I’ve lived in Ashland for seven years now, and I’ve worked in the service industry for just as long. I get a lot of questions about the area: “Is it always so hot here?” and “Why are there so many people with dreadlocks?” and “Are you an actor at the festival?” Most of all, the question I get is, “Where’s a good place to get a drink?”

Slightly off the beaten path, Alchemy is a restaurant and bar in Ashland that’s something you don’t want to miss, whether you’re a local or simply passing through. Their terraced outdoor area is a place I have spent many, many hours either in the company of friends or with the simple companionship of whatever book I happen to be reading at the time. The property is beautiful, it’s very clear that someone with a green thumb also has a propensity for landscape design.

The bar itself is cozy. There’s mood lighting there, no loud, bouncing music. The bartenders wear bowties and I get the feeling that it’s not because it’s part of their uniform; they’re just that classy. Their spirits take up the entire back portion of their 20 foot high wall behind the bar. Best of all, the bar is attached to a stellar restaurant, meaning the food is that same top-notch caliber.

As often happens being a local, I haven’t been inside the restaurant, so I can’t speak for that experience. (This is a Drink Local section, afterall). I’ve only attended the bar and imbibed in the cocktail list but I’ll tell you they’re very good, they do their cocktails classically: whiskey sours with egg whites, martinis stirred and scotch with ice blocks.

It’s a spot I find myself often. They run a wonderful happy hour that puts a half dozen craft cocktails at $6. The best part about the happy hour, however, is that on Monday and Tuesday they run it all day. That’s my kind of happy hour.

So if you live here, or maybe you’re just here for the festival, make sure you stop by Alchemy. Sit in their outside terrace, soak in the sun, take in the flowers, and warm yourself with one of their many cocktail options. I promise you, it’ll become a favorite spot. It has for me.