The Barnacle Bar Photo by Jim Henkins
•—————————————————–•As you might have noticed, single-spirit bars have become quite the cottage industry in Seattle. From relatively humble beginnings with a couple of whiskey-focused bars, we’ve reached a state where bars devoted to spirits as obscure as mezcal and aquavit are part of the local scene. It’s been a tremendous boon for unabashed cocktail nerds like myself, but keeping track of all of them can be a bit difficult. Never fear, we’ve got your back.
Speaking of whiskey, the king of the hill right now is Canon. While I might have questioned the utility of having hundreds of bottles of bourbon on your list, there’s nowhere else to go if you want access to endless options. Still, given that it’s a tiny bar that’s usually full, many alternatives present themselves. The Whisky Bar in Belltown boasts a strong lineup, and the crowd is often quite tolerable during the week. Radiator Whiskey in Pike Place and Fremont’s The Barrel Thief are also solid choices, while if Scotch is your preferred barrel-aged spirit, MacLeod’s in Ballard is the top local spot.
Moving on to other spirits, Capitol Hill’s Rumba is, unsurprisingly, an excellent place to explore the world of rum, featuring a vast selection of light and dark rums and a cocktail list of both classic rum drinks and inspired originals. The decor is sort of like what I imagine Ernest Hemingway’s Cuban home would have looked like had he also really been into psychedelic drugs… besides absinthe, I guess.
Moving inland from the Caribbean to Mexico, the two Seattle locations of Mezcaleria Oaxaca do an excellent job of presenting their namesake liquor in a variety of forms. While the Queen Anne location is small and intimate, the newer Capitol Hill spot has a larger bar and huge windows that allow you to people-watch while you explore the nuances of different regions and types of agave. For the uninitiated, mezcal is made in a method similar to tequila, but largely in the state of Oaxaca and from a host of different agave species, not just blue agave. The flavor can vary wildly, but it’s often smokier and more rustic-tasting than tequilas, especially young tequilas.
Inspired by Seattle’s Scandinavian heritage, Tom Douglas’s new Andra Loft Bar will feature aquavit heavily. Essentially flavored vodka, aquavit generally tastes of caraway, dill, or both, with other traditional Scandinavian herbs and spices as well. While plenty is made in Europe, a booming domestic scene has emerged, including several local versions of the spirit from Sound Spirits and the Old Seattle Liquor Co.
As Seattle grows into more and more of a cocktail city, there seems to be quite the appetite for niche bars and spirits. Douglas’ foray into the world is just one sign, as is Renee Erickson’s Barnacle, with its focus on amari and aperitifs. Could bars featuring brandy, gin, or shochu be that far away? It seems like only a matter of time before some adventurous and enterprising bar owner finds out.
Zach Geballe, our drink columnist, works as a server/bartender at a Tom Douglas restaurant.
thebarcode@seattleweekly.com
Read all of our picks for Food & Drink, and explore the rest of this year’s edition of Best of Seattle.
