Some of the best creations are made when somebody sees something missing in their world, and instead of complaining about it, decides to create it themselves.
This is the story of Andrea Reichenberger, creator and owner of Flights Wine & Cocktail Bar. This unique bar revolves around the recent trend in dining of beverage flights, the first of its kind in Winnebago County.
Located on 607 S. Main St. in downtown Oshkosh where The Brooklyn Grill used to be, this fun and unique wine and cocktail bar was designed to be the perfect place to hang out with friends, try out new wines and “unWINEd” after a long day.
“I just wanted [a place for] the businesswoman to have a space to talk and hang out with friends over a good glass of wine,” Reichenberger said. “That’s really how it all started.”
Reichenberger loves a dive bar as much as the next, but said she wanted to create a place that put conversation on the forefront instead of the back burner.
“They [dive bars] can just be so loud, its hard to have conversations,” she said. “I think in the world we’re in today with all the technology and people very isolated on their phones, bringing back the art of having conversation is important.”
Reichenberger’s vision only grew from there. Something else that was missing from her life was a place to try really good wine.
“I’m always looking to try something new, and that’s kinda where the concept of flights started,” she said. “We wanted to be able to provide an opportunity to try different things and develop people’s palates.”
While this idea was born from Reichenberger’s passion for wine, she has expanded the concept of drink flights to beers and cocktails, including their popular Old Fashioned Flight that features an orange, cherry, peach and plum Old Fashioned.
Reichenberger offers both preset drink flights perfect for those who don’t know where to start, as well as a build-your-own option perfect for those looking to experiment.
She said her goal was to provide customers with the opportunity to try new drinks and wines without all the pressure of sometimes snobbish wine connoisseurs, the commitment to a whole bottle and the often steep price tag attached to it.
Beyond beverage flights, the spot also offers classic cocktails such as Espresso Martinis and Lemon Drops, along with some twists on the classics such as the Oshkosh Manhattan and the Bloody Gin-a.
Flights also has a revolving door of specialty cocktails for each season. For the winter season, they’re offering the tangy Key Lime Pie Whiskey Martini, the sprinkle-rimmed Sugar Cookie Cocktail and the Lovely Ol’ Fashioned.
Made with cranberry and orange bitters and burnt sugar whiskey, the Lovely Ol’ Fashioned has become a favorite amongst staff and guests alike, and is soon to be renamed Flight’s Ol’ Fashioned and moved to the main menu.
For the summer, they’re looking at adding sipping rums and a Kentucky Derby-inspired Moonshine flight.
There’s also a variety of non-alcoholic options, including non-alcoholic wine and beer and cocktails such as an NA Mai Tai, Margarita and Limoncello.
If you get hungry, you can build your own charcuterie board in a way that makes ordering feel like a fun game. Instead of a traditional menu, patrons are handed a paper menu with a checklist featuring 30 locally-sourced options to choose from.
All charcuterie boards come with bread from Thunderbird Bakery and olive oil and balsamic vinegar from Olive Cellar, but you can also choose from a variety of Renard’s cheeses from Sturgeon Bay, candied nuts from Sweet P’s in Oconomowoc and Oak’s chocolate meltaways from here in Oshkosh.
Besides unique food and drink options, Flights also works hard to maintain a fun, chic and intimate environment with their rustic-chic decor and unique outdoor patio complete with string lights, a fire pit and curtains to bring that sense of intimacy outside.
This atmosphere is also maintained by the variety of events they offer. This includes trivia nights, live music almost every month and pop-up shops featuring local businesses such as Periwinkle Poppy Boutique and Uptown Links, a permanent jewelry bar.
Flights will be hosting its third Uptown Links pop-up on Thursday, May 15, an event that Reichenberger says is “always a big hit.”
They will be hosting trivia nights in May with a “Friends” themed one on Tuesday, May 20 and a “Bridgerton” themed trivia a couple of days later on Thursday, May 22.
All the events mentioned above are free and open to the public, but Reichenberger also offers some more exclusive events.
One she is particularly excited about is a Kentucky Derby theme night and watch party in which people can come dressed for the derby, “bet” on their favorite horses and win prizes.
Reichenberger is working on even more events and collaborations for the upcoming year, including something she calls “Boujee Bingo” in which players pay for a card for the chance to win a luxury prize such as a facial or a nice piece of jewelry.
No matter your level of wine expertise, your price point, gender or your goal for the night, this joint is the perfect spot for a night out with the guys or galpals, a date night, birthdays, book clubs, post-dinner drinks and all of life’s moments in between.
