Lot 33 offers a bicycle vibe on Ingersoll

Bartenders Brett Bockman and Buffy “Skittles” Newton take a break with a brain bucket and chocolate orgasm at the new Lot 33 coffee bar and lounge.

Get bruised shins, bloody knees and white knuckles at Lot 33 coffee bar and lounge — the newest member of the Ingersoll crawl. Trust me; it’s more fun than you think.               

The sound of bruised shins might make you cringe, but you’ll feel no pain after tossing back this Crown Royal-based cranberry cocktail. Bloody Knees is the name of the bar’s bloody Mary, and White Knuckles is what they call a Rumple Minze-and-Bailey’s Irish Cream coffee they serve up in a wine glass. Classy. Every cocktail and signature drink on the menu has a unique name that fits what seems like a drunken injury theme. But as you make your way down the list, you’ll also find The Banana Seat, Bike Rack and Helmet Head. The drinks are actually named in honor of bike riders.               

“The Ingersoll area is very bicycle friendly, and Ingersoll didn’t have a bikers’ bar, so we gave this place an ambiance of bicycling,” explained a tatted-up bartender everyone calls Skittles.                

Her actual name is Buffy Newton — yes, “Buffy” is on the birth certificate. Not that she needed the nickname, but Newton earned the Skittles christening from her biker buddies — the motorcycle kind — who used to belly up to Double Shots 2, the Clive bar she used to own before closing it and coming to work at Lot 33. Now as a favored bartender at Lot 33, she’s entertaining bikers of a whole other variety.                

But Skittles isn’t the only recognizable face with a following at the bar. Rumor has it that Tim Flanagan is flirting with the idea of making a few guest bartender appearances. As the former owner of the Ingersoll neighbor Flanagan’s, he’s sure to draw a crowd, too.                

If the hub location and its colorful clan on staff isn’t enough to beckon the belly-uppers, though, “the best prices on Ingersoll” is sure to, according to Newton. And the free food on game days and breakfasts in coming weeks will bring a loyal fan base as well.                

“We also serve one of the best brands of coffee — LaRue — and a variety of teas,” said Newton, which she expects will be most popular in the coming colder months.               

While the coffee bar is catching on, Newton said continued and growing favorites among patrons are the $5 Moscow Mules and the Angry Fireballs.                

“That’s our famous thing here,” she said. “I go through about 10 liters of Fireball a week, at least.”                

Lot 33 also offers what Newton considers “biker friendly” canned beers.                

“Look what I got!” fellow bartender Brett Bockman said to her as he set a 12-pack of Hamm’s on the counter, in perfect time to prove her point. CV