Whiskey Bars: Iowa’s Perky Parrot After Dark
By Randall H. Borkus
I was on the road early this summer heading to Algona, Iowa for a high school graduation of my niece, Tiffany. It was a wonderful ceremony, and later in the night the (elder, genuine) adults ventured into downtown Algona, where to my surprise they have a respectable whiskey bar known as The Perky Parrot After Dark.
The store front is unassuming when you walk up but when you enter you immediately realize someone has put in loads of passion to create an inviting atmosphere. It struck me like walking into a high-end speakeasy in Chicago, LA or New York, with lots of dark wood and modern art carefully place throughout. The seating was modern, high quality and comfortable. When I looked behind the bar I instantly recognized names like E.H. Taylor, Old Forester, Whistle Pig, Wild Turkey, Pappy Van Winkle and much much more.
As the night wen on I met the manager, Sarah who told me a little about the history and connected me with the owner, Brian. Brian was nice enough to give more in depth knowledge about the Perky Parrot After Dark.
He explained the bar started when his Significant Other, Deb, wanted to build a coffee shop in vintage 1940’s design, and then have it convert to a classic cocktail bar at night. From there they designed and built the space out. He went on that part of that construction process sent him to New York, San Francisco, Chicago, etc. to acquire the components of the bar and observe the cocktails and liquor selections of places he enjoyed. Brian befriended two outstanding top level bartenders in San Francisco, who agreed to come to Algona and help set up the bar, train staff and compile a list of quality spirits.
He explained that as the bar evolved over the years, he realized that for a small town, (Algona population is under 6,000) their liquor selection was far better than many collections found in much larger cities. His bar manager at the time encouraged him to keep expanding the whiskey selection to further set them apart. They did so many classic cocktails, most of which that use bourbon and rye, it seemed natural to expand in that direction. From there it was all about how many great single malts, Japanese and Irish whiskeys, and bourbons could he acquire from around the world and then showcase. It was the impetus of this expanding collection that prompted him to design and install the bottom lit glass shelves against the brick back wall behind the bar, which are as impressive and inviting to behold as they sound.
However, given that he operates in Iowa and all alcohol is controlled by the State, there are strict guidelines about how to legally acquire liquor to serve in the bar, which makes it difficult to expand the bar stock further. Some of his favorites to showcase are the MacKinlays Shackleton Rare Old Highland Malt; 18 Year Old Lock, Stock & Barrel Rye; the 10 and 12 year old Van Winkles and (soon) 15 year old Pappy Van Winkle; and more really great Japanese and Taiwanese whiskeys.
The earlier manager just mentioned eventually put all their whiskeys (approximately 120) on iPads under the different categories for the customers to better explore. From there they built whiskey flights to try to get the locals to move out of their comfort zone and see what the world has to offer. In fact, he explained the entire bar was meant to showcase great cocktails and liquor, all in an environment not normally found in rural Iowa (or rural Midwest for that matter).
The Perky Parrot After Dark idea comes from his significant other Deb’s and his travels to take what they learned and bring that experience back to Algona, Iowa. Their goal is that when people visit their space and experience a great cocktail or fine glass of bourbon, they will for a time anyway, forget that they have traveled to the middle of nowhere, and just enjoy some great whiskies. They have succeeded, making it a must stop if you are anywhere near it and the sun is over the yardarm.
