Bartender and artist Dyyo Faccina at B.Side a new speakeasy at Hotel Revival / Photo by Cameron Snell. 

It’s getting colder and the evenings are beginning earlier, so why not have a drink? We decided to ask a few local bartenders to give us some recipes for tasty fall cocktails, and to tell us a little about themselves, too. Here, you’ll find drinks to warm you from the inside with flavors of bourbon, apple, and, of course, pumpkin spice.

Bar director Collin Schnitker smiles from behind the bar of Sugarvale.

SUGARVALE – Collin Schnitker 

4 W. Madison St.

Baltimore, MD 21201

Tue-Thu: 5pm-12 a.m.

Fri & Sat: 5pm-1 a.m.

Happy Hour: 5-7 p.m.

Sugarvale has just introduced a new cocktail menu and the offerings are sure to warm your spirit. Sugarvale is an intimate cocktail bar fit for every occasion, from a business meeting, date night, to drinks with friends.

Teri Henderson : What is your zodiac sign?

Colin Schnitker: My sign is Gemini.

TH: What are your hobbies outside of work?

CS: I like to unwind by listening to music or making videos, working on projects with my friends – any artistic outlet I can find time for!

TH: What is your favorite spirit? 

CS: My favorite spirit is Mezcal.

TH: What is your go-to cocktail to make when you get home?

CS: My go-to cocktail at home or when I’m out is a Mezcal Negroni with Bruto Americano. It’s Smoky, bitter, and a little sweet. It’s perfect.

TH: What do you like about bartending?

CS: What I like about bartending are the social and creative aspects. I love being able to talk to new people or host familiar faces. On the other end, I love being able to come up with concepts and trying to make them fit into a glass. Getting to collaborate with my coworkers is always fun.


Bar director and artist Colin Schnitker pours a cocktail from Sugarvale’s new fall menu. / Photo by Cameron Snell.

TH: What is the best cocktail you’ve ever had, and where did you drink it? 

CS: It’s impossible to say what the “best” cocktail I’ve ever had was, but a bartender named Harry made this smoked garlic drink I had at Dutch Courage. He loves making psycho-savory drinks, and he really pulled it off with that one.

RECIPES:

Dirt Spiced Latte

1.5 oz McClintock White Whiskey

.75oz house-made pumpkin spice syrup

.5oz fresh lemon juice

.25oz St George NOLA coffee liqueur 

1 dash of Angostura bitters

Egg white

Phantom Space Ramen, Baby

1oz dashi-washed white rum 

1oz curry-coconut

.75oz yuzu liqueur 

.5oz grapefruit

Alvin Row

1.5 oz fennel-infused vodka

.5oz Neisson agricole rhum

.5oz dry vermouth 

.25oz Mastiha

.25oz Don Ciccio & Figli Finnocchietto

2 dash lemon bitters

Bartender and artist Nate Hellstern behind the bar at Sugarvale. / Photo by Cameron Snell.

B.SIDE – HOTEL REVIVAL – Dyyo Faccina

B.Side is located on the first floor of Hotel Revival (look for the jukebox and bowl of gold coins). They recommend you make a reservation, and the adjacent karaoke rooms are also serviced by the bar. 

101 West Monument Street

A close-up of cocktails at B.Side at Hotel Revival. / Photo by Cameron Snell.

Teri Henderson: What is your zodiac sign? 

Dyyo Faccina : I am a Capricorn. My birthday is December 24th.

TH: What are your hobbies outside of work? What do you like to do to unwind? 

DF: Making art helps me unwind. Whether it’s music, film, or painting, expressing myself always feels good and relaxing.

TH: What is your favorite spirit?

DF: Mezcal. I love smokey flavors.

TH: What is your go-to cocktail to make when you get home?

DF: Margaritas. That’s what I usually offer guests whenever I have people over. Everyone loves margaritas. It’s always hard to have just one.

TH: What do you like about bartending?

DF: I love to keep the party going. I like to provide and fun and safe environment. Bartending is more than serving someone a drink. It’s about providing an experience.

TH: What is the best cocktail you’ve ever had, and where did you drink it? 

DF: I’ve had a lot of cocktails, so this is a hard one. I had a drink at Copycat Company in D.C called the Double U Old Fashioned, which had Rye whiskey, sherry, and port wine. I love Old Fashioneds so it was especially delicious. 

Dyyo Faccina uses a torch to burn a piece of star anise for flavor as a garnish for a cocktail at B.Side. / Photo by Cameron Snell.

Recipes:

“Buzz Me In”

1 oz Bar Hill Gin

.75 oz Dry Vermouth 

.5 oz Apricot liqueur 

.5 oz Rosemary infused honey

.25 oz Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice

4 Dashes Of Lavender Bitters

*Garnish With Rosemary wrapped in lemon.

“The Party After The After Party”

1.5 oz Monkey Shoulder Scotch 

.5 oz Pierre Ferrand Cognac

.75 oz Cardamom Liqueur

.25 oz Sfumato Bitter Liqueur 

.75 oz Ginger Syrup

.25 oz Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice 

2 Dashes of Fig Bitters

*Garnish With Burnt Star Anise

Two cocktails made by Dyyo Faccina at B.Side. / Photo by Cameron Snell. 

SAGAMORE PENDRY, BLUESTONE + H3IRLOOM – Lola 

The Sagamore Pendry Hotel

1715 Thames Street

Bluestone Restaurant 

1 W Aylesbury Road
Timonium, MD 21093

H3irloom Food Group

3425 Sinclair Lane

Teri Henderson: What is your zodiac sign? 

Lola: Leo Sun Scorpio Moon and Aquarius Rising.

TH: What is your favorite spirit? 

Lola: Whiskey. Definitely Crown Royal for my Poppa Diddy Pop

TH: What is your go-to cocktail to make when you get home? 

Lola: Either Rosè or some tequila shots.

TH: What do you like about bartending? 

Lola: I absolutely love the importance of the job. We see people on their very best days, like weddings, graduations, new job celebrations, and promotions, and we see them on their worst days: funerals, heartbreaks, and medical diagnoses. And the human connections I get to make by just making people feel celebrated, heard, and uplifted is something I couldn’t find doing anything else.

TH: What is the best cocktail you’ve ever had, and where did you drink it? 

Lola: I would say the very first time I had a French 75, which is NOW my favorite cocktail ever. It had more to do with the person I shared the cocktail with, my bestie boo. She ordered it like the classy lady she is. I had no idea what to order at this fancy ass restaurant, so I copied her, and I’ve been drinking them ever since!

RECIPES:

(I have no names for these cocktails. I usually just make things and name them for the people I’ve created them for. I’m not super fancy with cocktails, to be honest. Basic is the best I’ve found)

FIRST COCKTAIL

2 oz Bourbon

1/2 oz lemon juice

2 bar spoons of apple butter

add cranberry

shake & strain over ice or serve it up.

THE OTHER COCKTAIL

2 oz Gin

pour over ice

top with apple cider and ginger beer.

A close-up of cocktail garnish and ingredients at B.Side, a new speakeasy at Hotel Revival. / Photo by Cameron Snell.

Teri Henderson is the Arts and Culture Editor of Baltimore Beat. She is the author of the 2021 book Black Collagists. Previously, she was a staff writer for BmoreArt, gallery coordinator for Connect +...

Lisa Snowden is Editor-in-Chief and cofounder of Baltimore Beat. Previously, she was an editor at Baltimore City Paper, Baltimore Sun, and The Real News Network. Her work has also appeared in Essence,...