Cocktail Bar
Unclaimed profilePrinciple Food and Drink
Kalamazoo, MI · $$
Inebrious
Beverage Program Score
The editorial take
Principle Food and Drink was founded with a creative craft cocktail program as a core element, and the menu backs that up with eighteen cocktails split across COCKTAILS, COCKTAILS - SHAKEN, and COCKTAILS - PRINCIPLE ROOTS & CLASSICS. Spirits span bourbon, gin, rum, mezcal, tequila, scotch, pisco, and vodka. A dedicated vermouth list of eight selections served neat, rocks, or soda adds a specific, unusual strength. Wine covers sparkling, rosé, white, and red from nine countries; beer runs ten deep with Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, German, Colorado, and Wisconsin labels. A downstairs lounge seats up to 16 for dinner or 25 for a cocktail reception.
- What should I order?
- Start with the Holy Hand Grenade, an Angel's Envy and Four Roses bourbon drink with Amaro Montenegro and a flamed orange peel at $16. For something lighter, the No Fuss combines Beefeater gin, elderflower liqueur, and cardamom bitters at $12. The Charade mixes hibiscus shrub, pisco, housemade limoncello, and Azimut sparkling brut for $11. The vermouth list is worth a pour: Lustau Vermut Rojo is $8, served neat, rocks, or soda.
- Who will enjoy this place?
- Anyone who wants a considered cocktail list with clear categories and a range of spirit bases. The vermouth section suits drinkers who like low-ABV options with specific producers. Beer drinkers get local Michigan labels alongside German and Ohio imports. Wine drinkers find a compact but international list with glasses from $9 to $13.
- When should I go?
- Cocktails are described by reviewers as a good way to unwind, and the downstairs lounge accommodates a cocktail reception for up to 25 guests. The menu includes a Roll The Dice option described as 'let the fates decide!' for anyone who prefers the bartender to choose.
- What should I expect to spend?
- Cocktails run $10 to $16. Vermouth is $4 to $8. Wine by the glass is $9 to $13, with bottles from $32 to $120. Beer is $2 to $12.
- What makes the beverage program distinctive?
- A vermouth section of eight selections served neat, rocks, or soda is a specific, unusual feature. The cocktail list is divided into three distinct sections totaling eighteen drinks, and the spirit range covers bourbon, gin, rum, mezcal, tequila, scotch, pisco, and vodka. The downstairs lounge seats up to 16 for dinner or 25 for a cocktail reception.
Beverage categories
We only score what a venue sets out to do. Categories a venue doesn't attempt are left unscored rather than penalized.
Cocktails
Eighteen cocktails across three sections: COCKTAILS, COCKTAILS - SHAKEN, and COCKTAILS - PRINCIPLE ROOTS & CLASSICS. The restaurant was founded with a creative craft cocktail program as a key element, and the spirit range covers bourbon, gin, rum, mezcal, tequila, scotch, pisco, and vodka. A Roll The Dice option lets the fates decide.
Menu strengths
- — Three distinct cocktail sections with six drinks each, covering classics, shaken drinks, and roots & classics.
- — Spirit bases span bourbon, gin, rum, mezcal, tequila, scotch, pisco, and vodka across the named selections.
- — A downstairs lounge seats up to 16 for dinner or 25 for a cocktail reception.
Standout selections
- — Holy Hand Grenade: Angel's Envy and Four Roses bourbon with Amaro Montenegro and a flamed orange peel, $16.
- — No Fuss: Beefeater gin with elderflower liqueur and cardamom bitters, $12.
- — The Charade: hibiscus shrub, pisco, housemade limoncello, and Azimut sparkling brut, $11.
- — Bayou St. John: Planteray dark rum with velvet falernum, lime cordial, and Braulio, $11.
Pricing: $10-$16
Wine
A compact wine list with four sparkling and rosé selections, six whites, and seven reds. Regions include Spain, France, Washington, Argentina, Italy, South Africa, Michigan, and California. By-the-glass prices run $9 to $13, with bottles from $32 to $120.
Menu strengths
- — International range across sparkling, rosé, white, and red, drawing from nine countries including Michigan.
- — Glass prices stay between $9 and $13, making the list approachable for a bottle-and-glass order.
- — Veuve Clicquot at $120 provides one higher-end bottle option.
Standout selections
- — Azimut Prosecco brut from Barcelona, $13 by the glass or $48 by the bottle.
- — Wapisa Sauvignon Blanc 2022 from Patagonia, $13 by the glass or $44 by the bottle.
- — Cataclysm Chardonnay 2021 from Columbia Valley, $11 by the glass or $40 by the bottle.
- — Protea Chenin Blanc 2023 from Franschhoek Valley, $12 by the glass or $44 by the bottle.
Pricing: $9-$13 by the glass; $32-$120 by the bottle
Beer
Ten bottled and canned beers spanning IPAs, amber, lager, and other styles. Prices run $2 to $12, with local Michigan options alongside national and imported labels.
Menu strengths
- — Ten beers with a mix of local Michigan labels and out-of-state and imported options.
- — Styles cover IPA, hazy IPA, amber, and light lager.
- — Price range from $2 to $12 gives a low-cost entry point.
Standout selections
- — Old Nation M43 IPA from Michigan, $12.; War Pigs Foggy Geezer Hazy IPA from Michigan, $7.
- — Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald from Ohio, $7.; Ayinger Brauweisse from Germany, $10.
Pricing: $2-$12
Spirits
A dedicated vermouth list of eight selections served neat, rocks, or soda. Options include Atsby Amberthorn, Atsby Armadillo Cake, Lustau Vermut Rojo, Dolin Blanc, Dolin Rouge, Punt e Mes, Carpano Antica Formula, and Dolin Dry. Prices run $4 to $8.
Menu strengths
- — Eight vermouths served neat, rocks, or soda, giving three distinct service formats.
- — Range spans New York, Italy, and France, including two Atsby bottlings from New York.
- — Prices from $4 to $8 make the list an accessible low-ABV option.
Standout selections
- — Atsby Amberthorn from New York, $6, served neat, rocks, or soda.
- — Atsby Armadillo Cake from New York, $6, served neat, rocks, or soda.
- — Lustau Vermut Rojo from Italy, $8, served neat, rocks, or soda.
- — Carpano Antica Formula from Italy, $6, served neat, rocks, or soda.
Pricing: $4-$8
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