Plates & People

Plates & People climbs up The Heights

Rooftop hotel bar offers smokey homage to Glass City Skyway

Bartender Brad Somogye with their signature drink the Skyway River Crossing, at The Heights at Renaissance Hotel, Wednesday, Nov. 1.

The Blade/Andy Morrison
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Bartender Brad Somogye with The Heights' signature drink, the Skyway River Crossing.

The Veteran's Glass City Skyway Bridge was an instant Toledo logo in and of itself when opened for traffic in 2007. Ten years later, The Renaissance formally stamped a certain downtown momentum with its presence as a shiny new hotel. With a breathtaking perch and generous use of space, their rooftop bar and lounge named The Heights has immediately made its own mark.

One cocktail in particular making a unique connection is their Skyway River Crossing. The drink’s primary ingredient is mezcal, which is atypical for a featured beverage in this region. It is a style of tequila made with broader strains of agave, and is smokier due to a different production process. Shorthand: typically it’s the one with the worm.

Bartender Brad Somogye (Sa-mo-gee) constructs one for us with the bridge looming in the background. The bridge’s completion was complicated, heavy, and ultimately quite difficult to pull off, but successful. With Aperol, Orange Tiger from Toledo Spirits, and mezcal all working together, the drink has a certain material bond to its honoree.

And trust, the Skyway River Crossing has some weight to it.

You can drive a car over the Glass City Skyway bridge. You may be able to fuel a car with the Skyway River Crossing.

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