Come with me on a bar crawl through Mainstrasse’s West Sixth Street.
Greenhouse Bar
Formerly Pachinko’s, this bar has gone through a major transformation the past three years. What used to be a shoulder to shoulder establishment with loud music and dancing has changed their concept to attract a wider variety of people. My first time here, it was unrecognizable. Live plants hang above the bar while the entire space is painted fifty shades of green and accented with rattan light fixtures. You’ll feel as if you stepped out of cold NKY into sunny and coastal California.
They offer your bar essentials of beer, seltzer and wine in can form, but what they are best known for is their creative cocktails. They rotate specialty cocktails with the season and often do cocktail naming contests on their social media accounts. Blueberry Basil Bubbles is among their most beautiful and refreshing drinks, which is a combination of blueberries and champagne garnished with basil. Or their namesake beverage, the Greenhouse, with vodka, lavender and lemonade served in an adult juice box.
This place couldn’t be any more fun.
Juniper’s
If you’re looking for the new kid on the block, look no further than Juniper’s, which just opened a few weeks ago. A friend of mine is a gin connoisseur and had heard through the gin-vine that there was a new bar specializing in gin drinks. So we paid a visit on their debut weekend.
Under the giant John R. Green sign, this cocktail lounge doesn’t scream its name, but they have a sign outside signaling patrons of the new establishment.
Inside, patrons were enjoying a drink in the serene atmosphere. Like Greenhouse, the interior is predominantly green (my favorite color) which complimented the scholastic décor.
Juniper’s transports you back to the prohibition era; you may even see the ghost of Ernest Hemingway in the corner. Hemingway was a rum man, but would have made an exception for the drinks at Juniper’s.
Juniper’s comes to NKY from the same owners as Crafts and Vine, a street over. Mo made sure to tell us that next month Juniper’s is opening a speakeasy lounge in the basement of this already impressive addition to MainStrasse.
Cock and Bull
A Mainstrasse staple, Cock and Bull has long been a place for beer drinkers to step into a British Pub for a few hours. Their food menu, a mix of American and British staples, is equally as impressive as their drinks. But after all, this is a bar crawl, and we’re focusing on the libations.
Cock and Bull offers bar essentials, but when it comes to beer, they may be the best spot in Mainstrasse. They have everything from Ales to IPAs to Lagers, Ciders and Stouts that range from locally loved breweries like Braxton to international icons like Guinness.
You know how a fountain Diet Coke is better than all other Diet Cokes? Draft beer will also always reign supreme in my mind.
Much more of a true bar feel, you can root on the Bengals and make some friends with the fans next to you at Cock and Bull. This is one of the busiest bars, especially on game days, but always has an unmatched atmosphere.
If you’re looking for a place for cheap drinks and a lively environment, Cock and Bull is the place for you.
Have a street, city or business you want me to check out next? Email me at [email protected] and it could be featured on the next installment of LINK streetscapes.
What to know before you go
Greenhouse Bar
Address: 424 West Sixth St. in Covington
Phone: 859-431-6400
Website: greenhousebarcov.com
Hours: Closed Monday; 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday; 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday
Juniper’s
Address: 409 West Sixth St. in Covington
Phone: 859-291-4466
Website: bit.ly/3CTNnjq
Hours: 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday; closed Sunday and Monday
Cock and Bull
Address: 601 Main St. in Covington
Phone: 859-581-4253
Website: cockandbullcincinnati.com/
Hours: 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Monday through Sunday