83 Proof Bar – San Francisco

I recently got to photograph the really cool bar, 83 Proof, in San Francisco for Tasting Panel Magazine’s recent article on Masterson’s whiskey. This is a bar that takes its cocktails very seriously. The bartenders are alchemist savants, thumbing through their comprehensive knowledge of spirits and herbs, veggies, and fruits to design your perfect drink. You tell them what flavors you like and they’ll build a cocktail to match. Throwing some muscle into it, they’ll work the pestle to mash up fresh ingredients such as strawberries for a jalapeño vodka mix. Each bartender has his or her specialty: some favor rum, some whiskey or scotch, but all are friendly, unpretentious, and incredibly attentive. They love what they do, spending time to explain the flavors as well as the bar’s history. The building has a bit of S.F. folklore and notoriety tied to it: it was a Chinese triad bar that got closed down for over 10 years following a violent shootout, and prior to that it was a longshoreman’s bar. The original 1936 flooring remains. To see the full article, eloquently written by Northern California Editor Deborah Parker Wong, check out the April issue of Tasting Panel Magazine.

The Long Branch cocktail from 83 Proof in San Francisco, named after a saloon in Dodge City, where Bat Masterson presided as sheriff.

83 Proof bartender, Veronica Nye, creates the Long Branch cocktail.

83 Proof's co-owner and manager Marc Goldfine and bartender Veronica Nye.

83 Proof
83 First Street (between Market and Mission)
San Francisco, CA
http://www.83proof.com/