The Berry & Rye

I liked the creativity of the drinks, ingredients, and presentation. Service prevented a 5 star review. When I asked about recommendations, our server gave a vague response about liking mezcal in the summer and whiskey in the winter. We also waited too long to close the check.

Great décor. I just feel horrible the day after I drink anything there. Maybe it’s just me, but others have said the same thing.

We absolutely loved our visit to The Berry & Rue. Our bartender listened to the flavors that we liked, pushed us out of our comfort zones and introduced us to new drinks! It was a lot of fun. Definitely take time to go here!

Ambiance.ambiance.ambiance.
A great place to hop get a drink and go on. Drinks are awesome, fair prices. I love the décor — gets you in the vibe. Ide say its not the place to come alone.

Would have liked this bar a lot more if it wasn’t for our pretentious and oblivious server. We waited far too long between refills considering NO ONE was in this bar on a Friday evening (6pm). Cocktails are unique, which is why prices may vary from $ 8 – 13, but they were superb.

I visited here when I traveled to Omaha. Almost two years later, I still remember how cool it was and how great the drink was. For anyone who is in Omaha, you should definitely stop by. Their drinks are very strong… just a warning!

Pretty neat bar. All the drinks are made right in front of you with fresh ingredients. Very creative cocktails as well. My girlfriend and I had five drinks and I wish I could remember them all. Not because they were high alcohol, but we went a few days ago. One that stands out was the Trinidad Smoke. I really liked that the bartender warned me about the drink first though. It is a really cool drink to watch being made, but if you don’t like cigars the Trinidad Smoke isn’t for you. The Trinidad Smoke tastes like the end of a cigar, which I like. Anyways, great bar and cool atmosphere. We sat at the bar and were able to talk with the other patrons and bartenders.
I have to mention their water. Oh my god. Best water ever.
If you like your drinks done really well, go here. Great for the beginning of a night or just for a few.

Very, very cool speakeasy. Stopped here on Halloween night and was in awe of the bartenders making some of the most unique and tasty cocktails I’ve seen in a long time. If you like quality cocktails with a funky twist, definitely check this place out. Love the décor as well.

Probably my favorite craft cocktail lounge in Omaha. The drinks are creative and well executed. I appreciate the work that goes into crafting cocktails infused with smoke, aromatics and unique ingredients. The mixologists here are top notch. Thanks berry and rye for bringing this experience to Omaha!

Come here, order a drink, you won’t regret it. The drinks are legit — Trinidad Smoke is a must try

Great cocktail and nice atmosphere. It’s very entertaining to watch bartender making each cocktail. I really enjoyed the drink. Bartenders know what they are doing and friendly to talk with. They make their own bitters so you can try very original taste.

Awesome Pl., Luke was absolutely amazing and Like made the most delicious drinks ever
Brooke. What an amazing bartender and a supermodel.

Still a great spot to get a cocktail. Relaxing atmosphere with top-​notch bartenders and staff. I finally tried their signature Trinidad Smoke (rum infused with tobacco smoke) and was not disappointed. It’s a must try for those looking for beautiful, stiff drink. Prices are reasonable, around $ 12-​$ 14 a cocktail. Maybe pricey by Omaha standards, but a drink of similar quality in a similar venue would easily cost $ 20+ in a big city.
Berry & Rye is small and fills up quickly on the weekends, so calling ahead to make a reservation is a good idea.

I have been to many pre-​prohibition style mixology bars around the country. I stopped in to B&R when they opened at 5pm on a Saturday. There wasn’t a bartender available until almost 5:30. They were still setting up and the staff seemed more concerned about setting up reservations rather than serving the clientele that was already seated.
The menu was rather limited for this type of drinking establishment. Plus, they were out of ingredients for 2 of the cocktails. It just didn’t seem like they were prepared to be open for business.
The staff seemed a little pretentious but might have known something about cocktails. They even talked down to a guest when he asked a question about liquor. Usually, the bar staff at this type of bar is happy to share their knowledge and help educate the patrons.

We were in town to visit friends. One of the friends suggest we go here post our dinner. We entered around 10pm on a Friday night. There is a hostess to seat you. Since there was only two of us we got a small bench in the back. I think I get the vibe they are going for but not sure they hit the mark with the spray painted mural in the back. Living in Austin we see these type of places often. I ordered Lovely Peach and my husband ordered a Manhattan. I am impressed the Manhattan came in the proper glass. I would never order a drink with Tito’s in it. It is an Austin brand that everyone in Austin hates. Tito’s is NOT handmade. However, I didn’t really like anything else on the menu. The Lovely Peach was very sweet. The straw was a real metal straw. Our waiter wasn’t too engaged. Brought us the drinks and then never came back. Finally, we singled for our check and decided to call it a night. OK place in the Market area. It was our first night in Omaha (workout shorts and shirts). People seemed underdressed for a night out but again could be the vibe of Omaha. The noise wasn’t so loud to hear the person you were with, which is a plus. If back in town may give it one more drink.

