Lullaby of Birdland with Brother Cleve

Shift Drink

UPDATE: My good friend, Brother Cleve, passed away unexpectedly on Sept 9, 2022 — just a few months after this interview. Cleve was a mentor, a friend, and a confidant for me, as well as countless others in the industry. He was always quick with a smile, generous beyond reproach, and one of the kindest humans I’ve had the pleasure of knowing. He is missed. I think of him often. So that makes this final interview with him on of my most cherished of Shift Drink.

Returning to the show this week is the legendary cocktalien, Brother Cleve. Since our last conversation back in 2017, he’s been hard at work DJing, tending bar around Boston, and working as a brand ambassador for various spirits. As the pandemic brought about a lot of changes for all of us, Brother Cleve was forging new friendships and eventually business partners. And those relationships have given birth to the Lower East Side’s newest cocktail haven… Lullaby, in the space previously occupied by Nightcap. (If you happen to catch this interview the day it drops, you’re just in time for the grand opening on Thursday, March 10, 2022)

The partnership consists of Harrison Snow and Jacob Hodas, who are in their mid-20’s, and one of the originators and preservationists of the modern cocktail renaissance, the venerable Brother Cleve. Though he’ll still retain his home in Boston, expect to see him behind the turntables, and behind the stick on occasion. And you’ll definitely see him in the media as he acts as a sort of ambassador for the bar. It hasn’t opened to the public yet but it is already garnering attention from Eater NY (A Bar Backed by a Boston Cocktail Legend Takes Over Former Nitecap Space on the LES and the New York Times (A Boston Bar Legend Comes to New York). Tune in and drop out. Here’s Brother Cleve!

Don’t forget to check out some of his mixes (as discussed) on Mixcloud!