“The Phantom Nevermore” at the Dearborn Inn

Well, here’s a unique drink - The Phantom Nevermore, now being concocted at the newly re-opened Dearborn Inn. But before I tell you what the ingredients are, here’s a brief rundown on the Dearborn Inn itself...

The inn was built by Henry Ford in 1931, based on other inns he saw while visiting New England. It was constructed across from the now-defunct Ford Airport, and was one of the first airport hotels in the country. The inn has 135 rooms, sits on 23 acres and is located at 20301 Oakwood Boulevard.

Over the past decades, the inn was host to a good number of famous people: Walt Disney, Ronald Reagan, Norman Rockwell, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Orville Wright. MLive is quoted as saying if you spend the night there, you might be “dreaming dreams no mortal has ever dared to dream before.” I wonder if that happened with Walt Disney?

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The Dearborn Inn closed in 2023 in order for renovations to take place. It reopened Wednesday, March 19, 2025.

OKAY – NOW FOR THE DRINK.
The inn’s Four Vagabonds cocktail lounge came up with this drink based on author Edgar Allan Poe. Why? Because the Dearborn Inn is coming up with a replica of Poe’s cottage home (along with four other themed homes of famous authors) and the drink is just a precursor.

The Phantom Nevermore cocktail indeed sounds intriguing, and it has just three main ingredients: vanilla vodka, elderflower, and blackberry, with a violet color. Now I may be totally out of it, but I had never heard of elderflower before. I found out the elderflower is the blossom of the elder plant with white flowers and is used in foods and medicines. It has a “delicate floral flavor and aroma” and possibly can be good for your health.

I’m sure staying at the Dearborn Inn is beyond my budget, but going there for a Phantom Nevermore would be in line.