Feels Like the First Time
Everyone remembers their first time. Maybe you were on the beach at sunset? Perhaps a party at a friend’s after the big game? First trip to the big bad city? Your cousin’s wedding? Relax folks … I’m talking about the first time you had a drink that not only sparked your tastebuds, but created an experience that piqued your other senses as well. Created a moment that lingered long after the last sip.
Ernest Hemingway told us, “Don’t bother with churches, government buildings or city squares. If you want to know about a culture, spend a night in its bars.” Armed with this sage advice from a man who definitely knew his drink, I’m diving deep into what elevates a drink into an experience, and where to find it.
Mason Bar and Kitchen in The Village of Arroyo Grande knows a thing or two about providing guests with just that. Voted Best South County Bar four years in a row in the local New Times Readers Poll, Mason Bar boasts an impressive spirits list and a bar large enough to host you and all your closest pals for a happy hour worth writing home about. When I met up with Bar Manager Chad Tolley, however, it was not the width and breadth of Mason’s offerings we discussed, but something more exclusive, more personal. Imagine your favorite classic cocktail, an entire 2½-gallon barrel, handcrafted and aged with care for six loving weeks. Imagine being able to visit your favorite Mason bartender and say, “Pull down my barrel, will ya?” and bask in the envious looks of your neighboring imbibers as they wonder, “Who is he? Some kind of local celebrity?” Luckily for us non-celebs, at Mason Bar, we can all live the VIP lifestyle, so plan a visit to Mason soon and get the ball rolling on your very own barrel of handcrafted awesome.
If you are looking for elegance and opulence in a glass … if you enjoy the sumptuous surroundings of dim lighting, low music and tableside finished cocktails … if you just need a touch of the finer things in life … then you need to pay a visit to Paso Robles’ very own speakeasy: Eleven Twenty Two. On a recent visit to this Prohibition Era den, I was truly enamored by a cocktail from their newest list. Its creator, Bartender Christian Fernandez, shared some thoughts. “With months of studying to open this bar, I decided to apply more of my college biochemistry background into my recipes and to use modern culinary technique as we craft all syrups and many liqueurs, bitters and infused spirits in house.”
His group cocktail, Suntory Tea for Two, includes rare whiskey and house-made ingredients, and is chilled using smoky dry ice in a lovely tea pot, all tableside. Christian explains, “Graciously, my bar offers such creative expression with availability of serveware, and [Bar Director] Tony [Bennett] let me borrow his tea vessel for demonstration. This set the tone for a group cocktail which became Suntory Tea for Two. The cocktail is ordered by groups to share, couples on a night out and even quite often by a single person who just needs a double serving! This cocktail is a reminder that a drink can be enjoyed in any manner, and can still deliver its experience when ordered.” This is one not to be missed.
We’ve all heard the saying, “Where there’s smoke there’s fire.” And with the Lucha Libre, his take on a classic rum and coke, Fish Gaucho’s Bar Director Matthew Hanson certainly brings the fire. Drawing inspiration from the classic ’80s bartending film “Cocktail,” Matthew and his team elevate this workhorse drink to a new level. “We take what we loved about the ’80s cocktail — the terrible suggestive punny names, the bright neon colors, the crazy glassware, the layering, the flash and flair — and replace what we didn’t like — crazy amounts of sugar and artificial ingredients — with local and handmade products.” Containing a Navy Strength Rum from local KROBĀR Craft Distillery, house-made cola and a tobacco smoked glass, this is unlike any rum and coke you’ve ever experienced. Hurry in to try this unique drink before it goes the way of acid washed jeans. (Tom Cruise not included.)
This rundown would certainly not be complete without the tale of a 21-year-old Central Coast girl and the moment that made her realize that sometimes a drink is more than a drink. Was it a smoked Manhattan at a swank cocktail den? An exotic fruit concoction at a coastal resort? Not quite.
With all of the incredible craft cocktails being shaken and stirred here around the Central Coast, it’s important to remember that memories are made, friendships forged and moments experienced at the most elite of mixological havens, AND the most fabulous of dives. There is no local dive bar that holds quite the mystique (or lack of personal inhibition) of Bull’s Tavern. If you’ve spent a 21st birthday in Downtown San Luis Obispo, you’ve certainly been there. And if you were lucky enough to enjoy the rite de passage that is the Bull Sweat, then you and I share something forever. Part overproof booze, part up-on-the-bar shenanigans, 100 percent unforgettable. When I chatted with Billy Hales, the owner of Bull’s, about how long this local tradition has been around, and how it has evolved over the years, he reminisced a bit. “The Bull Sweat has been around since the ’70s as far as I know. I’ve been going there since ’86, and the people that took me there at the time had been going in for a while. The original ingredients were 151, Wild Turkey, a dash of Tabasco and a dash of Worcestershire. The bartenders over the last few years have taken to free-styling, but as long as they keep the key ingredient — love, duh — I’m okay letting them get creative.” Same Billy. Same.
So, whether you’re in the mood for a swanky night of treating yourself, or dive bar shenanigans with a group of your dearest hooligans, our beloved area has you covered with a drink (or two) that creates a true experience. One that feels like the first time. One you will never forget.
