Granville grad brings chic restaurant, bar experience to Buckeye Lake

A new restaurant and bar has made its home in Buckeye Lake — and it's unlikely any other in the area.

Hereinafter Cocktail Tavern, owned by 1999 Granville High School graduate Ben Long opened in late December.

Long spent years working in chic, elegant restaurants in Washington D.C. and New York City, and he is now bringing that environment to Licking County.

Long said he wanted to create a place where specialty cocktails could be served next to beer and wine, and so far the response has been overwhelmingly positive.

"I want to democratize cocktails, and Buckeye Lake is the epitome of 'let's have fun and not be uptight,'" he said.

Inside Hereinafter's doors on North Bank Road feels like a 1960s Miami club with jazz music playing and staff members in bright floral shirts.

"We really intend for people to have a few cocktails and if they're eating, you know, move to wine," he said. "Maybe hang out longer after dinner and go right back to a cocktail."

The drink menu includes classic drinks, such as Manhattans, martinis and old fashioneds. But there are also twists to offer customers something new. Long said ordering a drink is meant to be a conversation between the guest and bartender, asking about the guests flavor pallet and the kind of drink they are in the mood for.

"From there, the guest kind of guides us on what they want," he said.

For any one who enjoys a cocktail, Long said there will be something on the menu that suits their tastes.

Hereinafter's menu also features wine from across the globe. Besides American wines from Oregon and California, the tavern also imports bottles from South Africa, Germany, Austria, Portugal, Spain, Italy and even Australia.

"We wanted to cover the taste bases, just like our cocktail menu," he said.

As for food, Long said he has created his version of "a cocktail gastropub" and has kept the menu small.

"We really just want to focus on doing what we do really well but not have it be too superfluous," he said.

The menu is inspired by Cajun and southern-style food with dishes such as scallops with goat cheese, smashed potatoes, shrimp po' boy sandwiches, jambalaya, and pork chops.

While the menu is small, Long said items will rotate to keep the offerings fresh.

Parts of the tavern, which was previously a VFW hall, are still a work in progress. A portion of the building that has a stage, Long said, will eventually be remodeled and Hereinafter will bring in bands to play live for guests.

He also has plans to add a wine shop so people can take their favorites home with them.

Long is focused on the details to ensure guests have the perfect experience. He went antique glassware hunting to find all the different glass sizes needed. He and his staff members are trained to use liquid nitrogen to quickly chill glasses. Long also has a special machine that freezes ice in large 200 pound blocks that is then cut into large cubes.

"Ice is sort of the foundation of everything we're trying to do," he said.

The large cubes keep drinks cold but don't melt as quickly or water down the drink.

"Ice melts at the corners but the larger the cube is, the slower it melts and so it can stay in front of a guest longer," he said.

Long said it's all part of creating a place where people want to spend hours enjoying their food and drinks.

"We want them to feel relaxed and enjoy their time here," he said.

Hereinafter Cocktail Tavern, located at 3430 N. Bank Road NE, is open Monday-Thursday from 4 p.m.-midnight and Friday-Saturday from 4 p.m.-1 a.m. It is closed on Sundays.

[email protected]

740-607-2175

Twitter: @MariaDeVito13