Cult classics and craft cocktails: The art of a good time

Fern Bar cocktails // Photo by Jon Hargett

Action! For a few short months, the intersection of cult classics and craft cocktails happens to rest in a former Crossroads bank. Fern Bar’s seasonal menu draws inspiration from television and films, including a clever partnership with Screenland Armour Theatre.

To follow a winter of music references that guided the Fern FM craft cocktail menu, enter: Fern TV, aka Video Killed the Radio Star. Movies such as Singing in the Rain, Cool Runnings, and Rebel Without a Cause demonstrate the film side, while iCarly, Severance, and The White Lotus are represented as some of the television-themed drinks. 

My picks? The shock-your-senses lime and vinegar Still No Pickles cocktail that nods—nay, shouts—of a Spongebob Squarepants episode from season one; and the irresistibly juicy, beer-based cocktail that may leave you Dazed and Confused. One must decide for themselves whether to pick based on title or ingredients. Or perhaps a third avenue: the vessel. (I’m looking at you, dino egg glass.)

Fern Bar x Screenland Armour punch cards

For each featured cocktail that a patron orders, they earn a punch on a themed punch card. When completed, the staff at Fern Bar will trade it out for a gift card worth two free tickets to Screenland Amour.

Fern Bar owner, Bryan Arri, credits one of his bartenders with the idea, saying, “We all love films and prefer independent theaters for our film-watching experiences. I’m pretty sure Diana Condori was the first to bring up the idea, and we built upon it. She had an awesome relationship with their owner, so it came about naturally.”

When Arri first reached out to Adam Roberts at Screenland, the theatre owner was instantly interested. “My response was ‘abso-freakin-lutely!’ We’re always looking for new ways to join forces with other local businesses and this one is a favorite of mine. It’s run by great people with a unique bar program. Anytime we can cross streams, it’s good for both of our audiences,” says Roberts. I’ll leave you to hunt for his myriad film references there.

Let’s Hear it for the Creatives

Something struck me, besides the playful cocktails and reward system. (But seriously, it’s like the reverse of earning a personal pan pizza as a kid from reading books through Book It… now you drink a lot and earn yourself a movie day!)

The art of it all. 

Art shines through aspects of this project—and the two featured businesses—where others wouldn’t have thought to add it. Or, wouldn’t have chosen to invest.

Glassware and garnishes are over the top. A glossy handheld menu—complete with a QR code that directs patrons to a custom Letterboxd page. The colorful punch cards and custom hole punch that is traded in for a Screenland gift card, which itself dons a one-of-a-kind logo. High-quality video and photo content for promotion. A new mural in the entryway… Fern Bar is not shy about investing in the details.

“We thrive when we live alongside and inside of art. It is one of the reasons we’re so proud to call our corner of the Crossroads Arts District home,” Arri says.

Still No Pickles cocktail // Photo by Jon Hargett

That isn’t to say that the sugarcane and agave bar is all flash and no substance. They’ve got a few nominations and awards under their proverbial authentic, hand-made leather belt. And the artful eye for detail and creativity can even be found in the glass itself.

Jaliscan Gunpowder, a cocktail based on The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, features an edible gunpowder element. And the bitters used in Toke About It (Dazed and Confused) give a surprisingly accurate taste of Mountain Dew. The one-of-a-kind concoction was reverse-engineered by the Fern Bar bartenders. 

“Each bartender was given full creative control over their film/show selection prior to pitching their cocktail idea. They were dedicated to watching many shows and films to gain inspiration, and flavors were based on pieces from the film,” says Arri. “In life, all work can be art. We happen to make art with liquid and sell it (although hopefully with less pretension than how that sounded), and so we always try to surround ourselves with beauty.”

It Really is that Deep

While some places approach aesthetics through the lens of being the next “Insta-worthy” hot spot, creative expression and strong visuals can be much deeper.

The human element is the core of this partnership: using art to communicate feelings and memories so that others can have a shared experience. Arri credits Jack Hatzfeld—the in-house Creative Director—with much of the visual experience at Fern Bar. Investing in local artists, ice-molders, painters, designers, growers, printers, writers, photographers, etc., can simultaneously build community while carving out a specific identity. 

Roberts also relies on design and creativity, and not just through the films he shows. “There’s something to matching your aesthetic outside of your walls the same way as you do internally, that appeals to me,” he says. “A lot of our materials have been created by employees or long-time friends—They get what we’re doing here. And I love working with people to find an interesting way to create something, whether that’s a menu, poster, or event—It’s a lot more fun together.”

In fact, Roberts encourages everyone to get a little more expressive. “If you aren’t an artist but have an idea or vision, start by asking your employees, friends, or family if they know someone. I think it’s good to acknowledge that you as the business owner are a creative, but you might not be artistically inclined.”

Toke About It cocktail // Photo by Jon Hargett

Still Rolling

Fern Bar’s Video Killed the Radio Star menu will be available through June, but if the screen-inspired lineup speaks to you, there’s a year-round solution. In the back of Screenland Armour is a bar that screams Blockbuster and ‘90s nostalgia. Rewind Video and Dive is a 21+ bar that feels like a speakeasy, but instead of a moody, gilded style, patrons are met with neon lights, movie posters, and Nintendo. 

Roberts believes there’s room for both styles of bars, saying, “While the list of cocktails at Rewind Video and Dive isn’t as deep as Fern’s, our love of realized spaces and good hangs is.”

Fern Bar is at 2041 Broadway Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64108. Screenland Armour & Rewind Video and Dive are at 408 Armour Rd, North Kansas City, MO 64116.