Featured Photo: Fatty Arbuckles Owner Chase Boytim (left) and Manager Andy Flook.
If you’re a food and drink lover in Shreveport-Bossier – or you just follow local food happenings on Instagram – chances are good that you’ve seen Andy Flook’s work (he’s @potiondevotion on Instagram). Flook is an outstanding bartender that many will know from his work at The Village Grille, Frank’s Pizza Napoletana, and Frank’s Louisiana Kitchen. He recently took over as manager of Fatty Arbuckles, a Red River District bar that is, unquestionably, home to one of the most interesting collections of spirits in the State of Louisiana.
The short version of this story is: One of the most promising bartenders in north Louisiana is now in charge of one of the most extensive liquor selections in Louisiana. Delicious drinks will ensue.
“Andy is creative on another level,” said Chase Boytim, owner of Fatty Arbuckles. “He’s taking us to a level that we have not been on before.”
That level, according to Flook, will include locally foraged herbs, house-made bitters and tinctures, from-scratch frozen daiquiris (an Irish coffee daiquiri is being tossed around at the moment), the return of Fatty Arbuckles’ cocktail ice (“We’re going to resume risking life and limb to make beautiful ice cubes”), and a continued emphasis on food and drink events that somehow feel both exclusive and affordable.
Their upcoming July 12 event, Bourbon, Brews and Bacon, is a great example of Fatty Arbuckles’ recent events: three or four courses of pork belly dishes paired with hard-to-find Great Raft Brewing beers, plus some pretty high-end bourbons like Eagle Rare and Weller Special Reserve, all for $30. That’s a bargain.
RSVP to Bourbon, Brews, and Bacon on Facebook.
For the time being, Flook will be tending bar at Fatty Arbuckles on Wednesday nights and Friday nights. The rest of the time, he’ll mostly be managing the business.
If you’d like to really see what the guy can do, you don’t have to be an expert on craft cocktails. Just provide a little bit of information and Flook will do his thing.
“I wanna know your base spirit, I wanna know if you like sweet or bitter flavor profiles, and then I’ll work my magic,” Flook said. “Gin and tequila are my thing, but I love bourbon, and being here at Fatty’s, I’m definitely getting a major download of information on bourbon.”
Fatty Arbuckles is located at 450 Clyde Fant Parkway, in downtown Shreveport’s Red River District. Please celebrate responsibly, and if you’re drinking, please use a taxi, Uber, or Lyft to get home safely.
