Runner-Up Best New Bar 2024
Words by JOSEPHINE JOHNSON
Photography by PETER COLIN MURRAY
Styling by SARA SPICER
Produced by MORRIGAN MAZA, GOOD CULTURE CREATIVE
WITH ITS UNASSUMING EXTERIOR and darkened, shotgun-style interior, it would be easy to overlook The Hawthorn Minibar and Lounge on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. But look closer, and the establishment’s goldleaf-lettered logo — subtly conjuring late 19th-century vibes — hints at something more to come. Here, the integrity of the handmade is crafted one cocktail at a time in an intimate, upbeat and always welcoming atmosphere for knowing locals.
Bartender and program director Tyler Routley has been involved since before Hawthorn’s opening less than 10 months ago. From his station behind the bar, he points to panels of pre-Raphaelite stained glass from Germany, the bar top built from repurposed church pews from Athens and Charleston, and the Knights Templar uniform in a custom display case above the front door.
The Hawthorn may be small and low-lit, but it punches above its weight.
“Astute attention to detail without pretense,” says Routley. “The idea is to be small, never too big, just a place where you can turn up, see people you know, enjoy a drink and relax in good company.
This is where people go to experience each other and talk about ideas.”
Routley met the bar’s co-owners — brothers and business partners Alex and Jared Bender — while they were doing construction on the space. He dropped by one afternoon because he heard a bar would be opening there. The trio bonded over a shared vision of a neighborhood nexus reminiscent of small pubs found across Europe. By the meeting’s end, Routley was helping paint the bathroom.
In time, all three would become part owners working to make a place where connecting with people was valued above all. They agreed the bar would intentionally lack TV screens.
Routley, a respected mechanical engineer by trade, stepped away from a decade-long career to immerse himself in something that provided more human connection. He considers barkeeping a calling. Although vastly different, his job now is to interact with people in a way that is genuine and meaningful.
“We are building ourselves as the cornerstone of the community on the Westside so that every time someone comes in, they know somebody here,” says Routley.
Since the bar lacks kitchen space, they regularly serve pretzels from Savannah’s well-loved Auspicious Baking Co. (2024 Runner-Up Best Bakery and Runner-Up Best Doughnuts). They also partner with Bob’s Hotdogs, A Taco Affair and King Oliver’s for menu options during special events.
The bar menu emphasizes aged spirits, and the shelves are curated with sought-after bottles from both established and rising brands like Old Dominick, Compass Box and Shanky’s Whip, the latter of which is used in The Hawthorn’s take on the espresso martini. If a Miller High Life or Guinness is more your speed, they have that, too, as well as regional brews and a selection of wines from Europe and California.
“In the next year, we envision collaborating with even more local businesses and working with artists to establish events,” says Routley. Stop by on Tuesday for A Cocktail Takeover, when The Hawthorn partners with different spirits brands on rotating menus, or Thursday for trivia nights. “We are small with no intention of being big, and that’s what makes connecting with people here so enjoyable.”
Josephine Johnson is a freelance writer and traveling musician. She contributes regularly to Savannah Morning News and performs in a loop of resorts, wine bars, restaurants and vineyards from Savannah to North Georgia. Josephine has a master’s degree in English from Cal Poly Humboldt in Northern California.
