Four years ago, Travis and Bree Gensler decided to purchase a handsome red brick building with three separate storefront spaces and two loft apartments just off the historic square in downtown Independence, Missouri. The building itself had a newsworthy history, as it was once home to the Independence Sentinel, a local newspaper that began publishing in 1866.
The Genslers both grew up in the area and wanted to keep the history of these buildings alive, as well as cultivate new business on the square. So, they leased the retail spaces downstairs to others, and remodeled the two loft apartments upstairs where they run Three Trails Lofts as short-term rentals.
When their last commercial tenants moved out in 2023, they decided to put their own stamp on Independence Square by opening The Marinello, a Kansas City-themed gift store selling handmade local goods, including bottles of locally made spirits. In March of this year, they opened their second business next door in the same space where the Independence Sentinel was once printed. The Sentinel Room, a clubby whiskey and craft cocktail bar, is still a place where the daily news is discussed by locals and visitors alike, but now it is over a neat two-finger pour of whiskey.
You’ll see the neon sign hanging above The Sentinel Room first. Painted on the glass front door is an image of a gold rabbit with a monocle—the mascot of the bar. Dark wood-beamed ceilings pop against deep greenish-teal walls, and large leather sofas and tufted leather chairs fill the lounge. Behind the bar, which seats about ten people, is a large golden shelf that houses the impressive selection of 150 bottles of whiskey.
The Sentinel Room’s focus on whiskey is intentional. It is a spirit near to Travis’s heart, because he and his brother would often get together to chat about life over a good bottle of whiskey and call those gatherings “brothers’ nights.” His goal for The Sentinel Room is to create a place where others could enjoy their own nights filled with conversation and connection with partners, friends, and family.
In addition to a killer whiskey list, The Sentinel Room offers an interesting selection of neat pour flights, with a focus on tastings from distilleries across Missouri. There is also a selection of top-notch craft cocktails highlighting many spirits, not just whiskey. Wine and beer are also available, as are charcuterie plates to take the edge off your hunger while you are slow sipping.
For those wanting to learn more about whiskey, there’s Club 33, a new whiskey exploration club for those wanting to expand their knowledge of whiskey and get the opportunity to taste bottles without having to buy them first.
With nothing quite like The Sentinel Room in this part of the metro, the couple has been pleased with the amount of love and support they’re getting from regulars and visitors alike. So much so, that they have decided to open a whiskey-tasting room, the Whiskey Reserve Room, with the ability to host classes and tastings and other whiskey-related events for larger groups in their third commercial space.
Back at The Sentinel Room, they’ve just launched their new fall cocktail menu. The team has created a cocktail based on their collective love for a certain nostalgic treat from their childhood. The “Lil Deb” cocktail was created while working on their new fall-inspired menu. Bartender Caleb Gibbs, who formerly worked at Julep in Westport, expertly crafted this libation to capture the essence of the beloved oatmeal cream pie. The result is a perfectly balanced cocktail, not overly sweet, with a creamy, comforting finish that evokes warm memories.
Lil Deb
- 1.5 ounces Four Roses Yellow Label Straight Bourbon Whiskey
- .75 ounce Lazzaroni Amaretto
- .5 ounce St. Elizabeth’s Allspice Dram Liqueur
- .25 ounce maple simple syrup*
- 3 ounces heavy whipping cream
Combine the first 4 ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake until thoroughly chilled, straining your cocktail into a chilled Nick and Nora glass. In a second shaker pour 3 ounces of heavy whipping cream along with one to two ice cubes and shake thoroughly until ice cubes dissolve or until your whipped cream has the desired thickness. Pour the whipped cream on top of the drink. Grate fresh nutmeg over the whipped cream and enjoy.
*Maple simple syrup is a 1:1 ratio of quality maple syrup dissolved into hot water by stirring until it has a consistent viscosity.