An SF Bar Star Will Bring Back Classic Cocktails in Marin | Eater SF

"I’m excited for a new bar from Isaac Shumway and his wife and wine director Rhia Shumway to open in downtown San Rafael that channels English and Irish pubs alongside early, pre–Gold Rush California; Isaac’s background includes Bourbon and Branch, Tosca Cafe, and Alamo Drafthouse’s Bear Vs Bull, while Rhia has worked at Saison and Absinthe. He cites Charles H. Baker’s The Gentleman’s Companion: Around the World with Jigger, Beaker and Flask as a major influence, and those adventurous, travel-focused cocktail roots show up in drinks like the Banana Cow (dark rum, banana milk, grenadine, maraschino, lime) and the Surf Club Mangareva (apple brandy, coconut-washed Cointreau, honey, lemon, lime). Wines will skew California with some international and natural selections; a carefully sourced roster of California beers is also promised. The room will give off a low-key tropical vibe centered on a Brunswick mahogany bar installed in 1906, with palms lining an L-shaped counter and interior touches by Ignacio Gonzalez—antique maps, paintings of clipper ships, dark wood, and a red pressed tin ceiling—tying into the clipper-ship, early California theme. It’s slated to open late summer (Bay Area–style, meaning September) and will serve cocktails (no food) from 4 p.m.–2 a.m. on weekdays and 2 p.m.–2 a.m. on weekends." - Ellen Fort