SF bars/restaurants with rare libations

[Kosmonaut]

Where are some places in SF that serve hard-to-find and rare liquors/wines/etc?

Over the weekend I took a friend to Lark Creek Steakhouse and they have Macallan 30, which he commented that he'd never seen anywhere before. So that got me thinking, and I'd like to compile a list of places that serve hard-to-find libations for a blog post. So far I have:

Lark Creek Steak - Macallan 30
Ikkyu - Ume liqueur (not Ume wine)
O Izakaya - they have a rare cognac, I need to go back and get the name.
Bubble Lounge - they have some rare vintage champagnes
The bar at the Ritz Carlton has a few single malts from defunct distilleries.

Thanks!

[Syphrite]

Are there other places similar to Bourbon and Branch in SF?

[Fig Newton]

Similar in what way?

[Syphrite]

Similar in style and cocktails. I'm heading out to visit in a few weeks and I want to visit a few cocktail lounges while I'm there. =)

[Fig Newton]

Not with the reservation/speakeasy thing, but bars with a similar focus on excellent cocktails are Alembic, Rye, Cantina.

If you include restaurant bars, I'd also consider Coco500, Orson (cool though $12 cocktails), NOPA, and Absinth.

[tvham]

Fig Newton has some great suggestions - Alembic, Rye and Cantina are my three favorite places for a cocktail in the city!

[Syphrite]

Sweet thanks! Restaurant bars work for me too. While a cool vibe is great, I'm more interested in having a quality cocktail. $12 is pretty on par with what I've had here in the city. Though nothing beats the $18 price tag for an Old Cuban at Bemelman's in the Carlyle! :)

[rworange]

Voda a vodka bar with some lesser seen vodkas

[sugartoof]

R Bar in the Tenderloin for Fernet. Actually you can find it more frequently now.... Fernet-Branca has a real following amongst some San Franciscans.

http://www.sfweekly.com/2005-12-07/ne...

[Robert Lauriston]

In SF, unlike most of the country, Fernet's not rare at all. As noted in that story, we consume locally about half of what's imported into the U.S.

[sugartoof]

Right, which is why I mentioned you can "find it more frequently now".
It's an exotic liquor that's been adopted by the city, more or less.

[adog]

I second The Alembic - http://www.alembicbar.com/. I hear its where all the SF bartenders go. Try the Bee's Knees.

[kresge86]

If you like single-malt scotch, then you have to try Nihon. Bourbon & Branch also had some interesting single-malts. Alembic has great cocktails, but I waited 30 minutes for a drink last night. Not the bartender's fault... but the place was crowded and there was only one bartender making very elaborate drinks.

[lanersg]

Alembic

[chutney]

Aziza

[cupcakery]

Erik Adkins, bar manager at Slanted Door is always scouting rare and exotic ingredients to include in their cocktails.

[wolfe]

Tommy's Mexican.
http://www.tommysmexican.com/index.ph...

[SteveG]

Absinthe, probably Bourbon and Branch, definitely Rohan Lounge.

[Carrie 218]

Steve - Absinthe definitely at Rose Pistola:
http://www.feast-blog.com/my_weblog/2...

Also, I'm sorry I don't remember the name, but I bought my BF some rare, Scotch at the Clift's Red Room (I'm not a Scotch fan, otherwise I would recall what it was...). I just remember that it was in the neighborhood of $80 a shot.

[foodeye]

SteveG would have been describing Absinthe on Hayes, the restaurant and bar, not the drink. ; )

[Robert Lauriston]

Absinthe, like a number of upscale bars, actually has absinthe:

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/47629...

[SteveG]

Oops--scratch Rohan. I meant Nihon, the place on 14th at Folsom, mentioned by kresge86 below. They'll let you buy a super duper special bottle and then keep it in your own locker, though that info comes from a while back and they may have either discontinued this or filled up their storage space.

Also, as others have already mentioned, when I said "Absinthe" I meant the bar Absinthe, which has lots of great top shelf and rare liquors, though I don't recall them having a deep whiskey or bourbon selection.

I guess Nihon just doesn't stick in my brain because it translates as Japan, and the food is so far from traditionally Japanese, though I guess the high end whiskey aspect of it is spot on.

[grishnackh]

I'll second Nihon and add Alfred's for their great bartenders and extensive selection of fine whiskies.

-----
Alfred's Steak House
659 Merchant St., San Francisco, CA 94111

Nihon Whisky Lounge
1779 Folsom Street, San Francisco, CA 94103

[susancinsf]

Not rare, but for traditionalists, Alfred's makes a pretty mean martini also.

[Kosmonaut]

I will check out these places, thanks!