Most people don’t plan to open a business the day before a pandemic starts, but for the owner of Rumology, the world had other plans.
James Donaldson opened Rumology on March 10, 2020, just a day before COVID-19 was declared a pandemic and three days before it was declared a national emergency in the U.S. Located near South 27th Street and Pine Lake Road, Rumology struggled to stay afloat as the bar waited out the pandemic.
Four years later, Rumology is finally where it wants to be as Donaldson lives out his dream working alongside his 22-year-old daughter, Reyhanna Donaldson.
Reyhanna began working alongside her dad when she was 18, helping to wash dishes, and began serving after turning 19. Now, James said she practically runs the place and loves creating new drinks.
“I keep learning stuff and we’re surrounded by so many good people,” Reyhanna said. “I just really appreciate everything here and working here.”
Prior to opening the bar, James worked in the restaurant industry since he was 16, creating flavor profiles and menus. Now as a bar owner, he uses that knowledge of food, along with some trial and error, to create cocktails.
“We do several different infusions using fruits, vegetables, seasonings, spices and herbs to create different flavor profiles of the spirits," he said.
When crafting new drink ideas, Reyhanna said the bartenders always think of a flavor first before the science and creative freedom begins.
“If you have some flavor in your mind, you can create anything really,” Reyhanna said.
In addition to the infusions and spirit flavors, Rumology uses dehydrated fruit for garnishes. James said it’s all about the eye appeal as customers first taste with their eyes before drinking the cocktails.
Rum time
As a longtime fan of rum, James knew when he opened his bar he wanted it to be a staple of his place along with drink infusions.
After watching an episode of "The Big Bang Theory," the name Rumology came around.
“Rumology would be the study of rum,” James said.
Now, as a bar of elixirs and craft cocktails, about 40% of their drinks contain rum and their bar is stocked with more than 35 rum options.
Create-your-own mules
At Rumology, customers can try their own hand at mixing flavors together by creating their own mules.
“This create-your-own mule menu has been a big hit,” James said. “People mix and match all kinds of flavors.”
Customers can choose an infused spirit for their mule such as cucumber rum, orange and peach vodka, jalapeno tequila or rhubarb rum. Then they can choose to add flavored syrups such as blackberry, cherry, lavender, honey or caramel. Some of the syrups are also made in-house.
Full bar
Each season, the menu changes at Rumology. However, the variety of options never changes. James said they have 10 beers on tap, bottled beer, cocktails, wine and mocktails available with each menu.
One of the top sellers that has returned to the menu several times is The Governor. This cocktail contains cold-brew coffee and chocolate along with vodka and Kahlua. Another favorite is Secret Garden, which is made with a house-infused tomato and basil vodka, moscato wine, syrup and balsamic vinegar.
'Quiet, cool, comfortable'
One priority for James when opening Rumology was to stay away from becoming a normal bar. He didn’t want it to be a sports bar with loud TVs or a boisterous place. They also offer patio seating where leashed dogs are allowed.
“The whole idea of this place is a social environment,” James said. “We just wanted to create this quiet, cool, comfortable place for people to come and sit and chat.”
While COVID-19 didn’t help, James said they had tried having open-mic nights, karaoke and trivia nights, but in the end, decided it wasn’t for them. Occasionally, Rumology has stand-up comedy and live music, but ultimately, James wants the place to focus on the menu and the people.
“I want people to focus on the people sitting across from them and have face-to-face interactions with folks,” James said.
A 33-year-old man was injured in a single-vehicle rollover crash early Saturday morning in north Lincoln.
Rumology's James Donaldson (left) and Reyhanna Donaldson hold up cocktails served at the bar near South 27th Street and Pine Lake Road. Rumology opened on the eve of the pandemic. Four years later, it's thriving.