The 18.21 Bitters founders, Missy and Kristin Koefod, have always sold the ingredients needed to make stellar craft cocktails at their Ponce City Market store—but customers could never taste the drinks onsite. That’s about to change. The Koefods are opening a draft cocktail and craft hotdog spot called Drafts + Dogs at Ponce City Market on May 15. It will take over the space formerly home to Simply Seoul and serve drinks and dogs all day.
“We always wanted to be able to offer fast, easy cocktails at Ponce, but never had the space,” Missy Koefod says. “Now we’ll have the drinks at Drafts + Dogs and the ingredients around the corner at 18.21.”
Courtesy of Missy Koefod
Drafts + Dogs will serve four draft cocktails, such as a riff on a Hemingway daiquiri and a black Manhattan, as well as 18.21 original drinks. There will be two frozen, seasonal cocktails, like the tiki scotch, which has a pineapple-coconut flavor, and three non-draft cocktails, plus canned beer and wine. Non-alcoholic offerings will also be seasonal. These could include a rosemary, sage, and lime drink; and lemon, grapefruit, and basil drink.
As for food, the menu will be limited to craft hot dogs and simple sides, such as chips and cole slaw. Hot dog options include the Nice Georgia Dog, topped with Old Fourth Vodka-caramelized Vidalia onions and peach compote; the Fancy Dog made with Kobe beef, truffle butter, and caviar; and the Morning Wood breakfast dog with wood-smoked sausage and a fried egg. Naked dogs, Chicago dogs, a vegan dog, and an Elvis Dessert Dog (banana with peanut butter and chocolate) will also be available.
“It’ll provide a little taste of what the James Room has to offer,” Koefod says.
The James Room is the Koefods’ “French café meets Italian aperitivo bar” opening on the Atlanta BeltLine in June. It’ll have a more casual, coffee shop feel in front with elevated offerings (think London cocktail bar) in the back. There will be more than 40 craft cocktails on the menu, including some focused on amaro and vermouth. Eats include gourmet hot dogs, charcuterie, cheeses, Venetian-style small plates, chilled seafood, sandwiches, and salads. Desserts range from fruit tarts and cannoli to tiramisu and cheesecake.
