Seattle: Knee High Stocking Company

 

One of the highlights of my recent whirlwind Seattle trip was a stop at Knee High Stocking Company. People reacted delightedly when I mentioned I was going because Kevin Langmack would be working. I got the impression he only worked Tuesdays but later he told me he worked 3 days a week at Knee High. I want to say Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays but don’t quote me on that. I wasn’t in bar-stalker mode.

 

I had intended to order from the list but I was dealing with two menus (one seasonal, one with food and cocktails) and Kevin just asked me what I liked. I promptly answered whiskey and he asked, “brown, bitter and stirred?” Oh, it’s like he knew me already. He gave me a Toronto (rye, Fernet Branca, simple syrup, Angostura bitters). I do kind of find it hilarious the original recipe calls for Canadian whiskey but eventually rye became standard.

Later I took this video of Kevin making a drink that involved lots of flames. The bar even caught on fire briefly yet we didn’t bolt out of the premises. There was no chance of it turning into a scorcher.

Although there are house rules, I found the bar to be very relaxing and not at all like a pretentious speakeasy. I was also slightly amused by the canned sodas on the bar.

For my second drink, I asked for something like an Aviation. Kevin used Marie Brizard’s Parfait Amour as the creme de violette. The citrus helped clear my head a bit as we made our way to our next stop. Later in retrospect, I wished we had stayed at the fun Knee High but hindsight is always 20/20.

 

Knee High Stocking Company

1356 E Olive Way, Seattle, WA 98122 — (206) 979-7049