When Baylee Pence signed the ownership papers for The New Northwestern Cocktail & Wine Bar on Sept. 1, it wasn’t a dramatic change of the guard. It was a natural progression. Pence had managed the East Village cocktail lounge since 2022 and spent years developing its seasonal menus, gin‑forward identity and relaxed, conversational feel. The former owner approached her in July with the offer to buy; by early fall, the deal was done, just weeks before the bar’s fifth anniversary on Sept. 30. Her purchase marks a change in ownership, not a sudden change in direction. The bar she now owns is the bar she helped shape. Tap the link in our bio for more on this story. #DesMoines #Iowa #DesMoinesFoodie #DesMoinesEats