Restaurant
Unclaimed profileThe Refinery
Birmingham, AL · $$
Inebrious
Beverage Program Score
The editorial take
The Refinery's cocktail program is the clear draw, winner of the 2025 Magic City Cocktail Competition's Best Cocktail in. The menu runs from the watermelon-and-lemongrass PATIO SEASON to the gochujang-spiked HEAT INDEX. Wine and beer lists are simple but serviceable, with weekly specials like $8 wine on Wednesdays. A medieval-modern speakeasy vibe sets the scene.
- What should I order?
- Start with PATIO SEASON, a Lillet blanc and cava-based cocktail with lemongrass and watermelon, or HEAT INDEX, which layers reposado tequila with gochujang and a fire tincture. For bourbon drinkers, PLUM DOCTRINE combines Bulleit with Aperol and spiced plum cordial.
- When should I go?
- Taco Tuesday brings $8 margaritas and palomas all day, while Wine and Wing Wednesday sets all wine at $8. Shotty Saturday offers $6 shots of the bartender's choosing.
- What should I expect to spend?
- Cocktails are not individually priced on the menu, but the weekly specials give a sense of value: $8 margaritas and palomas on Taco Tuesday, $8 wine on Wednesday, and $6 shots on Shotty Saturday.
- What makes the beverage program distinctive?
- The Refinery took Best Cocktail in at the 2025 Magic City Cocktail Competition. Its cocktail menu shows ambition, with ingredients like gochujang, fire tincture, and pistachio tequila puree.
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
The cocktail list is extensive and inventive, with nine specialty drinks spanning gin, reposado tequila, bourbon, and rum. The program earned the 2025 Magic City Cocktail Competition's Best Cocktail in. Customers describe the drinks as well-crafted and balanced.
Menu strengths
- — Award-winning: winner of the 2025 Magic City Cocktail Competition's Best Cocktail in.
- — Nine named specialty cocktails with creative ingredients like gochujang, fire tincture, and pistachio tequila puree.
Standout selections
- — PATIO SEASON: Lillet blanc, cava, lemongrass, watermelon, lemon, soda.
- — HEAT INDEX: Olmeca Altos reposado, 400 Conejos, grapefruit liqueur, gochujang, apricot, fire tincture, soda.
- — PLUM DOCTRINE: Bulleit bourbon, Aperol, spiced plum cordial, raspberry liqueur, orange and Angostura bitters, soda.
Pricing: No individual cocktail prices listed; weekly specials include $8 margaritas/palomas on Taco Tuesday and $6 shots on Shotty Saturday.
Wine
The wine list is basic, offering five varietals without specific brands or vintages. It covers cabernet sauvignon, pinot grigio, pinot noir, prosecco, and sauvignon blanc. The $8 wine special on Wednesdays provides a straightforward value.
Menu strengths
- — Offers a standard range of varietals from cabernet sauvignon to prosecco.
- — All wine priced at $8 on Wine and Wing Wednesday.
Standout selections
- — Cabernet Sauvignon; Pinot Grigio; Pinot Noir; Prosecco; Sauvignon Blanc
Pricing: All wine $8 on Wine and Wing Wednesday.
Beer
The beer selection is simple, listing domestic and imported options like Stella, Modelo, Coors Light, and an IPA. No specific breweries or styles beyond generic names are given. It serves as a straightforward complement to the cocktails.
Menu strengths
- — Includes both domestic and imported options such as Stella and Modelo.
- — Provides familiar choices like Coors Light and Miller Light.
Standout selections
- — Stella; Modelo; Coors Light; White Ale; Michelob Ultra
Pricing: No beer prices listed.
Spirits
The spirits program is broad, spanning vodka, rum, tequila, gin, scotch, bourbon and whiskey, cognac, amari, apertivos, and cordials. Named brands include Absolut, Grey Goose, Casamigos, Don Julio, Hendrick's, Monkey 47, Bulleit, and Blanton's.
Menu strengths
- — Extensive coverage across major spirits categories.; Includes well-known brands like Grey Goose, Don Julio, and Hendrick's.
Standout selections
- — Absolut — Vodka; Belvedere — Vodka; Grey Goose — Vodka
Pricing: No individual spirit prices listed; Sunday's Sins offers $1 off well liquors.
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