Hospitality operator Chris Edwards will launch café bar Sister Ray in Liverpool this May, promising to marry “laid back European cafe culture” with “New York bar scene vibes”.
Edwards previously operated the Class Bar Awards-nominated Filter + Fox in the city and his latest venture has a similar all-day bar positioning, with a coffee and workspace offering during the day, before transitioning to after-work drinks in the early evening and cocktails as the night grows old.
Edwards said: “The bar takes its name from a Velvet Underground track I love that starts with a pretty reliable rock ‘n’ roll groove that descends into a debauched soundscape via riffs of, funk, disco, post punk, jazz and grunge.
"It’s much how I see the bar evolving from day to night, a quiet reliable workspace by day, that gets a little looser as the night creeps in.”
The first half of cocktail menu is inspired by the team’s visits to New York over the last 20 years, with a list of 10 classic drinks ranging from timeless favourites such as the Old Fashioned and Dry Martini to modern classics including Attaboy’s Paper Plane and the Dead Rabbit’s Bankers Punch.
In addition, the Sister Ray team has created 20 signatures. Examples include a Paloma-style Tom Collins riff that uses rhubarb wine and habanero, a lapsang souchong and black peppercorn-infused Armagnac Old Fashioned and a Gin Martini ode to Liverpool’s coastal heritage flavoured with oyster leaf and kombu.
Edwards, who is also founder of Liverpool eateries Belzan and Madre, is joined by Lewis Jenkins (formerly of Hawksmoor and Swift) and Carey Hanlon (Present Company and Super Lyan).
Edwards added: “Investing in the team for Sister Ray was a priority for me, with this talent concentrated on one venue we can be sure to render the most creative, meticulously crafted and best tasting drinks in the city.”
The soundtrack is curated by Edwards alongside local DJs and musicians whose playlists cover everything from disco to funk, to rock ‘n’ roll, jazz and calypso.
Sister Ray will open to the public on Saturday 11th May. For more follow @SisterRay.bar