香港三级片

While Keep Quiet and Negron鈥檚 other bar, Little Lager in Princeton Heights, are very different spaces, Negron鈥檚 enigmatic style threads through both. 鈥淚t鈥檚 more loosey-goosey over here,鈥� he laughs. 鈥淚 think Little Lager needs to be in a box; that鈥檚 what keeps it sustainable and keeps people interested. Allowing [Keep Quiet] to be free and weird is what makes it attractive. They鈥檙e sister bars 鈥� they have two distinct personalities, but you can tell they鈥檙e part of the same family.鈥� Inside Keep Quiet, pink and blue lighting casts a glow over candlelit tables, creating an ambiance that feels a bit dreamlike. This is grounded by exposed brick and a sturdy bar off to one side.

The building that now houses Keep Quiet 鈥� with its eclectic mix of art and d茅cor (like a Spam can repurposed as a planter) 鈥� was once a catchall space used by UCBC for beer education events. Negron was there for K枚lsch Night and asked, jokingly, if he could turn it into a bar. To his surprise, UCBC went for it, so Negron shrunk down a cocktail bar concept he鈥檇 had in his head for a while. 鈥淭he original vision was much larger, with a restaurant,鈥� he says. 鈥淏ut I scaled it down to fit in this little 30-person space. It gives me an opportunity to experiment and learn new things.鈥�

The smaller footprint allows for a certain level of control over the environment, too. With a completely open space, bartenders take turns making drinks and delivering them to tables. This system is all part of the plan: intentionality, making sure guests are having a good time but also leaving them to quiet conversation. Despite its small size, each of the bar鈥檚 little nooks 鈥� two-tops, four-tops, couches, a long community table 鈥� lends a different perspective.

What鈥檚 more, no cocktail here stays the same for long. With just three staff members, the team rotates the majority of the menu every month, driven by curiosity and the simple truth that people love discovering something rare. 鈥淧eople have come looking for [Keep Quiet drinks they see on social media], and we鈥檝e already been wiped out,鈥� Negron says. 鈥淚t happens. And because of that, you never really know what you鈥檙e getting. People like that little bit of mystery.鈥�

So how does one actually get into the bar? There鈥檚 no password, no real Google or Yelp tell-all. Ironically, word of mouth has been the main source of information when it comes to Keep Quiet. 鈥淲e have the light on, light off system figured out,鈥� Negron says. It鈥檚 easy: If the light is on, there鈥檚 space in the bar. If it鈥檚 off, guests can wait on the patio with a UCBC beer until space opens up. 鈥淭here have been groups outside that are so large, I have to shout how many seats I have open to the crowd and pick people out,鈥� Negron says. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 been pretty cool. And I think the response to the drinks has been really good. I鈥檝e been seeing more industry friends coming in, but sadly, they鈥檙e usually working [when we鈥檙e working].鈥�

For now, Keep Quiet is open on Fridays and Saturdays from 5 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Beers from UCBC must be consumed before entering 鈥� although, since they are partners, Negron keeps a UCBC beer or two on tap. A cocktail might include some UCBC creation, too 鈥� for instance, the brewery鈥檚 Big Shark Grapefruit Radler. And while the drinks themselves are undeniably impressive, their visual components are just as fun: One savory cocktail arrives with a side of housemade croutons; another has a dollar bill clipped to the glass with a tiny clothespin and note that reads, 鈥淜Q loves you.鈥� (Take the dollar or leave the dollar? It鈥檚 up to you.)

A few staples stay on the menu all the time, most notably the Boozy Bears: bite-sized, alcohol-soaked gummy bears served over pebble ice. Bartender Michelle Campbell is the mastermind behind the boozy treats, which rotate in flavor. Past batches have included gin fizz and Amaretto sour varieties. 鈥淢ichelle鈥檚 got a formula dialed in,鈥� Negron says, noting that they might try to shake it up so the bears can be vegan. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what we want to evolve to: making the drinks, for the most part, friendly to everybody.鈥� The team is working on creating additional NA options as well, though you can find UCBC鈥檚 NA beer on tap, along with a few others. With such a diverse customer base, Negron says creating drinks to suit each person鈥檚 palate is one of the most difficult parts of the operation.

Luckily, inspiration comes in all forms as the bar continues to evolve and shapeshift. 鈥淗onestly, I鈥檓 inspired by the drinks industry in St. 香港三级片,鈥� Negron says. 鈥淭here are so many smart bartenders here 鈥� they鈥檙e all out here doing it. They鈥檙e all learning different s**t at the same time, which means I could sit down with someone who specializes in washes and savory drinks, and they can give me some tips. I could talk to someone who does Japanese-style cocktails. It鈥檚 just 鈥� having a big support system of other bartenders to lean on. Everyone鈥檚 willing to share, and everyone wants to be a teacher.鈥� In other cities, the industry might be a little more cutthroat. But in St. 香港三级片, it鈥檚 all about hyping each other up.

Keep Quiet is open on Fridays and Saturdays from 5 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Follow along at . And find Little Lager at .

Keep Quiet,聽3229 Washington Ave. (behind UCBC's Biergarten), Midtown, St. 香港三级片, Missouri,聽