Reposted
from June 2012, my husband’s take on the craft cocktail scene in
Seattle from his "Two at the Most" column. You know, just in case you
maybe feel like having a good drink while at AWP this year:
I
can report that the craft cocktail movement in Seattle is alive, well, and
indeed—thriving. In fact, I was waiting to take the ferry from
Seattle to Bainbridge Island and in the small bar at the ferry terminal I had a
Manhattan made with a rye distilled on Bainbridge Island, WA; Dolin Sweet
Vermouth; top quality bitters; and a burned orange twist! It was better than 90
percent of what you would find in Washington, DC restaurants.
I
was able to visit four places while I was in Seattle and only scratched the
surface. Ambiance was excellent in all of them. Good
cocktails in each. I was surprised that all of the places I went to
served significant/unique food. Not full dinners but small plates/heavy,
gourmet appetizers. I would recommend them all to people going to
Seattle with the exception of Canon, which I may have just hit on a night with
two “dud” mixologists. Fine enough, but I enjoyed the other places much better.
All of them seemed to be open seven days a week.
This
was my first stop on a Sunday evening. My drink notes are probably
the worst for Zig Zag as it was the only place where I did not sit at the bar.
A little hard to find unless one looks at the comments on Yelp which are
clear…if you do not leave them at the hotel. It is in an alley between two
streets just below the façade of a three-story office building below Pike Place
Market and above Western Ave. Address is on the façade of the building. Stucco,
plants outside the door. Nice size curved bar inside (10-15 seats)
then a number of velvet banquets and some small tables.
Casey
was working when we went in. Very attentive, asked what we liked, anything we
did not like. He prepared a variation on a martini for my colleague
who is more of a beer drinker that he enjoyed, and I had a variation on a
Negroni and then a Manhattan. Cocktails he served didn’t really have
names; he just tweaked the proportions and the liquors, which was fine, but I
always like a name even if it is a personal creation. Since we
didn’t sit at the bar I don’t recall if they had full printed menus but they
had a chalkboard with cocktails written on it. Music was low,
unobtrusive jazz. People sitting across from us raved about the food
(Caesar salad/pasta dish). They had no cocktails
however. Can I trust them?
Someone
at another place I went to while I was in Seattle said that there was a
bartender at Zig Zag who was supposed to be a “wizard” at the bar but he didn’t
know his name.
Prior
to heading to Zig Zag we stopped at The Brooklyn on 2nd Ave.,
for oysters. Great West Coast Oysters and had an excellent Dry Fly
Martini there. Not a craft cocktail spot but very good nonetheless.
They know how to make a martini.
Visited
Canon on Monday evening. It was, unfortunately, a disappointment for
me. Easy to find, nice ambiance. Cocktails were
competently made but nothing spectacular, and no real interest in having a back
and forth with customers. Dark wood inside with long curved bar that
sat about 20. A few tables that sat four to six. When I sat down, I
asked one of the two bartenders if Jamie Boudreau was working that night so I
could mention a mutal acquaintance. I was told he’d check in the
back. He never seemed to check and never got back to me one way or
the other. Later, I asked if Murray Stevenson was working and was
told…”No, just us two!” I was surprised he didn’t ask my name or if
I knew Jamie.
Onto
the cocktails—I started with a Leopold and Cocci Americano (my suggestion to
use the Cocci). Was very good. Balanced. I
have had Leopold Gin before and I liked this combination better that with
Dolin. I followed that with what seems to be big in Seattle: you “pick your own
base spirit,” and then they make something for you. I chose a
Genever. Again, the cocktail was good but when I asked what else he
used, I was told it was a secret and he wouldn’t tell me.
Really!?
That
sort of summed up the bartenders working that night. Finished with
an Aviation made with a Seattle gin I had heard about called Gun Club Gin
distilled by Sun Liquor. Good cocktail, good gin, but nothing I
couldn’t make at home. I had the pork buns, which were recommended
online, and they were fine. Nice presentation with a cannon on the
plate. Should have turned the cannon on the bartender…then he might
have told me what was in the drink.
