Humbug’s Andy Schools (left) and Larry Suggs (right). Photo courtesy

Former ETA Group mixologist Larry Suggs and Andy Schools, previously beverage director at respected Greensboro restaurant Machete, have opened a joint venture, a cocktail bar called Humbug, in Plaza Midwood. The bar is currently popping up in the Refuge hotel on Central Avenue while seeking a permanent space in the same neighborhood.

Humbug is meant to combine the best of craft cocktail bars and neighborhood hangouts. Well-known drinks like the cosmopolitan, sex on the beach, and whiskey sour get remade on the cocktail bar’s menu. Classic bar shooters also get a more nuanced touch at Humbug, like the lemon drop, made with the bar’s homemade limoncello. The beer list will include labels such as Miller High Life and Coors, while wine offerings are a more eclectic mix of natural and organic wines curated by Schools.

“The idea behind Humbug is really an irreverent approach to the modern craft cocktail bar,” Suggs says. “We’re taking our love for craft cocktails that we’ve been making professionally for a really long time now, and we’re combining it with our love for your laid-back, neighborhood type of bar, where you can get anything from a cold beer to a strong pour of whiskey.”

Suggs was most recently the beverage director at ETA Group concepts Stroke and The Royal Tot. He remains a partner in artisan ice company The Ice Trade.

“I’ve been a beverage director/consultant for a long time, so I was just kind of ready to do my own thing,” Suggs says.

Schools decided to move back to Charlotte from Greensboro, where he worked at Machete for several years. He left following the restaurant’s recognition as a semifinalist for Best New Restaurant in the most recent James Beard Awards.

“Greensboro was good for four years, but I just felt like it was a little too small for me, and I felt like I had accomplished everything I wanted, especially opening [Machete],” Schools says. “Our big goal was getting a James Beard nomination. I felt once we accomplished that, that was my main thing. I didn’t really want to be in fine dining anymore. I just wanted to be behind the bar, and have more interactions with my guests directly.”

As owner-operators, guests will find either Suggs or Schools behind the bar, if not both. In transforming the concept from BAR at Refuge to Humbug, they’ve changed out some lighting and added a window bar to create a more lively patio. The bar will continue the partnership it had with The Culture Shop for light bites.

As Suggs and Schools seek out a permanent location, they’re keeping an eye on the Plaza Midwood area for a space with less than 2,000 square feet and a large patio. Refuge will eventually shut down as its owners look to build a larger hotel on the property within the next year. If they find the right spot, Suggs and Schools hope to transform Humbug into a late-night spot, open until 2 a.m.