Lone Wolf, the rum-focused cocktail bar that became one of Kingston's most talked-about nightlife spots, will permanently close its doors on November 15. The announcement ends a three-year run at 240 Foxhall Avenue in the city's Midtown Arts District, a stretch of Kingston that owners Anton Kinloch and Lisa Dy helped put on the map for craft cocktails.
According to Hudson Valley Post, the owners said they had become ambitious and stretched too thin, with the business drifting from its original vision over time. That vision, as they described it, was always meant to be modest in scale: a small, dedicated cocktail bar serious about technique, generous with spirits knowledge, and obsessed with rum and tiki culture. Instead, Lone Wolf grew into a full-service restaurant with its own kitchen and an extensive dinner menu, and the owners said running that full operation strained them both financially and logistically, per the same outlet's report.
From a New Paltz Setback to a Five-Week Sprint
Lone Wolf's origin story is itself a tale of resilience. Kinloch and Dy previously ran Fuchsia Tiki Bar on Main Street in New Paltz for four and a half years before their lease there went unrenewed in September 2023, according to Chronogram. Rather than let their staff go, the pair fast-tracked a new buildout in Kingston and opened Lone Wolf just five weeks later, on November 3, 2023, moving their team over without an income gap.
To keep their original New Paltz following connected to the new Kingston space, the bar hosted weekly Fuchsia Tiki pop-up sessions every Sunday from noon to 9 p.m., featuring signature tropical cocktails and mocktails from the old menu, the Hudson Valley Post reported at the time. The Foxhall Avenue building itself carries decades of local hospitality history, having been built in 1954 and later housing Lis Bar, a Polish tapas restaurant, as well as Promised Land and Valerie's Italian American Restaurant, according to Hudson Valley One. The name Lone Wolf was chosen in part because the property stood as one of the few commercial hospitality venues tucked into a residential neighborhood.
Awards, a Zombie Cocktail, and Regional Acclaim
The bar's rise was fast and well-documented. Lone Wolf was voted the number one Best New Bar in Chronogram Magazine's regional readers' choice rankings not long after opening, with the recognition highlighting its custom ice program, interior design, and hospitality standards. Kinloch's Zombie recipe won a blind tasting conducted by Punch Magazine.
That acclaim culminated in November 2025, when Kinloch was named one of seven statewide bartender winners at the inaugural Bar Star Awards during New York Bartender Week, judged by a panel of 13 international beverage journalists, as reported by The Spirits Business. Kinloch submitted a personal narrative for the award detailing his transition from restaurant kitchens to beverage program management among more than 100 entries. Kinloch grew up in New Paltz, graduated from the Culinary Institute of America, and began his career at 14.
Economic Pressures and a Tense Moment in 2026
Behind the awards and reader polls, Lone Wolf was contending with rising costs industry-wide. Liquor costs rose by 25% to 30%. Running both a specialized bar program and a full kitchen compounded that financial pressure.
The venue also weathered a moment of local friction. The Guardian reported that a sidewalk chalkboard sign outside Lone Wolf supported immigrants and criticized Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and that Kinloch received hostile messages. The owners chose to stay open during a related national day of action and donated a portion of sales to an immigrant justice advocacy group, the paper reported.
Open Through the Final Weeks
In their closing announcement, the owners thanked their staff and the regulars who built a loyal following, many of whom traveled from outside Kingston for the bar's spirit-forward cocktails and hospitality, Hudson Valley Post reported. Lone Wolf, which also received recognition from Hudson Valley Magazine during its run, will remain open through November 15.
