Wassail-in’!

Good cheer is the order of the day

There is no better feeling than coming up with a great concept, and then seeing that concept through to its fruition. What’s even better is when that concept is unique to the area, and not competing with anyone’s local business. David Banks found a niche that revolved around the County cocktail set. The people who know and love cocktail culture and will drive a significant distance, if needed, to have a properly built cocktail. Banks feels that great cocktails are lacking in the County, and really all that is needed is a little TLC and knowledge.

Banks entered the cocktail and bar world late in life. He already had a successful career in finance, but the lighting strike hit him one day at a local marina where his boat was docked. He had decided to take a couple of weeks off work because the financial world was not exciting him anymore. He was lazily sitting at the bar speaking to the bartender about everyday stuff when Banks started getting curious about bartending as a profession. Banks decided to start helping out at the bar and was quickly hooked. He was beginning to realize that selling insurance was not what he wanted to do anymore.

Once the decision was made to get out of finance, Banks decided he would apply the same etiquette he would to any profession and strive for the 10,000 hours of experience needed to be considered an expert. Banks also knew that this was his second career, and time was not a luxury, so he hustled.

“I was like, how can I achieve 10,000 hours to the best of my abilities as quick as possible, so whenever any shift came up, or if anyone needed some time off, I would always be the person to fill in. I wanted to take the reins and learn more. I wanted to accelerate and move up as fast as possible,” says Banks

David Banks takes a quick break from mixing cocktails to show off his best pose.

When Banks left Toronto and moved to the County, he was living on a boat at the marina in Picton. The boat was of sentimental value to Banks, but he eventually had to sell it and move on land because he was working all the time—and living on a boat doesn’t fit well with a working lifestyle. When he sold the boat, he made a promise to himself that he would take the money and put it towards a future venture. When the cocktail truck concept came to him, the name Old Salt seem fitting because it tied in his love of boats, travel, and human interaction.

“I decided to name it Old Salt because I’ll be travelling around, making drinks and telling stories just like an old sailor would. That’s what I love about this business, the stories. Also, the fact that my boat was built in Picton and its proceeds are going to fund this venture means that I feel I’m giving it the proper homage,” says Banks.

For the trailer, Banks bought a 1978 Prowler and tore it down to the frame and quickly realized there was nothing he could do with it but turn it into a flatbed. So he took the flatbed and built the trailer his way—from the ground up. For the body, he kept the shape of a ’78 Prowler, but was still able to get a nine-foot bar on the side, and a six-foot bar off the back. Banks wants it to look original and have a retro feel.

The inside back wall of the bar has images of classic, tattoo-like black symbols of marine and Atlantic themes of boats and a menacing octopus.

“It’s a huge part of this business. It doesn’t matter if you make a good drink or not, you still have to listen to people, and you still have to able to talk everyone’s language. You might speak one, but thereare thousands of forms you deal with every day,” says Banks.

Banks got the trailer officially rolling towards the end of the 2018 season, but still had a number of events where the response was very positive. He hopes that next season he can use the same acumen he did when coming up the ranks as a bartender and do as many events as possible. He also hopes to partner with a local establishment and find a semi-permanent home for 2019 where he can build some clientele.

This past weekend saw Old Salt’s last event of the season. Banks was invited by Traynor Family Vineyards to be a part of Wassail!, and have the Old Salt cocktail trailer at the vineyard. The response was fantastic and a little overwhelming. Banks put together a flight of cocktail samplers as well as a cocktail called the Good Good, based on a classic cocktail called the So, So. The traditional cocktail had Calvados, gin, white Vermouth and grenadine. Banks replaced the grenadine with a salted maple brown butter in the Calvados, and fermented some apples inside the gin for a few days. Banks then added some Traynor White Vermouth and finished with some simple syrup and Angostura bitters to pull it together.

Banks will now put the trailer to bed for its inaugural year, with some good responses and much needed intel. He was expecting to keep it in storage until April, but has just received requests for events in March, so it’s looking like the 2019 season will start early for Old Salt.

For more information, visit oldsalt.ca