The new year marks our annual reset, a chance to make resolutions and reflect on our daily habits. For some, that means cutting back on alcohol for Dry January or swearing it off altogether.
If you want a night out on the town and a fancy non-alcoholic drink — preferably one that isn't just overpriced juice — consider visiting the newly opened Patera Temperance Lounge.
Located on East Sprague in the Sprague Union District, Patera's black building features a cheery yellow sunflower that pops out to greet passersby. The mural, painted by artist Desmond Boston, showcases co-owner Annie McGuinness' love for everything botanical.
Entering the building, you might be taken aback by its quirky layout. Guests first walk through an industrial interior patio area sparsely decorated with long benches and heaters that's used for vendor events, but can be opened up for outside seating in warmer weather.
To the left is the door to Patera's sit-down lounge area. The sunflower color scheme follows you inside, reflected in the mustard yellow of the cushions and walls and in the rich green-colored benches and chairs. A L-shaped couch fits snug in one corner, perfect for those who want to cozy up with a book.
The personality and interests of McGuinness and Darold Miller, her fiancé and co-owner, permeate the space. Their love for J.R.R. Tolkien is evident, as some of his works rest on the coffee table, and clearly Princess Mononoke is a Studio Ghibli favorite, with illustrations from the movie hung on the walls.
More than anything, it feels as though you've stepped into a modern day apothecary, or perhaps a witch's kitchen, with Wiccan depictions of bonfires and dancing under a full moon, herbs and spices lining one wall in the kitchen area, and dried wreath decor created by McGuinness' friend.
"I wanted it to be vibrant but cozy in here," McGuinness says. "I wanted people to feel like it is a comfortable, safe space for them."
At Patera, McGuinness is a one-woman band. She makes all of the bitters and syrups for her plant-based drinks by hand, cooks all of the food and desserts, and is the only one ringing up customers throughout the day.
The bar's most popular botanical beverage, Lavender Libation ($10), is the first drink the owners crafted and also the first thing listed on the menu. The drink can be served hot or cold upon request, with the cold version served in a coupe cocktail glass and garnished with a lavender sprig. The color is a pale purple and it includes blueberry elixir, lavender, sage, licorice root and a coconut cream froth.
Patera also touts a selection of elixirs with kava ($14), a plant root traditionally prepared and drunk ceremoniously in Polynesian culture.
"Kava is a member of the pepper family, so it is not spicy but it does have some similar analgesic, pain relieving compounds to it, so it will make the tip of your tongue or the roof of your mouth a little numb, not completely and not overwhelmingly," McGuinness says.
The recent hype around the root has misguided many into thinking that it can get you high or has an inebriating effect like alcohol.
"So kava does have noticeable effects, being that it is very relaxing, calming and anxiety relieving," McGuinness says. "It's anti-inflammatory for your nervous system, so it kind of brings you out of fight-or-flight and just kind of back into presence in your own body."
Those who like its unique, parsnip-like taste, can order kava straight in a shot form ($4).
If you want something to wake you up, Patera inherited an espresso machine from the building's previous inhabitant, Pine Heart Cafe. It allows for a coffee menu consisting of espresso ($3.50), Americano ($3.50), cortado ($4), latte ($5.50-$6.50) and more, featuring beans locally roasted by Peaceful Valley Coffee Co.
A cornerstone of Patera is the selection of hand-blended herbal teas, served in a personal teapot ($5). McGuinness purchases or wildcrafts (picks from the wild) all of the herbs. Even those she purchases have been foraged from the Northwest.
Patera has an all-vegan food menu, but McGuinness highlights how many of the patrons who enjoy it aren't vegan. The most popular dessert in their cold case is the mango chai tart ($5) which resembles a pumpkin pie, with rich spices and topped with whipped cream and syrup.
McGuinness was inspired to make tarts using the fruit leftover from making syrups and other beverage components. The fruit isn't cooked down, maintaining its naturally occurring vitamin C and other antioxidants.
If you're wanting something savory to balance out a sweet drink, Patera also has a variety of grilled sandwiches like the herbivore melt ($10) made with an herb and roasted garlic cashew cheese spread and vegan provolone, and the Patera Flame ($15) with chipotle cashew and black bean spread, chorizo Seitan sausage and pickled onions. No grilled "cheese" is complete without a soup of the day ($5-$7).
McGuinness was born and raised in the Inland Northwest, and has always been interested in plants.
"I can remember as a kid being very into making potions and things like that," she says. "It was just kind of something in the background of my mind that was something that I thought was cool and fun that I didn't think that I could devote my life to."
She initially thought her calling would be in health care, working as a nursing assistant in a palliative care facility, but her passions and challenges directed her toward the medicinal uses of plants.
"I spent many years being quite the alcoholic, and I think I thought that nursing school and being a nurse would kind of redeem me of all of the previous life choices that I had made," McGuinness says. "Working in health care, I saw that people weren't really being healed. They were being stored."
After witnessing how little of a role nutrition and food plays in Western medicine, McGuinness decided to use a plant-based diet and remedies to tackle some of her own health issues.
Her mobile botanical beverage business, Loving Libations, was born from this passion for herbalism and also seeing an increased demand for non-alcoholic beverages. With Loving Libations, she catered a variety of events and tested people's interest in the concept. Her following grew and gave her the confidence to open up a permanent business.
McGuinness' father suggested the name Patera, and she immediately loved it. She explained how a libation, though commonly used when referring to alcohol, is actually an offering for a deity in Roman culture, often a beverage or elixir which can take many forms.
"It's something that you created with the intention to serve a higher power and connect with that higher power. And in Roman culture, a patera is the vessel that those libations are served in," McGuinness says.
The temperance part of the business name alludes to it being a sober space, but encompasses more than just sobriety from alcohol. The literal definition of the word means "balance and moderation," which the owners view as applicable to all areas of life.
"For me, temperance means being more aware of the choices you're making in your life that are numbing you or making you want to numb yourself," says McGuinness, giving examples such as scrolling on our phones, shopping and drinking.
"If you choose to not drink for a night, it doesn't mean that you quit drinking," she continues. "If you choose to eat vegan food for a day, it doesn't mean that you're a vegan. So I think places like this help people kind of just be more aware of the choices they're making, and not feel like they are jumping to the other side." ♦
Patera Temperance Lounge • 1507 E. Sprague Ave. • Open Tue-Fri noon-8 pm, Sat-Sun 10 am-8 pm • Instagram: @pateralounge • 509-906-4973
