Here's what I love about Mash - you can catch up with friends without getting super shout-y in their faces. Â We were there last weekend to celebrate a friend's birthday,and even though they had live music playing in one of the rooms, it was still possible to hear the person next to you. Â
It also has a pretty cool vibe. Â I like that it's kind of dark, and is full of random places to sit and talk. Â They make good cocktails and have a pretty decent beer selection. The only thing is all the chalk writings on the wall, whilst really cool, can get on your clothes if you lean against the wall. you have been warned.
This place is great. They have live music on the weekends. I'm a big fan of their draft beers, and their happy hours are 10p-1a, which is awesome because I don't know many other places in Ann Arbor that has a happy hour at prime time every day. They also have fantastic bartenders who make phenomenal whiskey/bourbon mixed drinks.
Sometimes it's hard to find, but there is usually chalk lying around to use to write on the walls which are covered in chalk writing. It makes for a pretty unique atmosphere.
Underground Whiskey bar !! soooo dopee , all of the walls are chalk board style, they didn't have any chalk when i was there - so i gotta go back in a few weeks or bring my own chalk to leave my mark on the spot !
delicious craft cocktails - when they are less busy like on a wednesday night u can really get a feel for their crafty drinks
i went back that next friday - and it was PACKD and they ran out of the whiskey cubes for the drinks - so i was happy that i had been the night before lol
KENTUCKY BLIZZARD
Maker's Mark bourbon, hand pressed cranberry, fresh limes, sugar, Fee Brothers American Beauty and a whiskey cube 9
i had that !! it was great !!
MASH looks like it is straight out of Brooklyn. Â And I mean that in a nice way. Â Chalk walls, lounging sofas, antique mirrors, craft cocktails. Â What really won me over was their bourbon.
They win the award for their late night happy hour. 1/2 off beers weeknights from 10pm-1am. Â It's great for a second stop on a Friday night. Â (They also have a regular happy hour Thursday and Friday from 4:00-6:00.)
It's always fun to see what crazy things people drew on the ceiling!
What can I say.... Mash is an awesome place.
Not only is it in the basement the Blue Tractor (which has some good barbecue and inventive sides) it also seems to be one of the best places to see music in the Ann Arbor area.
Music at Mash tends to lean towards blues and roots music and the renovated basement with the old brick walls and wood timbers exposed is a great setting. It always best to go to the bar and get drinks since the waitresses that serve the music room seemed to be overwhelmed at times. The bar is and bartenders are a treat to watch anyway. They know how to throw together a nice bourbon beverage.
Happy hour gets you 1/2 price on some of their great beers and prices after happy hour are competitive. Â
One more thing..... they have THE BEST fried pickle chips in the area... 'nuff said
Eh. Promising but needs some refining. The space is dark and while I love the chalking that goes on everywhere eventually it's going to be either smudged or impossible to read or getting all over my clothes because there's not enough room on the ceiling beams.
The bartender we had was very knowledgeable and put together a flight for us - how this isn't an option on the menu is beyond me. Â It should be.
The food is great, definitely get a snack or two while you're drinking. Â If you're not a whiskey/bourbon drinker stick to the cocktails to start or get a flight to discover the type of bourbon/whiskey you like. Â
Needs better music and more staff on hand.
I have mixed feelings about Mash. Â There is nothing terribly dislikable about it; but, on the other side, there is nothing really great about it. Â My friends love it, so obviously I'm just weird, but it could be that I'm not really a bourbon person. Â The Southern Peach is a perfectly adequate cocktail, just not one that will linger in your memory and make you want to come back. Â Perhaps the Mint Julep will change my mind? Â To be determined upon future review.
Review Source:Mash is in the basement of the Blue Tractor BBQ restaurant. It has two separate rooms, which have cozy corners to hide away with someone, open area tables, and a medium size bar to belly up to. Table arrangement and seating is unconventional and I like that about it, but its not designed for getting up and mingling (if you were holding a party with many tables).
The cocktails here are awesome! I enjoyed a couple different ones, but I think I liked the Southern Peach and the Wild Mash Buck the best. I wasn't a fan of the Ginger Mash, too sweet and gingery. They serve food down here also, but I didn't try anything, but was told that it was quite tasty.
The ceiling above the bar is a chalkboard, which is cool... I didn't bring my chalk the night I was there (I should never leave my chalk at home... dammit), but if I had some I would've totally wrote something stupid that would've been erased almost immediately by someone more responsible than I. There are restrooms at the foot of the stairs and also behind the bar. If I lived in or near Ann Arbor, I would come here often.
