Nightlife’s resurrection honored in the Nappies

Photo | facebook.com

Let’s go ahead and get the comparisons to 2020 out of the way. During last year’s Nappies season, the future of nightlife venues was uncertain. The governor deemed them “non-essential” businesses during the pandemic, their hours were restricted and those of us who love nightlife were faced with a scary prospect: the end of bars as we knew them.

This year, it is a relief to report, we learned that fear was overblown. There were a couple of big losses in 2021 — Serda Brewing shut down its Government Street location to make way for the incoming Oyster City Brewing Co., and downtown favorite OK Bicycle Shop has yet to reopen since the pandemic, for example — but things are relatively back to normal. New bars and venues continue to pop up on both sides of the bay, even if the owners can’t hire enough employees to fully staff them up yet.

And as you can ascertain from the 2021 Nappie winners in the Nightlife category, reassured drinkers are back to their old ways, toasting long-time institutions and coronating promising, up-and-coming venues with Lagniappe’s coveted honors. Here’s a rundown of who took home which awards this year.

Home to a very loud little fig leaf, Manci’s Antique Club in Old Towne Daphne took home Best All-Around Bar – Baldwin and Best E-Sho Happy Hour. On weekdays, 3:30-6:30 p.m., the bar offers well drinks, glasses of wine and most drafts for $3.

Callaghan’s, as usual, won Best All-Around Bar – Mobile, while readers named The Garage as the Best Happy Hour Bar. The Garage offers half-off drinks Mondays through Fridays from 3-9 p.m., Saturdays from 2-6 p.m. and Sundays from 3-9 p.m. On Tuesdays, happy hour lasts all day.

Midtown’s The Ice Box Bar won Best New Bar – Mobile or Baldwin. Ever the enterprisers, the bar survived last year by selling half-gallon versions of their frozen cocktails to-go. Caitlyn Cope of Bay Minette’s The River Pub won Best Bartender – Baldwin, while Veet’s Gina Jo Previto won Best Bartender – Mobile.

Some bars dominated their neighborhoods in Mobile: Pour Baby (Best WeMo Bar), Nixon’s (Best MiMo Bar), The River Shack (Best SoMo Bar) and The Haberdasher (Best LoDa Bar). Next month, The Hab is reviving Mobile Tiki Week after putting it on hold during COVID. And others stood out in entire regions of Baldwin County: Top of the Bay (Best E-Sho Bar), Sandshaker at The Wharf (Best South Baldwin Bar) and Flora-Bama (Best Beach Bar). The roadhouse, thankfully, brought back the Interstate Mullet Toss in April after a brief hiatus.

Other venues ruled their specialties. Red or White, which has locations in Mobile, Fairhope and Orange Beach, claimed the Best Wine Bar title. Downtown’s POST was named Best Fancy Drink Bar, Heroes Sports Bar & Grille won Best Sports Bar, and The River Pub took the Best Dive Bar crown.

Beer fans voted Braided River the Best Local Brewery and its Hoppy By Nature IPA their Favorite Craft Beer. Meanwhile, Big Beach Brewing’s Area 251 Hazy IPA was voted Best Locally Brewed Beer and LoDa Bier Garten was named the bar with the Best Tap Selection. According to readers, Corona is their Favorite Import Beer, Mich Ultra is their Favorite Domestic Beer and there’s no laws when drinking the Best Seltzer, White Claw.

Best Margarita fans flocked to Midtown’s Taco Mama (which recently added a second location in Daphne) this year, while Best Bloody Mary fanatics preferred Brick & Spoon’s downtown Mobile, West Mobile and Orange Beach breakfast spots. Meanwhile, Best Bar Trivia freaks frequented Moe’s Original BBQ on Monday nights and gamblers declared Hard Rock Casino in Biloxi as their Favorite Casino to strike it rich. Those who like to boogie voted B-Bob’s the Best Gay Bar and Best Place to Shake Your Booty, while those who prefer to watch others do that voted The Candy Store the Best Gentlemen’s Club.

Now, let’s cheers to the 2021 Nappie Awards, the bars we’ve kept and the ones we’ve gained; let’s pour one out for the venues we’ve said goodbye to; and let’s vow to never bring up the year-that-will-not-be-named ever again.

Alyson Sheppard is Lagniappe’s resident hangover specialist. She is currently on maternity leave, so don’t even think about emailing her!