Raising the Bar (1)

Will Hollingsworth knows what makes a good cocktail and the ingredients for a good bar. After three years mixing drinks at Lolita, the local bartender spent the past year crafting the Spotted Owl, a secluded spot in Tremont underneath the Tremont Place Lofts. With innocuous lighting, a reclaimed wood bar top and pockets of intimate seating, the space puts the focus on 12 carefully crafted cocktails. "[It's] a place for people who love to just sit at a bar and converse over a really good drink," says Hollingsworth. He recommends the Quick Fix No. 2 ($9), a twist on the Moscow mule. Made with Russian Standard vodka infused with smoked orange peel, lemon juice, simple syrup and spicy Goya ginger beer, the drink comes in a double Old-Fashioned glass filled with 1-inch ice cubes. House vanilla-infused Angostura bitters christen the copper concoction, which coats the throat with a hint of heat. "It's a lovely drink with a balance of the classic cocktail components — the spirit, the sweet, acid and bitters," he says. 710 Jefferson Ave., Cleveland, 216-795-5595, facebook.com/spottedowlbar