As you enter a nondescript door you're asked for your id. Â You then head down stairs and voila: Â Mash, the whiskey and bourbon bar appears. Â
The mixed bourbon and whiskey drinks list? Extensive.
The real secret to Mash is the happy hour from 10pm-1am every night, and the live bands on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Â $2.50 pints of good beer ain't nothing to scoff at. Â Come for the happy hour, and stay for the mint julips and other mixed drinks.
I feel somewhat spoiled at the fact that my first trip to Ann Arbor started out with a Holiday Party at Mash. The experience, drinks, and service really set the bar high for the other spots nearby. Truth be told we visited another establishment immediately after leaving Mash and it just wasn't the same!
This place knows their bourbon and whiskey. I can safely say the only other craft cocktail bar I have frequented in recent years that did such impressive feats with this alcohol type was The Velvet Tango Room in Cleveland, OH and they charge $18 dollars for a single drink. That's right folks.. the $6-$9 price tag you will find on Mash's perfected drinks are quite the steal in comparison. Flavors range from sweet to sour, strong bourbon/whiskey presence to hidden depending on the drink. I had a few instant favorites with the Sour Stiletto (it is sour, just the way I like it!) and Red Raider (stronger sense of bourbon). I was also a fan of the Ginger Mash and the Wild Mash Buck both which contained fresh muddled strawberries. For those looking for the sweeter side of things the Southern Peach may hit the spot.
Food compromises of some small plate bar basics with a twist. I would go to bat for the smoked cheddar dipping sauce that comes with the soft pretzels, as well as the sesame BBQ wings which are mild and flavorful. The thyme and cheddar buttermilk biscuits were not my favorite but still very edible and made others a fan.
They have an interesting beer selection made right there in the cellar that I did not dive into, a well as craft beer cocktails -- some of which I would like to try on a future visit. All around a great spot I'm sure many will appreciate!
Mash is a whiskey and bourbon bar in the basement of the Blue Tractor, retaining some of the funky decor from Cafe Habana.
The drinks are inventive, and the bartender is good at personal recommendations. The food menu, however, is rather uninspired which is surprising given the details put into the drink menu.
Definitely go for the cocktail hour and enjoy a drink (or two), but plan to eat elsewhere if you're serious about dinner.
Was the only place we could find on a football saturday where a group of 7 could find a table quickly. Â Although there was supposedly a waitstaff, and we asked at the bar for them to visit our table, they never came by. Â The drinks were OK - good variety of whiskeys - but the 1960s surfer music cover band that showed up and played really loudly completely ruined the atmosphere, and we left for Arbor Brewing.
Review Source:mash is just cool. Â Love the bourbon list. Â elijah craig = yes please. Â We also had some appetizers and some had the craft cocktails. Â There was live music and the place was full. Â It was a cool scene. Â I really love the atmosphere, and the bartender knew a TON about bourbon and whiskey. Â I highly recommend it!
Review Source:Visited this place with a large group on a summer weeknight about a week after it opened. Â Like the weird basement lounge of Habana before it, the place was not crowded which is a plus when rolling deep. Â The decor seems pretty much the same as before, though slightly less vampiric. Â Yes I apparently just made that word up.
The drinks were creative and I liked that they used special ice cubes in the drinks (different sizes, shapes, and smokiness). Â All of the mixed drinks that we tasted were very sweet -- I'd love to see some more variety in the cocktails. Â The beers were only those served by Blue Tractor.
I'm interested to see how this space develops as it gets into its groove. Â I'd also love to go back for one of their live music nights when there's a little more action!
Surprised that the drink menu was not larger for  mixed drinks.  For a place that is a bourbon/whiskey bar you would think they would have quite a few mixed drinks with bourbon, but they only had like 7.  I enjoy a bourbon straight up, but most of the girls I was with do not.  Ravens Club has a much better drink menu.
Review Source:Tucked away underneath Blue Tractor, Mash is a cool lounge that specializes in Whiskeys and Bourbons.
Done in dark woods and plenty of exposed brick, there is plenty of intimate seating for couples and areas for larger groups.
Put your own stamp on the place by taking some chalk to the black board ceiling.
Some of the 'hand crafted' Bourbon cocktails use large round ice balls infused with smoke.
For me, the only negative was the beer selection that is limited to Blue Tractor's own brews.
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