Lockwood and Loaded

Some experiences you’ll remember for the rest of your life. Others, well, you may wish you could remember them. Or not.

When I awoke Saturday morning, by a stroke of good luck or the grace of some celestial being (read: my friend who force-fed me chicken tendies at night’s end), I could almost entirely recollect Friday’s festivities — and what a night it had been!

It all started at Lockwood Distilling Co. on West Magnolia Avenue, its second location aside from the original in Richardson. The husband-wife duo who founded the distillery, Sally and Evan Batts, did so to celebrate community and togetherness. In that respect, they succeeded. A few close comrades from different stages of my life converged at Lockwood that evening, likely drawn by the booze more than my singular company. Point: The Batts.

With an impressive array of spirits, all crafted in-house, and delectable options for munching, Lockwood understood the assignment. Whether it was the jalapeño heat flirting with the sweet hibiscus vodka and acid of the lemon in the Mr. Sean or the ginger beer’s residual tang that lingered after the wave of pineapple rum and hint of cinnamon had receded in the Spicy Sparrow, the victualers artfully paired and balanced flavors in each Lock-tail.

My group would know — we ordered as many different refreshments as possible and sampled each other’s picks. Our waiter even brought over two free, untouched drinks belonging to a couple who had to dash to claim dinner reservations just as the elixirs arrived at their table. Their loss was by far our gain.

Having under-eaten earlier in the day, I was doubled over from laughter and dizzy with that intoxicating feeling you get when you realize the whole weekend still lies ahead of you. I had the red cheeks to prove it, too — both sets: one from attempting to catch my breath between guffaws, heightened by the flush I get when even a drop of liquor touches my lips, and the other from resting my derriere too long on an unforgiving metal chair.

Is nothing but neutrals “in”? Lockwood wears the color scheme well. The place’s simple interior walks the line between contemporary industrial and vintage chic. Aptly, the evening’s playlist skewed retro with hits by The Beach Boys, ABBA, and The Beatles. The exposed brick wall behind the bar brings warmth to the other, more darkly hued ones, which are sparsely adorned with vibrant pop art of icons both real and fictional. Dolly Parton winks at The Notorious B.I.G. from opposite the barroom, while Ace Ventura sports his signature pink tutu and goofy grin by the restrooms. The ambiance is only slightly distorted by the green glow of Vape DZ nearby seeping through Lockwood’s floor-to-ceiling windows.

The waiter regaled our table with a story that only further endeared us to the establishment. Someone had given Lockwood a 5-star review on Google with the accompanying effusive praise: “Not bad.” What else was to be done but to make custom merch touting the phrase?

That brand of humor suited our crew, especially as my companions attempted to describe their beverages to me in the most bizarre ways. Thing 1 proclaimed he “vacuumed up” his Funkytown Frosty, calling the frozen concoction of Lockwood vanilla rum and bourbon cream mixed with coffee and chocolate “basically a spiked milkshake.” Too bad it didn’t bring all the boys to the yard, Thing 2 lamented. She summed up her Cherry Nice as “light and sweet with a rich cherry ‘after-breath’ ” — you read that right — and quickly added, “Like Cherry Coke on acid.” Take that as you swill.

Last call snuck up on us all. As I quaffed a scrumptious Old Fashioned and dipped into the last bit of creamy poblano pimento cheese, I flagged down our waiter to request the Jive Turkey. Thing 1 had been ceaselessly goading me to order the sandwich, teasing me for not having looked at the food menu despite my rumblin’ tum. Alas, the kitchen had closed.

No matter. I returned for lunch the following sunny Monday afternoon, and, damn, was the Jive Turkey worth it. The day most of the street’s restaurants are hibernating was the ideal time to experience the patio and nosh on the creation of turkey, Havarti, arugula, and grape chutney on ciabatta. The hoagie once again demonstrated Lockwood’s ability to dance agilely between two disparate elements that, when combined, fashion a whole new jig of their own.

Each visit to Lockwood I’d willingly repeat — and thanks to excellent company, they’re experiences I’ll remember for a long while. Five stars: not bad, indeed.