Style can be effortless, but to be stylish is an act of devotion and curation. To be stylish, you must know what looks good but is not trying too hard, what feels timeless but happens to be surprising. You must be a student of style, constantly learning what is next, and why it feels classic.
For more than a decade, the owners of Death and Taxes, Amari and now Curse of Cane have worked tirelessly to create some of the best drinks in Reno, in decidedly stylish environments. It is no small feat to run some of Reno’s most cutting-edge, quality cocktail bars for so many years. I sat down with owners Sadie Bonnette and Ivan Fontana to discuss Curse of Cane, which they opened this past fall, and what it takes to stay relevant all these years.
Walking into Curse of Cane, people instantly realize: This is not Death and Taxes.
“Death and Taxes is a legacy brand,” Fontana said. “We wanted to challenge the people who thought we were going to do the same thing. We wanted to create something that felt like you popped a balloon, and fun went everywhere.”
Where Death and Taxes is dark, moody and filled with candlelight, Curse of Cane is bright, bold and ready to party, with walls lined in pastel colors and green velvet seats. The drink names are cheeky and fun—like “One Bad Bitch” and “The Ghost of Biggie”—and the music is nostalgic, mainly hip-hop and house-party classics.
The key to understanding Curse of Cane is to not let the fun fool you: All of the attention to detail and dedication to the craft of making drinks that you’d expect from Bonnette and Fontana’s bars are still there.
“If this bar opened six years ago, I would not be as happy with the product as I am today,” said Fontana, the mastermind behind the drinks. “I have learned so much, technique-wise, that I can streamline this program and not compromise the product.”
Complicated and trending techniques, like acidulation and clarification, that are used to make the drinks are ingredients as important as the rums that line the shelves. What looks like a fun red drink poured from a plastic two-liter bottle has been clarified, temperature-controlled, force-carbonated and balanced to perfection. Every detail has been considered, so you do not notice it, but enjoy it. Classics are upgraded with personality—like a German chocolate old fashioned.
“The menu is a conversation,” said Bonnette. “We kept the descriptions vague, so it gives the opportunity for the bartender to talk about these techniques if it comes up, because if it’s something that looks as simple as a rum and Coke, it’s not.”
The Curse of Cane “Rum and Coke” is a clarified, force-carbonated blend of house-made cherry-cola flavors and premium rums.
How do Bonnette and Fontana keep their finger on the pulse after 12 years of running bars? “We’re constantly visiting big, reputable bars across the world,” said Bonnette. Among those that have inspired the Curse of Cane team are Thunderbolt in Los Angeles and Denver’s Yacht Club, both bars pushing the boundaries of what it means to have fun, technique-driven cocktails.
“When you try something new, it gets the gears turning, so you are not stagnant,” said Fontana. “That growing and learning becomes contagious when you are taking that and sharing it with your team.”
Bonnette and Fontana know that what works in New York may not work here in Reno, but ambition is in their DNA.
“You just have to stay true to what you believe in, and what you do best,” Fontana said.
They have been partners in business and life since 2011, when their first business, Midtown Eats, opened. They’ve worked through opening multiple concepts; they’ve weathered a pandemic; and they still want to do more.
“We’re business partners; we’re partners in life—it’s the full shebang,” Fontana said.
Traveling together and growing together is what makes their vision for Curse of Cane so clear to them. “We know what our strengths are, and how to stay true to those things,” Bonnette said.
Building something new is hard. Creating something unique is even more challenging. At Curse of Cane, you will get a stylish drink made with techniques from some of Reno’s best cocktail minds.
Curse of Cane is located at 809 S. Center St. Learn more at www.instagram.com/curseofcane.
