2019Q2SpiritedVA - 64

BEHIND THE BAR

Karl Dornemann, Supper Southern Morsels, Norfolk

ince his first job at an ice cream parlor
when he was 15, Karl Dornemann has
been in the restaurant industry. He worked
the bar at Richmond's Commercial Taphouse,
moved to Hampton Roads to open Tap House,
and then on to a host of other regional
restaurants, including Crackers, Empire, Bardo,
Still Worldly Eclectic Tapas, The Public House,
Gosport Tavern and Supper Southern Morsels,
with classy comfort-style food and drinks.
He's in the process of building a distillery,
too-R.D. Wilhelm Distilling, putting out
bourbon, rye and Old Tom Gin under the
"Reverend Spirits" label.

How have you gained your knowledge in
spirits, wine and beer?
Other than drinking? A lot of reading. I was
that nerdy guy sitting at bar, sipping on stuff
and taking notes on what I was drinking and
tasting. And I surrounded myself with people
who did the same. Commercial Taphouse
was the perfect example. The folks that came
in there were all big beer geeks. We'd taste
stuff and try to pick out the hops, the malts,
before we'd ever look at the packaging. And
that's continued, with spirits as well as wine.

What appeals to you about the restaurant
industry?
I always lovingly refer to it as "an island of
misfit toys"-it's the strangest family of nonrelated people, and I've always loved that. I've
always liked the people and always loved the
job. It's never the same.

How do you decide what drinks to serve at
a restaurant?
We follow traditional classic cocktails, oldschool kind of stuff. Supper, with its Southern
tint, we do things that are more in line with
those foods; same with Gosport Tavern and
Public House. It's not just a matter of current
trends but also a matter of what would be
appropriate with the cuisine.

What do you like about working behind
the bar?
That's where you get the most varied
personalities. That's where all the fun is. I
tried my time in the kitchen, but as the old
adage says, "If you can't stand the heat . . ."
and I couldn't stand the heat.

What's an example?
At Supper, we had Samuel's Porch-Maker's
and Coke with boiled peanuts. We infuse our
own Supper Comfort, which is peach-heavy,
like Southern Comfort, that grand old drink of
the South. It's kind of a mix between Southern
Comfort and a Manhattan, because I'm a big

64 VIRGINIA ABC | ABC.VIRGINIA.GOV

BILLY FELLIN

fan of the classics. We take bourbon and dried
peaches and macerate them, then add other
seasonings. Ours still has peach emphasis but
also has cinnamon and star anise and some
other things that give it a Manhattan feel.
What are customers' favorite drinks at
Supper Southern Morsels?
They love our frosé on our rooftop patio, and
Bourbon Mash, which is Maker's Mark, Fee
Brothers black walnut bitters, blackberries
and agave. Lynchburg Lemonade does very
well; Sazerac; and Southern Isle, which is
Belle Isle Honey Habanero Moonshine with
hop grapefruit bitters, honey syrup, lemon
juice and Champagne.
What cocktails interest you most?
I'm a big fan of classic cocktails and try to
re-create them close as we can to how they
were done. I also have always believed in
making something yourself when you can.
We make our own fresh fruit juices, our own
sour mix, our own bitters.
What's your favorite liquor?
Bourbon. It's always just been so inviting to
me: notes of caramel and vanilla, the aromas
of the toasted wood. It's just always warm.

-Annie Tobey

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2019Q2SpiritedVA

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