OYO is available by the glass at Mouton, a spare-but-elegant cafe and cocktail bar a few blocks away. But the draw there is the classic cocktail list, which limits itself to excellent renditions of Prohibition-era classics: aviations and negronis, Manhattans and Mary Pickfords. (This is a stark contrast to many of the slick bars along the trendy Short North strip that seem to trade exclusively in cloying mocha martinis and cosmos.) The drinks are excellent: strong, smooth and never sweet. Still, after one, we switched to wine, all the better to go with Mouton's carefully curated list of American cheese and charcuterie, such as a salami, scented with black truffles, from Utah.

Bartender Cris Dehlavi is making a mint julep at Mouton, a Short North arts district hot spot that specializes in Prohibition-era cocktails.

Across the street, people are milling around a White Castle, one of the fast-food dives that for decades have helped define this city's affection for greasy grub.

The burger joint seems a world away from the pristine interior of Mouton, which offers well-crafted drinks, select European wines and charcuterie fare.

Columbus' best-known cocktail connoisseur is now part of the team at the city's classic cocktail headquarters. Cris Dehlavi, head bartender for M and Middle West Spirits, started in April as Mouton's bar manager (don't worry, she's staying on at M, too).

In a year when even corporate chains and diner-type eateries started offering "signature" cocktails and upping their wine game, it wouldn't be surprising for an enlightened foodie palace to specialize in terrific quaffs, would it? No, but a bar-staurant that's as stylish, hip and fun as Mouton would be an unexpected delight anytime.

Libation-wise, gin is in and vodka's so 20th century (try the absinthe-splashed Corpse Reviver); foodwise, Mouton features lovely delicacies like La Quercia pork, Rigsby's bread, wonderfully intense oven-dried pomodoraccio tomatoes and Pistacia Vera's sublime, best-in-town baked treats.

This is quite an obvious solution, once I saw it done. But I had never thought of serving cured meats this way. The wine bar (Mouton, for all of you Central Ohio folks!) serves simple yet satisfying boards of selected cheeses, cured meats, and preserved onions and artichokes, along with very good cocktails and wines. Last time I was there they brought me a board of cheese and prosciutto, with the prosciutto wrapped into rosettes.

"It's dry and has such complex flavor," said Logan Demmy, a bartender at Mouton. "When I'm drinking a whiskey beverage, you want that cowboy kick. When I'm mixing, I'm looking for something with punch."

Aside from flavor, Demmy savors the process of making a great rye drink - muddling sugar cubes, rinsing glasses with absinthe and performing other tasks required to craft a good Greenpoint or Sazerac.

A loaf of bread, a jug of wine and thou. Now add artisan cheeses and gourmet cured meats, and you have the core menu offered by Mouton, which is expected to open sometime next week in the former Ohio Art League space at 954 N. High St.

Mouton - a suave and new Short Norther - is currently my preferred place in Columbus to sip cocktails. Its head-shakingly impressive, expertly shaken quaffs are bright and adult, not those shake-n-fake, flabby and kiddie-sweet drinks so prevalent these days.

The newest addition to downtown dining in Columbus, OH is a favorite of ours. The offering includes artisan breads, cheeses, cured meats, fabulous wines, and vintage cocktails. The atmosphere is hip and stylish, cool and casual.

Yusef Riazi has always enjoyed dining out. "It really started when I was 18," he said. "I enjoyed the experience of trying new things and I just absorbed all of that information."

I've been casually following Mouton on High via Twitter updates and peeking in the window whenever walking by. It was interesting watching the tasteful if spare (and often Amish made) appointments being loaded in and arranged inside the former Ohio Art League space. And last night, it was good to see Mouton (from Chateau Mouton Rothschild-- famous Bordeaux wine) actually open for business (a fact not posted on Twitter!).