Granted,
I might have had a completely different experience with a different mixologist,
but my experience being what it was I would not recommend Canon as my first
choice based on my experience with other places in Seattle and with everything
else out there I didn’t get to.
Undaunted,
I headed down the street three blocks to Tavern Law. Owned by Brian
McCracken and Dana Tough. Best cocktails and bartenders of the trip.
Long winding bar and tables. A little lighter color vibe
inside. Music was a little loud and didn’t seem to fit with the
classic cocktail theme of the 19th and 20th century
but that would be my only criticism. Bartenders asked me what I
liked…we looked at the menu and off we went. They had an extensive
printed menu of classics (most extensive menu of the trip—sours, flips,
punches, juleps, coolers, etc.) and their own creations.
Started
off with a Fourth Regiment, which had a unique layering of flavors with the
celery bitters. First time for me with that cocktail. In that vein, we moved
onto a Greenpoint and finished with a Seelbach Cocktail. I believe
George was mixing most of the cocktails with Layne’s
assistance. Later in the evening, they gave me a black card with
just a phone number to get into the super-secret upstairs, which was not open
on Mondays. Go to the phone on the wall and call up and they buzz
you in. They also suggested I purchase Ted Haigh’s Vintage
Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails, which just arrived.
In
between cocktails, I had an excellent foie gras terrine. Fried chicken is
supposed to be their specialty. These folks make a great cocktail.
They also suggested checking out Liberty on 15th Ave., East and
a place called Rob Roy.
All
in all a great experience, except for the music missing the mark.
Last
night in Seattle, so the big debate was whether to return to Tavern Law and the
super secret room or to venture off to new territory. I headed west
to Bath Tub Gin & Co., which was challenging to find. It is
actually between 1st and 2nd off Blanchard St.,
in Gin Alley. Essentially walk around to the back of the building.
Luckily, I cornered two guys going into the front of the building who directed
me.
The
ambiance here was probably nicest of all of the places…but it was the tiniest
too. Top level has a semi-circular bar that seats 6-8 with one table
for two, and downstairs there were maybe three or four tables for
two. Dark wood. Music was very low key. Another nice
printed menu with a much smaller selection of cocktails but probably the largest
selection gins and whiskeys. The menu was all their own creations, i.e. Jedi
Mind Trick (Brandy, Absinthe, maple syrup, lemon juice, thyme), Just above
Social (Gin, hickory salt & pepper falernum, Angostura Bitters, black
olive).
Started
with the Just Above Social (a line from a Hunter S. Thompson novel, the
bartender explained) then moved to a martini with a gin I wasn’t that wild
about (Cold River, I think) which he offered to swap out, but I didn’t take him
up on. Next did a “Dealer’s Choice” where I asked him to use the
Yamazaki Scotch. He pulled a drink together he called Carnal
Knowledge (Scotch, Yellow Chartreuse, Bonal, and grapefruit
bitters). And, he not only told me what was in it he wrote down the
recipe! Finished up with a small Manhattan with Buffalo Trace which
I had not had before.
The
bartender (there was only one) was great and the ambiance was wonderful, but
for some reason no drink was quite a home run here. However, based on the
ambiance, the bartender and how nice he was I would give them another
try.
Tavern
Law…best cocktails and most skilled mixologists with a unique menu…I’d give
Bath Tub Gin & Co. best in show and with most potential and is Zig Zag, a
solid choice for both cocktails and comfort. And while I would recommend
them all, I was sadly disappointed by Canon which was suggested by one of
DC’s own craft cocktail gurus and features Jamie Boudreau and Murray Stenson
(formerly of Zig Zag Café), two legends in the Seattle cocktail scene (neither
was there the night I stopped in).
~Steve
Ello
