Emily Featherston
The Marble Ring, the namesake cocktail of the Avondale speakeasy, refers to the famous Zelda Fitzgerald quote, “I hope you die in the marble ring.” There is speculation, but most think this refers to the marble rotunda in the Alabama state Capitol, and is commemorated both in the cocktail as well as the marble bar.
It’s the worst kept secret in Birmingham.
Through a secret door in a casual hot dog joint is The Marble Ring, a 1920s speakeasy that, in true speak-lightly fashion, opened in the fall of 2016 with zero fanfare.
Since its clandestine start, the who’s-who and in-the-know have been gushing about the atmosphere, scandalous wallpaper and overall mystique of the small bar in Avondale.
Owner Paget Pizitz, who also owns Melt and Fancy’s on Fifth, said she and her business partners knew they wanted to open a speakeasy because they felt the unique nature was just Birmingham’s style.
The Marble Ring isn’t just a speakeasy, though; it’s centered around one of the most iconic figures of the time: Zelda Fitzgerald.
Zelda and her literary husband, F. Scott Fitzgerald, were the undeniable center of attention in the 1920s, Pizitz said, and their legendary decadence and style were exactly what she wanted for her new drinking spot.
“Everyone wanted to be them; everyone wanted to be near them,” she said.
And it’s their stories that not only inspired the name — “The Marble Ring” being part of a famous quote by Zelda — but the majority of the drink menu as well.
Steven Bradford, or “Birmingham Bradford” as Pizitz referred to the lead bartender, said each cocktail is tied to a story, and it was those stories he would ruminate on while coming up with the menu.
“With the stories, I basically went on how I felt,” Bradford said.
For example, with the “A Girl Named Alabama,” Bradford said he thought about what he would want to drink on a hot, muggy night while watching fireflies somewhere near Montgomery.
“At the end of the day, that’s the feeling you get when you’re drinking it,” he said of the gin-based cocktail.
Other drinks are variations on Prohibition cocktails, such as “The Hit & Run,” which not only harkens to the climax of F. Scott’s most famous novel, but is a riff on a “12 Mile Limit.”
During Prohibition, Bradford said the government increased the offshore restriction for alcohol sales from three miles to 12. The drink is basically a mix of all the different spirits that would have been available, and the combination leads to a dangerous mix that hides the taste of alcohol.
“Everything goes together so well, you can’t really taste the spirits,” he said.
It’s the establishment’s namesake, though, that he said was probably his personal favorite.
“The Marble Ring” is a whiskey cocktail that makes use of Marsala wine instead of vermouth, which Bradford said causes the drink to taste better as it warms, bringing out the pecan and molasses notes.
Bradford said he recognizes that a cocktail bar is something many Birmingham residents may not be used to, but The Marble Ring’s goal is to make specialty cocktails as approachable as possible.
“One of our biggest things when we opened was zero pretension,” he said, adding that even if the menu seems daunting, the bartenders are happy to create something based on the customer’s taste.
While Bradford said he has always viewed Birmingham as a “food town,” he thinks the cocktail scene is just now moving up into that sphere.
“We’re working with that, and we’re also trying to get people to try new things,” he said.
The goal, he said, is to both foster relationships with regulars, but to also turn The Marble Ring into a destination spot that people travel to Birmingham specifically to visit.
“The concept is different and new, like going on a trip,” he said, and encouraged those who decide to pay the visit to try something new.
The Marble Ring, in true speakeasy fashion, doesn’t take reservations and can only seat up to 84 people at one time, and it opens at 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
