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How a natural wine bar, coffee shop, retail space combo may change Louisville's bar scene

Did you ever wonder why most bars don't serve coffee and coffee shops don't serve alcoholic drinks?

All over France and Italy, "bars" are places that do just that. Locals pop in every morning to drink their tiny, bracing espressos and then return in the afternoon or evening for their pre-dinner (or later) drinks and it all just makes so much sense. On a recent trip to Detroit, I found my new favorite morning and evening stop at Spkrbox, a combined coffee shop/bar, and wished we could have something like that in Louisville.

Well, sometimes wishes come true.

Under one roof at 1247 S. Shelby St. is a natural wine bar called Canary Club and a retail wine/gift/coffeeshop called The Breeze. This evolution of The Breeze Wine Bar inside Logan Street Market is "like a candy store for grown-ups," one happy customer said, according to co-founder Sarah Height, who opened the already-hopping spot with Chelsea Monsma in mid-November.

The sister concepts join a Lexington outpost of Breeze and bring a gathering hub to Shelby Park that's immediately inviting to all who enter.

Canary Club is quickly becoming a gathering place for Shelby Park residents and others across Louisville.
Canary Club is quickly becoming a gathering place for Shelby Park residents and others across Louisville.

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On the bar side, a year and a half of scrounging for thrift and vintage goods helped Height and Monsma nail their vision.

"We wanted to feel very old school, like maybe it had always been here, and then we just kind of uncovered it and gave it a refresh," Height said of the space.

Unusual art and whimsical objects join a mix of furnishings and a 45-foot-long custom-made bar. Exposing the original brick in the late 19th-century building adds to the warm and welcoming vibe.

That's very intentional.

"We're kind of pushing the limits on some of the food and definitely the wine scene," Height said, so they wanted a cozy feel, a level of comfort.

Under one roof at 1247 S. Shelby St. is a natural wine bar called Canary Club and a retail wine/gift/coffeeshop called The Breeze.
Under one roof at 1247 S. Shelby St. is a natural wine bar called Canary Club and a retail wine/gift/coffeeshop called The Breeze.

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Let's talk about that food and wine: tinned fish is having a moment, and although you can find it at some spots around town, the almost painfully charmingly designed packages of tinned sardines, salmon, anchovies and more are getting top billing here.

And people can't get enough, Height said.

Caviar and potato chips are the ultimate high/low comfort food combo, and a cone of charcuterie is great because the ever-popular "boards are cumbersome," Height said, adding that if you’re one or two people, you don’t want to drop $40 on a cheese board.

They’re emphasizing natural wines, as the first bar in Louisville to do so, but don't believe for a moment that means there's a snob factor. Let Height or one of the other experts help you choose something if you're new to natural, or if wine's not your thing, ask for a 50-50. These shots, popular in the industry, Height explained, are usually an amaro (a bitter liqueur) and, well, anything else. You can sip or shoot them, she says, and the lower alcohol lets you linger longer without overdoing it.

The Breeze in Shelby Park has a strong selection of alcohol-free wines, beers, and cocktails.
The Breeze in Shelby Park has a strong selection of alcohol-free wines, beers, and cocktails.

A strong selection of alcohol-free drinks, including wine, beer, and cocktails also means everyone feels welcome — which is not always the case in a city so booze-intensive as ours.

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If you are here for a stiff drink though, you're covered with the happy hour $5 Hangry Martini.

That’s "one of my favorite inventions for this bar," Height says. It’s "basically meant to take you from, 'OK, I've been working all day, I'm hungry,' … into a more relaxed state." The dirty gin Martini comes with a skewer of meat, cheese, caper berries, and olives.

Did I mention it's only $5?

So. That’s the bar, which is open Monday through Friday from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. and weekends from noon to 2 a.m.

The Breeze is a combo coffee shop/wine shop/retail space with an expertly curated selection of treats in Louisville's Shelby Park neighborhood.
The Breeze is a combo coffee shop/wine shop/retail space with an expertly curated selection of treats in Louisville's Shelby Park neighborhood.

Next door (but really, just walk through the opening between the spaces) is the bright and cheerful retail shop. Here's where you get your coffee and espresso drinks, and then settle in for some seriously fun gourmet food and wine and spirit shopping.

There's so much good stuff here it's hard to know what to tell you about first. How about the way they curate wine selections based on experience or mood? Or the wide-ranging mix of hyper-local (think El Bread Shop baked goods) and global goodies (like the fancy and delicious mustards I usually bring back from Paris but can now grab right here!)?

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I've been to this space close to half a dozen times in the week since the soft opening, and each time I wander around like an actual kid in a candy shop: morel sauce! Momofuku chili crisps! Esoteric beverages of all types, Serrano ham flavored potato chips, everything you need to make a charcuterie board at home, luxe chocolates, delicious no-alcohol wines and cocktails, and oh so many tinned fishes.

Then there are gifts for your favorite food lover or yourself ― a small but fantastic book selection, cute (not cringy) kitchen goods, and cheeky Christmas ornaments.

And all of it is displayed in such a way that you just want to buy it all. In short? It's heaven.

The Breeze in Louisville's Shelby Park neighborhood offers free wine tastings on Saturday afternoons.
The Breeze in Louisville's Shelby Park neighborhood offers free wine tastings on Saturday afternoons.

Stop in on a Saturday afternoon for a free wine tasting, a weekday morning for a latte, or any afternoon for a fun natural wine or classic cocktail, and you’ll see why this has become the gathering place Height hoped for.

I’ll probably be posted up at the bar ― see you there!

Tell Dana! Send your restaurant “Dish” to Dana McMahan at thecjdish@gmail.com and follow @bourbonbarbarella on Instagram.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Canary Club & The Breeze opening joint space in Louisville's Shelby Park