In March of 2020, one of the most promising craft cocktail bars in OKC made its debut in the Farmers Market District. Four days later, Palo Santo — and the rest of the city — shut down due to the pandemic. In spite of its precarious start, the bar, from California transplants Brian and Bailey Butler, not only survived, but thrived. It’s gone on to solidify itself as among the must-drink spots in town, and one of the foremost destinations for mixology. Now, four years-plus and one pandemic later, those same owners have branched out with a new bar, and one that could set the new standard for quintessential neighborhood bars in OKC. Say hello to Later Bye.
Considerably smaller than its elder sibling, though no less dazzling, Later Bye resides in a cozy nook of a space in Midtown, sandwiched directly behind The Harvey Bakery & Kitchen. Where Palo Santo feels airy, lofty and downright Californian, Later Bye feels more subtle, channeling the aesthetic energy of neighborhood corner bars in big cities like Chicago and New York. It’s fitting, then, that neighbors from nearby Mesta Park have so quickly added it to their walkable routine — it’s the kind of space where regulars are made, and where guests can share snacks while clinking martini glasses.
The long-simmering concept, which stemmed from the owners of the building having known the Butlers at Palo Santo, took shape as an intentionally intimate cocktail bar, with the goal of simply showcasing flavors that they craved.
“It’s a lot of the things that we want to eat and drink and share with people,” explained bar manager Steven Idlet, citing those aforementioned martinis, as well as an aperitivo menu with low-ABV cocktails, rejiggered versions of classic drinks and a food menu that far exceeds the call of bar snack duty (and shows just how much you can do with a small kitchen).
The aspiration may seem simple and straightforward, but the concoctions are anything but; frequently incorporating ingredients, from red bell pepper to fermented honey, you’d sooner expect to find in a salad than in glassware. Such as the Tomato Tonic, one of those low-ABV aperitif-style drinks, that features French dry vermouth, lemon, tonic and tomato oleo, made by macerating tomatoes in sugar for 24 hours to extract and concentrate all the juice and flavor. The Money on the Dresser is just as verdant — a blend of rum, sherry, matcha, pineapple, lime, absinthe and Argentinian gin, redolent with botanicals of eucalyptus and yerba mate. More of that gin finds itself into the Surf Club, a dainty martini that packs a wallop of flavor and aroma via agricole rhum, vermouth, lime leaf, absinthe and an herbal French liqueur called genepy. With each drink, bartenders elegantly layer and balance flavors like they’re composing a potable symphony. Such as the Gone for Smokes, a heady medley of Islay Scotch and German and Italian herbal liqueurs with pineapple, lime, demerara and bitters. On the nose, and on the palate, it’s at once tropical and smokey, like a bonfire on a beach in paradise.
The cocktails are the star, but you’d be remiss not to graze on the equally inspired dishes. Eschewing familiar bar fodder for internationally inspired snacks and sandwiches, you’ll find everything from a minty zucchini julienne and anchovy-draped bocherones to deviled eggs with crispy prosciutto, meatballs bubbling in ragout and bocadillos — Spanish-style pressed sandwiches — stuffed with cured meats and cheeses.
Despite its diminutive size, especially compared to Palo Santo, this is a bar that pours a huge amount of effort and care into each drink and each dish. Coupled with its cozy design, anchored by an elongated bar fronted by a few high-tops and a banquette, Later Bye is a community cornerstone in the making.
Interested in learning more about local flavor in Oklahoma? Check out our story on Sparkling Spanish Wine in OKC.
