind the bar must be just how much shaking with large lump ice can improve the texture of simple shaken cocktails, such as a daiquiri or gimlet.

BM: What's your happy hour go-to drink?

AM: If I’m having oysters, a glass of Picpoul is the prescription, but I’ve been known to indulge in an absinthe drip at about that time, as well.

By Nicole Schnitzler

(Photo Credit: The Leadbelly)