Cocktail bar with a twist opens in the South Wedge. Take a peek inside

Chuck Cerankosky has helped create six successful Rochester food and drink venues — Cure, Good Luck, Jackrabbit Club, Lucky’s, Radio Social and Bar Bantam. He’s a partner in all of them except Bar Bantam. He's also the founder and director of the Rochester Cocktail Revival, so he wasn’t necessarily looking for a new opportunity.

Until one presented itself.

In June, a space at 647 South Ave., where Solera Wine Bar & Lounge and speakeasy-style upstairs cocktail bar Cheshire operated for many years, became available.

“We didn’t want it to become a vape store,” he said half-jokingly. “We wanted to see the continuation of good service and something valuable to the neighborhood.”

Coincidentally, he had been talking with Will Cornfield, who has been a part of Cerankosky’s team dating back to the launch of Radio Social. “He said he was ready to move on to embark on his own project.”

And even though as a husband and the father of four children, including two little ones, Cerankosky has a busy personal life, too, “This summer turned out to be a great time to build a bar.”

He roughed out a concept with his wife, Allie Greco Cerankosky, and on Oct. 5, Martine made its debut in the city’s South Wedge.

Cerankosky is the sole owner — a first for him. Bar manager Cornfield runs the place and plans to become a partner down the road.

Martine’s vibe and setup is distinctly different from that of its predecessors.

“There’s something almost emotional here where there was a duty to make sure this was done right,” Cerankosky said of the establishment, the name of which was influenced by an archaic spelling of "martini" and a tip from a neighborhood longtimer about a defunct local bar called Martine that was named for his stepmother.

The exposed brick walls remain. So do the wood floors, although they’ve been stripped. But décor-wise, the space is brighter and the two levels are more unified.

Inspired by everything from vintage advertisements to international travels, much of the dark wall color has been painted over green, and a mix of light wood, rattan and industrial accents have been added.

Downstairs, wood banquette seating has been installed, as has a custom-built bar with metal shelving that stretches from floor to ceiling.

Upstairs, situated over the stairwell, is a DJ booth. “We don’t have regular schedule, but we will have DJs from time to time,” Cerankosky said. “The music is meant to be a backdrop to conversation, not a dominant feature.”

What makes Martine unusual, though, is its bar program.

It serves "kocktails" with a "k," which refers to “kegs.” That’s because Martine offers a menu of cocktails on tap.

“We determined early on that as part of the operation, it would be a good idea to serve cocktails on draft,” Cerankosky said. “We did this because we have a small space and imagined we’d be handling a lot of volume” and wanted to avoid a bottleneck around the bar.

The offerings include il Martine — gin, dry vermouth, sake, fino and bergamot — and Shark Bite — mezcal, sfumato, lime, raspberry honey.

Finished off in a shaker and with garnish, they are served in two sizes, full ($12) and half ($7). So, additionally, “You’re able to have a budget-friendly option,” he said.

At the end of this month, a bespoke cocktail program, with a menu of made-to-order mixed drinks, will launch upstairs.

“We’re trying to hit all the notes that we think are important,” Cerankosky said.

Martine also serves a small menu of snacks, including Pâté Sando — pork, tomme, arugula and lemon ($12) — and Tortilla Espanol — egg, onion, potato and aioli ($10).

Hours are 5 p.m. until 2 a.m. Thursday through Monday.

Reflecting on the process of creating the business, he said: “It’s one thing to watch someone else build your restaurant. It’s quite another thing to build it yourself with collaborators. And it’s most satisfying when all the elements — the design and the service model — all sort of work in harmony.”

Reporter Marcia Greenwood covers general assignments. Send story tips to mgreenwo@rocheste.gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @MarciaGreenwood.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Martine cocktail bar in Rochester NY opens in South Wedge