Reasnor bar orders another round of ownership

The sleepy, quiet streets of Reasnor might get a little louder Friday and Saturday nights. Kari Kinion and her husband, who prefers to remain unnamed, purchased the establishment known as D&T Tap Sept. 29 and within a week, celebrated the grand opening as the newly christened Wolf Den.

As the sun sank behind the hills Saturday, the band Wikid Likir lugged drum kits and amps through the screen door with a tricky latch. Billiard balls clinked across the felt-covered pool table where youths expended their energy. A couple devotees of the establishment had already snagged seats at the horseshoe-shaped bar and watched as a bartender struggled with a wine aerator.

Patrons who walk through the door can expect to try drinks like white wine mulled with cider spices, sangrias or one of Kinion’s favorites, UV Cake vodka mixed with raspberry lemonade Crystal Light.

“Something a little different than the normal bar drink,” Kinion said.

Bartender Ruby Timmins anticipates the new ownership, live bands and Monday night football parties will attract new faces and Kinion follows beverage trends online to cater to younger customers. But the Wolf Den is still a place where you can wash a grilled turkey sandwich down with a familiar-tasting pint, sing karaoke the second and fourth Thursday of every month and play arcade games in the corner.

“The Reasnor bar has been around for a really long time,” Kinion said. “We’ll keep it how it is. I think the previous owners did a great job with the decoration of it; it’s been remodeled fairly recently, so we don’t really need to re-do it all.”

Favorite bar tenders from the D&T, including Timmins, will still serve drinks and chat with patrons.

Although new ownership hasn’t greatly altered the bar, Kinion’s purchase of the establishment coincided with a lifestyle change.

“I’ve been in the stock brokering and finance business for 20 years,” Kinion explained, “and I just thought it’d be fun to be out and about a little bit more.”

Since purchasing the bar, the Kinions have spent more time with their sons. Before the bar opens, the Kinion’s sons stock shelves as their parents plan events and menus.

“Really we do get to spend more time together doing this than if I had a town job,” Kinion said.

She seems to be settling into her new routine of contracting with caterers for barbecue and wings and touring local wineries for new inventory. On Tuesdays, Thursdays and a few weekends a month, Kinion will mix cocktails and sling beer behind the bar as she catches up with old friends and welcomes new patrons.

“She is very easygoing, very pleasant with people,” Timmins said. “That is one of the most important things with somebody who owns a bar. They have to be able to socialize, and she can do that.”

The Wolf Den is open 3 to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 3 p.m. to midnight Friday, noon to midnight Saturday and noon to 7 p.m. Sunday. Children are welcome during dinnertime for meals and a game of pool.

Contact Phoebe Marie Brannock at 641-792-3121 ext. 6547 or pbrannock@newtondailynews.com