A friend took us to the Rickhouse in San Francisco the other night, which is, unbelievably, smack dab in the middle of the Financial District.
The Rickhouse is named after the storage areas for whiskey casks and beer barrels. It is a beautifully designed bar in the tradition of a speakeasy or an old-timey saloon. Loved the funky pastiche of tattooed bartenders in newboy caps and braces, beer barrels stacked along the walls, and an ultra-modern ceiling fixed with wavy woven wooden slats capping off the Gold Rush era exposed brick and modern rough-hewn wooden walls and unfinished wooden floor.
And of course, I loved the wall of liquor.
Lots and lots of liquor...
Had a La Bonne Vie -- The Good Life -- which was a gin and grapefruit concoction finished with basil. Lately I've been disappointed with high-end cocktail bars because of the high cost/mediocre output of many, and because I'm spoiled with a friend who is one of the best bartenders around. But this drink, as well as Trevor's and our friend's whiskey cocktails, were worthy: refreshing and subtle, and so well crafted. Cute old-school menu to choose them from too. My only complaint was their small size, which was a good 1/4 size smaller than your standard cocktail.
We remedied our drink envy, soon, however, with a punch bowl:
This was a nice treat, beautifully presented, and hallelujah, it was NOT SWEET. And at $10 or more a pop for single cocktails, for $30, this was a bargain for three people. I'm not a gal for rum, but hoo-boy, I know this had rum in it and I didn't care after a few dainty cupfuls!
For some other great photos of this terrific space, click here.
The Rickhouse is named after the storage areas for whiskey casks and beer barrels. It is a beautifully designed bar in the tradition of a speakeasy or an old-timey saloon. Loved the funky pastiche of tattooed bartenders in newboy caps and braces, beer barrels stacked along the walls, and an ultra-modern ceiling fixed with wavy woven wooden slats capping off the Gold Rush era exposed brick and modern rough-hewn wooden walls and unfinished wooden floor.
And of course, I loved the wall of liquor.
Lots and lots of liquor...
Had a La Bonne Vie -- The Good Life -- which was a gin and grapefruit concoction finished with basil. Lately I've been disappointed with high-end cocktail bars because of the high cost/mediocre output of many, and because I'm spoiled with a friend who is one of the best bartenders around. But this drink, as well as Trevor's and our friend's whiskey cocktails, were worthy: refreshing and subtle, and so well crafted. Cute old-school menu to choose them from too. My only complaint was their small size, which was a good 1/4 size smaller than your standard cocktail.
We remedied our drink envy, soon, however, with a punch bowl:
This was a nice treat, beautifully presented, and hallelujah, it was NOT SWEET. And at $10 or more a pop for single cocktails, for $30, this was a bargain for three people. I'm not a gal for rum, but hoo-boy, I know this had rum in it and I didn't care after a few dainty cupfuls!
For some other great photos of this terrific space, click here.
Labels: booze
posted by Ammie at 10:07 PM
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