MOST BARS strive to offer a wide range of different spirits, but those that specialize in one particular form of alcohol are to be truly savored. They are few in number and allow the interested imbiber to dive deeper into a particular spirit than is possible at jack-of-all-trade bars. Let us celebrate a few of them here.
Mexican Spirits
Tequila has enjoyed a renaissance in the past few years, but there are still those who think they hate the agave spirit because of a bad night spent with a bottle Cuervo Gold. Palo Alto’s Reposado is out to change that.
The modern Mexican restaurant has a bar and lounge with one of the deepest tequila lists in Silicon Valley, with more than 100 bottles available and new selections added monthly. The name of the restaurant itself means “rested” in Spanish, a designation given to tequilas of a certain age.
The tasting notes on the tequila list help greatly. To familiarize customers with the different types of tequila, Reposado has assembled four flights of the liquor, all for $18 or less. Tasters should pay particular attention to the tequila’s smell and color, and leave the mouth open as they observe the sensation on the back of the tongue, says manager Saeed Amini, who spent time in Jalisco studying tequila.
For the tequila novice, Amini recommends beginning with a flight of tequila blanco, which he says is the “true expression of Mexican soil.” For the tequila connoisseur, the selection of tequila reposado boasts several artisan varieties from the different regions of Jalisco, and nearly all of the tequilas on the menu are organically or biodynamically grown.
Reposado’s cocktail list also includes traditional Mexican favorites such as La Paloma, which features Don Julio blanco tequila, St. Germain elderflower liqueur and fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice.
Although it’s far less popular than tequila, mezcal is really the granddaddy of Mexican spirits. Think of mezcal as a country cousin of tequila that’s closely associated with the state of Oaxaca. Tequila is a variant of mezcal made from blue agave, while mezcal can be made from several different kinds of agave and generally has a smokier flavor than tequila.
The stylish bar at San Jose’s appropriately named Mezcal restaurant boasts the premier list of the stuff in Silicon Valley. Mezcal is just starting to be appreciated in this county, and Mezcal’s co-owner Adolfo Gomez is doing his part to showcase the spirit of his homeland. He pours a number of small, premium mezcals from producers who are making mezcal in the finer, barrel-aged style that’s come to characterize many top tequilas.
From Scotland With Age
Los Gatos’ C.B. Hannegan’s is the place to enjoy a really good dram of Scottish single-malt whisky. When the restaurant and bar opened 28 years ago, there were few places to enjoy a good single-malt whisky in Silicon Valley. Owner Johnny Hannegan and bar manager Tom Ovens built the list as a labor of love.
“It’s not a snob thing,” Ovens says. “I just liked the idea of single malts. It seemed like a craft, bordering on an art.”
Today, the bar serves more than 60 kinds of whisky imported from all over Scotland. Broadly speaking, the differences in the whiskies break down this way. Those from the Scottish lowlands are lighter; whiskies from the highlands are richer and more complex; those from the near-shore islands are heavy duty, smoky and full of distinctive peat flavor.
In warm weather, Ovens recommends the Glenfarclas, a lowland distillery that’s been family owned for six generations.
Rising Sake
For something totally different head over to San Jose’s Koji Sake Lounge. Silicon Valley has several Japanese restaurants that boast good sake lists, but Koji is the only place that puts sake in the forefront, although the bar serves some good small plates that match the sake well.
Koji’s comprehensive sake list includes tasting notes that help you find a flavor profile that suits your tastes. Beau Timken, master sake sommelier and owner of San Francisco’s True Sake, the world’s first sake shop, helped assemble the list, which guarantees its quality.
Grecian Formula
For a real after-dinner treat, stop in at Evvia in Palo Alto for dessert (I recommend the galaktoboureko, vanilla-custard-filled tubes of flaky phyllo with a generous scoop of pistachio ice cream on the side) and a glass of ouzo, Greece’s beloved anise-flavored liquor.
Evvia’s comfortable bar accommodates nearly a dozen brands of ouzo to choose from, ranging from dry to syrupy sweet. From the middle of the spectrum, I liked the Ouzo Plomari. Ouzo is traditionally served over ice with a splash of water. It’s good stuff, and the water turns the clear liquid a milky white. Even at 84 proof, it’s surprisingly smooth. Too smooth.
-Kristine Bautista and Sarah Suksiri contributed to this article.
