Karen Negvesky with Sincero’s mezcal Negroni (Photo by Jay Paul)
The high vibes are immediately apparent upon entering Mexican American hideaway Sincero in Jackson Ward — from the decor to the wood tones to interactions with staff, there’s an easygoing energy that radiates through the restaurant. It’s a direct result of Karen Negvesky’s leadership style. The 28-year-old GM and bar manager owns the space with her partner and chef, Alex Bobadilla; the duo originally began Sincero as a pop-up. Negvesky insists that everyone contributes to the cocktail program, including Bobadilla and bar crew Justin Bell and Kyle Rowsey. That synergy lends to a tight menu of balanced, easy drinks dotted with tropical touches.
Richmond magazine: What are your favorite cocktail ingredients?
Karen Negvesky: Rum is one of my favorite ingredients. Jamaican, funky, dark rum. Another random one is Cocchi Rosa [aromatized wine aperitivo]; I love using that in the spring. It’s super good in a margarita riff if you want to make it more floral and fruity with a finish that’s a little bitter.
RM: What is your go-to cocktail on Sincero’s current menu?
Negvesky: The Banana Hammock [with Jamaican rum, banana liqueur, creme de caco and citrus] is my favorite; it’s not going anywhere. I love daiquiris. Boozy, fruit forward. And our mezcal Negroni is a classic. It’s the perfect cocktail. [Laughs] It has everything.
RM: Is there a drink that has changed or influenced the way you think about your craft?
Negvesky: The Negroni! I had just moved back here from Nashville, [Tennessee,] I wasn’t bartending, I was [working] in a kitchen and on a farm. I was doing everything except what I wanted to be doing, which was bartending. The first good one I had was made by Kjell Anderson [formerly of Metzger Bar & Butchery]. It wasn’t too Campari-heavy or gin-heavy, it was perfectly balanced. It changed how I drink boozy cocktails. Then I started working at Metzger. He gave me my first opportunity to step behind the bar and practice, learn to build drinks, and really be a bartender.
RM: What would you tell people to look for in a good drink?
Negvesky: It’s so different for everyone, but you have to really want to take that next sip. We talk about this with food, too. You take the second bite and nod, or do a little dance. It scratches an itch that you have.
