Fueled by liquid courage

Bars. They’ve helped create some great ideas — Shark Week, Quidditch, that font for raised numbers on your credit card. One that is particularly notable is the idea to use bone marrow transplant to treat pediatric leukemia.

“That idea came from a discussion over beer at a local bar,” said Rylie Hightower, a Ph.D. candidate at UAB. “That really resonated with me … [I realized] I’m not the only one who wants to relax, go have a beer and toss out my wildest ideas.”

So she decided to pursue a lifelong dream she and her dad had to open a bar, but one that is conducive towards scientific collaboration and education: The Lumbar.

Originally from New Mexico, Rylie Hightower has a degree in nursing and is a neuroscience doctoral candidate at UAB. Science is a passion for her, but she’d note that science education is where her heart lies. That, and beer. 

After moving to Birmingham and seeing all of her interests heightened in one city, she knew it was time to take a chance on opening a science-themed bar.

“All of a sudden, I have this huge population that maybe seems to be passionate about what I am [passionate about], as well,” she said. She called her dad, they talked about it, and he moved out to Birmingham to help her turn the dream into a reality. And it’s one filled with nods to science.

The bar’s name refers to the lower region of the spine, and guests will have their beer, much of which will be craft, served from 26 taps arranged along a spine called “The Spinal Tap.” Customers can then pick a beer based on the vertebrae. “So you might order a T-11 or an L-5,” said Rylie Hightower’s father, Tim Hightower.

They plan to have lunch and pub fare with “New Mexico flavor” in the kitchen — including Hatch green chiles — as well as specialty craft cocktails with names like “The Epidural” and “Acetaminophen.” 

The Lumbar will offer classes on mixology, too. It’s part of the mission to offer educational opportunities to anyone and everyone, regardless of their science knowledge. 

For those who are looking to learn a little more about the research being done in their own city, Rylie Hightower said they plan on hosting a community seminar series — a series of presentations by people about the work they are doing to share different topics or ideas — using the bar’s projector (which will also show football games and other entertainment).

“You can actually really interact with the community,” Tim Hightower said. “Our goal is to have the everyday person who doesn’t really know what’s going on sitting at the bar [and learning]. … It’s a novel concept.”

“We want teachers and librarians and nurses and accountants to learn something about science, because science is boring in the classroom. … I think people who don’t do science can have just as big of an impact when it comes to generating scientific ideas,” Rylie Hightower said. 

Even those who aren’t presenting to the public will have a space in the bar to collaborate and meet, which was something Rylie Hightower felt very strongly about when designing the bar.

In addition to the lounge area, high-top tables and a 16-foot-tall microscope, The Lumbar has a secluded room on the second level to reserve for meetings, with whiteboards and chalkboards to facilitate learning.

Because laboratories operate like businesses, they have frequent meetings to check in and discuss progress. These lab meetings are often held somewhere formal, which can be intimidating, and she wanted to offer a more open and welcoming setting.

“Being able to talk about scientific ideas in a conference room is very important,” Rylie Hightower said. “But I also think being able to talk about scientific ideas outside of that high-stress environment allows the creative process to kind of manifest.”

Located at 212 29th Ave. S. in Pepper Place, Tim Hightower said The Lumbar fills a need in that area of Birmingham since there aren’t any full bars nearby, let alone science-themed bars that cater to thousands of individuals interested in science living in Birmingham. 

The proximity to the farmers market at Pepper Place will also lend itself to the weekly kids classes The Lumbar has planned. The classes will offer science experiments and lessons — helping teach kids to “get their hands dirty” — which fits into Rylie Hightower’s wish to teach others about science.

It all ties into creating a welcoming space for people to learn and enjoy science together.

“We want to fuel your fire with liquid courage,” Rylie Hightower said. “We want you to feel like you can come in, be courageous and be inspired by the people around you, and come up with a plan to go for it, whatever ‘it’ is.”

The Lumbar will be open seven days per week from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., although Fridays and Saturdays they will be open later. Go to lumbarbham.com to learn more.