I want to start this review by saying, I LOVE this bar.
The atmosphere, the drinks, the staff, the ambiance, this place is great. I have yet to go here and not leave happy, and lets be honest, we’ve all left bars in bad moods before, but I’ve yet to have that be the case here.
The Berry & Rye gives off a strong speakeasy vibe, and I love it. The décor makes it feel homey and warm.
The drinks I’ve had so far:
Trinidad Smoke — fabulous. I actually ended up buying a bag of the tobacco they use for it from S.G. Roi for my pipe because its that aromatic and fragrant.
City of Tom Dennison — fabulous drink. Protip: let the apricot soak and eat it last for maximum flavor.
Anansi’s Garden — Probably my favorite drink they make. For a period of about 3 months they were unable to get one of the liqueurs used for the drink, if I remember correctly it was the Crème de Violet. They have since found a distrubutor that can supply it again and its back on the menu.
Horn & Hammer — for a long time I shy’d away from this as I’m not a fan of hops, and one of the ingredients is Hops tincture. I could not have felt sillier when i finally tried it. The drink is very flavor forward with a clean finish. Combine that with real luxardo maraschino cherries, and this drink is a great bet.
The only complaint I have is the bathrooms suck and usually have a strong odor. But thats more the problem of Spaghetti factory since The Berry and Rye uses their bathrooms, and does not have there own.
I will definitely be back.
Final tip: if you are going on a Friday or Saturday night, make a reservation.

Let me start by saying the bartenders certainly know what they’re talking about. And they’re more than happy to remind you of that. No matter how much you know, they know more.
Each cocktail is meticulously crafted (translation: you’ll have to wait a while for yours) and treated with a level of seriousness typically reserved for defusing bombs, delivering babies and landing planes. If that’s your thing — you want to know where the water for the ice came from, the name of the guy who made your highball glass and how to source minotaur sweat — this is your proverbial jam. Have at it.
At least the guys at Death & Co have fun with this kind of thing. This place has all the levity of a funeral home.

Berry and rye is a bit like an apothecary, dispensing drinks in an artful fashion with unique technique and flair. As we sat at the bar, we were awed by saws, flames, smoke makers (a very legit term I am sure), and lots of other tools that looks as if they belonged in a workshop or laboratory. The barkeepers are clean shaven, dressed with bow ties, plastic rimmed glasses, and a side comb. Or maybe that was just mine ;).
The space is dark and mood setting– it’s a mix of a medieval potions and dungeons meets a rich sitting room. Overall it was a great experience and certainly somewhere to stop and grab a drink in the old market. If you can appreciate a good drink and the making of it to be fascinating as an art, this is the place for you. All drinks range around $ 10 /​+ 5, so pretty reasonable. The vibe is there is very formal and curt. There’s no $ 1.00 PBR at this joint!

It had been well over a year since the wife and I were last in town, but it was good to see that the craft cocktail scene is alive and well in Omaha. No greater proof of this was the existence of the Berry & Rye, where I found myself on successive nights for drinks. Located in the heart of the Old Market, the Berry & Rye looks very much the part of a classy cocktail joint with its spacious setting, vintage décor, and plenty of seating at the bar or in intimate booths. The cocktail list was impressive in size, scope and affordability, encompassing both classics and originals, broken down by base spirits, and with general tasting notes describing their flavor profiles. Another positive and impressive attribute of its cocktails program was the use of house made bitters, syrups, and liqueurs.
Cocktail highlights from my visits? The Dark Side ($ 11) made with Bulleit Rye, house made chocolate liqueur, tarragon, Lazzaroni Dry Marsala, and house orange bitters was bitter and boozy with nice creamy, chocolate notes. The City of Tom Dennison ($ 10) made with Wild Turkey 101, Suze, Bitter Truth Peach bitters, and Noilly Prat Dry Vermouth was also boozy and bitter and enjoyable. However, taking the award for most original, complex, and, frankly, intriguing was the Trinidad Smoke ($ 11) made with Zaya 12 yr Rum, house tobacco syrup, house cinnamon and clove bitters, served smoked with pipe tobacco. I’m not a smoker, but the pipe smoke provided unique aromatics to the drink, which contrasted nicely with the rum and cinnamon and clove notes. While it may not be to everyone’s taste, it was my favorite by a nose.
The bar staff was on point, friendly, efficient and proficient at making its complex tasting, yet very satisfying drinks. I received excellent value as the drinks used premium ingredients, were well conceived, well executed, and the price point was exceedingly fair especially when compared to other parts of the country. In my mind, Berry & Rye sits at the top of the Omaha cocktail scene and is a must for cocktail lovers.

This is my absolute favorite place for cocktails. In fact, it’s my favorite local place, period. This is my Cheers. I’ve been many times. Brock and Luke are amazing at what they do here, as are the other staff whose names I’m starting to learn.
I like this place for several reasons:
1. It’s non-​pretentious. Drinks average at about $ 10/​$ 11, which is probably a little expensive for Omaha but really the more I go out the more this seems to be right in line with other bars. I probably expected some snobbery after all the hype, but really there was none. And some things you expect to be more expensive on the rocks, are actually affordable– though I don’t know why you’d bother with a non-​crafted drink here.
2. They know their shit. I love to learn. I got corrected (nicely) the first time I came here. (Yes I know my point 1 was «They’re non-​pretentious.» but hear me out!) I truly appreciate someone who knows their craft and can explain to you why something is the way it is instead of just saying «trust me».
3. Pecans. You want the pecans. Savory goodness, those are. They’re not always available but I always ask.
4. Lastly… I just feel… comfortable… here. As I’ve said in previous reviews, I do a lot of my eating & drinking alone. When I come here, I don’t feel out of place. If they’re not busy, the staff will hold a conversation with you. I’ve also met nice patrons at the bar for casual conversation.
Absolute must try: Trinidad smoke or Debonair Pear.
Come, relax, learn, enjoy!