Vegan Martini Lounge Opens in Washington

This month, Cheeky Martini Lounge opened as Olympia, WA’s first all-vegan bar. Founded by four women, the lounge serves a wide selection of martini cocktails in flavors such as chocolate (made with vegan milk and served in a glass with a coca-dipped rim) and Blue Hawaiian (made with Midori melon liqueur, triple sec, pineapple juice, and grenadine). Vegan co-founder Rachel Rutherford is in charge of the food menu which includes snacks such as roasted almonds, shareable small plates that include a vegan cheese board, and full entrees such as black-bean filled Veggie Tacos Noir, Waldorf Salad with Vegan Chicken, and Spicy Chana Masala with Rice.  All menu items are made with vegan sugar and fair-trade chocolate, and the lounge’s small beer and wine selection is produced without animal-derived fining agents. “My vision for the restaurant is about doing what we can with what we have,” Rachel Rutherford told The Olympian about the small space. “My thought was it’s better to do something and have this available to the community and expand when we can.” All of the co-founders of Cheeky Martini Lounge—named after beloved dog “Cheeka” who inspired the lounge—have other jobs aside from Rutherford, who is a full-time student at South Puget Sound Community College’s Baking and Pastry Arts program.