New KC cocktail bar opening soon, serving Latin American drinks and bites
Jasmine Rios watched her friend open a mariscos restaurant in Dallas’ Bishop Arts District and thought, “I want to do that.”
Well, not exactly that. Instead of a Mexican seafood spot, she dreamed of opening an upscale cocktail lounge that paid homage to her Latina heritage. When her realtor found a space in her hometown of Kansas City, she sketched out the plans for Kohinoor.
The bar’s namesake is the famous kohinoor diamond, one of the largest cuts in the world, to signify elegance and luxury.
“That’s what I want for the customers,” Rios said. “I want them to experience that from the customer service, from the experience, the ambiance.”
Her business at 921 McGee St., underneath the downtown Pickwick Plaza Apartments, is about a month away from its opening.
She’s spent the last several weeks readying the space, hanging up canvases and moving around furniture.
Kohinoor’s cocktail and food menu
To perfect the cocktails, she called on beverage consultant Manny Gomez, who hails from Mexico City. He helped craft the menus for Le Lounge in the Crossroads and T’aha Mexican Kitchen on the Plaza.
Gomez shared Rios’ vision for creating cocktails that celebrate Latin American countries.
“It was really cool to hear what Jazzy wanted to do with the space,” Gomez said. “We thought it would be cool to take things that are very approachable to people … but give them all a spin using Latin American produce and products and spirits.”
The menu borrows flavors from Mexico, Chile, Argentina and beyond.
“We can create a cocktail menu that people would recognize … and showcase what Latin America is all about in terms of season and flavor,” he said.
Their house margarita has Licor 43, a Spanish liqueur, habanero bitters, dry curacao and Alma de Jaguar tequila. The side of the glass is covered with a special house-made spice blend, similar to Tajin.
The Cherry Eclipse features Blanco Tequila, lemon juice, cherry liquor, mint and coriander simple and cherry bitters.
All of the drinks on Kohinoor’s menu are additive-free.
The small bites menu features Rios’ father’s aguachile recipe, as well as guacamole, meats and cheese, and flan for dessert. She wanted to craft mezcal and tequila-based drinks as a nod to her roots in Durango, Mexico, where her parents are from.
Young entrepreneur for KC bar
Rios, who’s only 26, has been in the hospitality industry since she was 16. She was a waitress and bartender in Kansas City before moving to Texas to do the same thing.
“I’ve always had the entrepreneurial mindset,” Rios said.
For the last four years, she’s been scrapping and saving money for her lounge. She chose to open it in Kansas City to be nearer to her family and friends.
Her parents are proud to see her open her first business, though different personalities lend to them expressing their excitement in different ways.
“My dad is more nonchalant,” Rios said. “My mom is funny, I think I get a lot of my interior design from her. She always comes in, like, ‘Wait, I think you should move this.’ She’s adorable.”
It’s been empowering, Rios said with a grin, to talk to architects and nearby residents who ask — “who’s the owner?”
That’s me, she tells them, though she doesn’t like to make a big deal about herself. She notices their eyes widen in surprise, perhaps not expecting a young Latina like herself to be the boss. Some apologize.
One day, she hopes to open another concept. And then another. And then another.
“This is just a stepping stone,” she said.