The husband and wife owners of a well-traveled concept are opening a brick-and-mortar business downtown with a travel-inspired theme.
After four years of operating mobile pop-up bar Pour Decisions STL, sommelier Javia Gilliam-Sanford and mixologist Kaje Sanford plan to open The Passport Cocktail Bar & Bottle Shop (1321 Washington) on September 5. The new space will offer signature cocktails inspired by their travels. Here’s what to know before you go.
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The Atmosphere
“We wanted to give people who’ve never traveled the chance to try something from Cuba or France—something that takes you out of what you’re feeling that day,” Sanford says. “We want to transport you to another place.”
The décor channels the relaxing parts of traveling through richly colored seating against a backdrop of neutral-painted walls and wood floors. The couple sourced fun details such as vintage cocktail guides and 1970s-era happy hour how-to booklets. Customers will find these guides framed on the wall of a retail alcove, where Gilliam-Sanford’s handpicked wine selection will be available alongside cocktail finishes, such as dehydrated fruits and salts infused with fresh-harvested organic flowers and herbs.
Customers will also be able to purchase travel photos on the walls—15 of which are from a competition that the couple hosted over the summer. Guests can also write postcards to loved ones, which the staff will put in the mail. Gilliam-Sanford says they also plan to host live music, DJs, classes, workshops, and extended hours for members of their monthly subscription program. For a $45 fee, members will receive free drinks, discounts on event space rentals, and more.
The Passport’s 1,200-square-foot space was previously the home of Whisky on Washington, which recently moved across the street. Quite a bit of foot traffic from nearby hotels and restaurants passes the large front windows, and Gilliam-Sanford is optimistic that Washington Avenue will become even more of a hub as residential and business development west of Jefferson Avenue seemingly shrinks the distance between downtown and Midtown.
An important factor in bringing The Passport to fruition was the support of Greater St. Louis, Inc. and the St. Louis Development Corporation. The Downtown Retail Incentives Program reflects the community’s investment in creating a diverse and accessible cocktail culture within the city.
The Menu
One of the reasons the couple started Pour Decisions was to educate customers about libations. That enthusiasm for digging deep into the ingredients, techniques, and history of cocktails is evident as soon as they start describing their new cocktails at The Passport.
Valstino’s Carajillo, for example, is named for a man they met in the Bahamas whose friendliness toward them and their baby touched their hearts. Gilliam-Sanford says a carajillo is essentially the South American version of an espresso martini, traditionally made with Licor 43. Their version gets its caffeine kick from Café Bustelo espresso-style coffee, and they add rum “to make it more fun and punchy,” Sanford says.
Another, completely different variation of the espresso martini is Earl’s Fever Dream. Earl Grey-infused vodka and espresso give it a unique flavor, and it’s topped with a lavender-scented egg-white cold foam. “It’s a good pick-me-up before going out, because it has a lot of caffeine,” Sanford says, insisting that it’s not a dessert cocktail, despite the richness of the foam. (His wife begs to differ—it’s likely a good-natured argument they’ve had before. “We’re partners, lovers, and friends, but we split ways on some things,” Sanford says.)
The Clydesdale’s Tears cocktail pays homage to their hometown. “We are St. Louis born and bred,” Sanford says,” and, of course, we wanted to embody things we grew up seeing and doing.” That included the smell of hops from the Anheuser-Busch brewery. Clydesdale’s Tears is an approachable whiskey cocktail with a slightly fruity character from lime and blueberries but plenty of complexity from the lavender bitters and the splash of hop water on top.
The cocktail list also includes a classic martini with caviar-stuffed olives, as well as the Post-Coconut Clarity, a dairy-free, rum-free tiki cocktail that gets its tropical vibe from clarified coconut milk, pineapple mezcal, and the French herbal liqueur Génépi.
Another innovation they picked up overseas is the DIY gin and tonic menu. “Gin and tonics are one of those classics that can be beautiful,” Sanford says. Customers can select from gins and tonics sourced from all over the world and add such ingredients as basil, blackberries, and peppercorns.
For both the wine list and the bottle shop, Gilliam-Sanford has selected her favorite styles and vintages. These range from a Bordeaux Blanc to a dry orange Riesling from Monterrey to a South African red blend. She’s all about Spanish organic wines in a 1-liter bottle from Kiki & Juan, and she is practically poetic in describing the Zoe rosé made with Moscofilero, her favorite Greek grape.
The food menu includes such snacks as popcorn, charcuterie, and toasted ravioli, made in the bar’s tiny kitchen. Gilliam-Sanford also stocks Albanese gummi bears because she loves them with wine—and they add to the aura of approachability that she’s hoping to cultivate.
The Team
The couple’s first experiments with the world of beer, wine, and spirits came a decade ago, when they were home brewers. Then, in 2016, Gilliam-Sanford took a job at a liquor store wine counter to pay for graduate school. With her friendly personality and sense of humor, she was a memorable presence. To further her knowledge, she enrolled in programs to learn more and visited vineyards while traveling. They both love to travel, especially to Spanish-speaking countries, where they can practice their language skills. Along the way, they soaked up knowledge about cocktails as well.
Gilliam-Sanford says she and her husband never intended to open a physical location, but when the storefront at Washington Avenue and 14th Street became available, it made sense for a number of reasons. “It’s an opportunity to introduce some of the cocktails we have been wanting to do but can’t execute from a portable bar,” she says. “And mobile-bar life is tough. A lot of people don’t realize that. Now we’re not packing and unpacking a full bar every time we go somewhere.”
Although the duo will be spending more time at The Passport, they intend to continue operating Pour Decisions, too. Sanford says there’s still a solid market for their flagship brand—and some of their staff prefer the pace of the mobile bar.
The Passport will be the only wine bar in the city owned by a Black sommelier. Gilliam-Sanford achieved her credentials earlier this year from the Court of Master Sommeliers, which offers virtual courses—a key consideration because the couple has an 11-month-old baby at home.
They recognize that their career trajectory is unorthodox. Sanford, a certified therapist, has a degree in clinical counseling but currently works at the University of Missouri–St. Louis as assistant director of financial services. Gilliam-Sanford studied international business, marketing, and Spanish as an undergrad and big data in grad school, learning the ins and outs of information systems and data analytics. As a result, she’s been able to set up Pour Decisions’ customer relationship management systems, code the business’ website, and create QR codes that helps make the ordering process accessible to customers of all abilities.
Gilliam-Sanford, who recently spoke about women-owned wine and spirits brands at a conference in Washington, D.C., says she is determined to help reshape the stereotype of sommeliers as elitist or pretentious. “I’m not here to tell you what to drink as good, bad, or in between,” she says. “I’m here to help you find something that suits your palate. We have a responsibility to see the beauty in wines that our consumers see and to give them the space and opportunity to ask questions.”
