83 Proof

A small bar that one may miss, but certainly not one to pass up. It's small but has a nice atmosphere. The bartenders are friendly and engaging. A good place to hang out.

Only have time for one drink, try the basil gimlet.. bartender will create unique cocktails based on what you like.. there is no menu for cocktails as such.. give it a shot.. you may find a new favorite drink :) Good selection of wine n beer too.. njoiiii

As a former bay area cocktail competitor who would often take 1st place. I am honor bound to give props to bars that have exceed my own past and current talent. The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd best cocktails I've had in SF have come from here. Birthed from highly creative nights, unique ingredients, humble delivery, and a genuine care to exceed expectations. The 1st best cocktail had fresh watermelon, licor 43, saline, and other miraculous ingredients that I was too drunk to remember. The other cocktails were simply exceptional and expansions to an already deep field of bartending. Inventive, fresh, technical and functional garnish, unique, and pushing the boundaries of what's "known" or typically done. This bar knows it's a 5 star bar, but doesn't need to wave it over it's customers or community. Alexis, Zach, and Freedom are also exceptional conversationalists, generous, funny, and hospitality pros. If there are other bartenders that work there. Sorry for leaving ya'll out and I look forward to meeting you eventually. Thank you all for such great times.

A quaint neighbor bar that's perfect for a couple drinks with friends in a quiet atmosphere.

This place is toxic. I was drugged, my phone was stolen, and passed out in the bathroom. When the bar closed, the staff just kicked me out into the street at 2am with no phone or way to get home. They literally left me outside to die. Thank god my boyfriend had gotten worried when he hadn’t heard from me and come looking for me using my phone location. He tracked my phone to a random apartment building nearby and backtracked to the closed bar where he found me sitting on the ground. I don’t know what kind of establishment treats its patrons like this but do not go here!!!

I wandered here on a whim looking for a quick pint before heading home - and I am exceptionally pleased. This is a small venue, though there's space to spill into a mezzanine level. The immediate vibe was of a clean, classy, and comforting space. I would have been satisfied grabbing a sip and heading out, but the energy of the staff kept me hanging out to the edge of my time limit. I credit Alexis and Freedom for enthralling me with their mix of enthusiasm, knowledge, and attentiveness. I'm almost certain I owe them a drink or two (perhaps literally). Although this venue does not (as of this posting) serve food, multiple meal options are within walkable distance or can be delivered. If you are respectful and keep it tidy, the staff supports your desire to eat, drink, and be merry on site. I was looking for an easy, chill place to grab a drink, and 83 Proof was a real game changer.

Good place to grab a drink after work. Used to come in here more often. It’s been a little bit way over due since I last patronized and found the whiskey snap last night was extremely refreshing- good for a hot night in the city. Oh do check out the loft section as well. Good to grab it for your small group gathering if you are able to come in a little bit earlier to secure the place.

We hosted a company happy hour here. The cocktails were delicious, and Nika was a pleasure to work with! They also allow outside catering food, and even helped me set up the table! Would definitely come back again:)

Loved this bar. Had an Amazing selection of just about every kind of alcohol that one may like (pictures of the selection drew me into seek it out)... I'm very much a whisky guy and live to try different kinds Got to talk shop with Bartenders Zack and Sydney. They were very knowledgeable and friendly and introduced me to some whisky that I have not tried before which was very peaty, which I love. Super friendly and they most definitely knew they're stuff. Tonight was an off night in that it was quieter than normal, but I Lucked out because of that and got to chill w these awesome bartenders and some of the local crowd. It had a very inviting non pretentious vibe of a spot that knew what it was doing. No fireworks or flashy fakeness... Just an appreciation for good people and Great drinks.

I really like this place. The friendly bartender turned me on to some teally good tomato gin from Italy. Made a great g&t. After wandering around for a while, this was a pleasant discovery.

Sometimes - you walk down a random street in San Francisco, looking for your parked car - it's raining, rush hour and you are really not looking forward to a drive down to the Peninsula. A good sip of whiskey is all that's on your mind, and then you just run into a small open door that opens up into one of my coolest whiskey bar finds in a while. These guys know their stuff - with over 400 whiskeys on display and a knowledgeable bar staff that was whipping up some interesting cocktails. Any other day and I would have gone for an old fashioned, but today win was being a purist. A hasty order for an Uncle Nearest 1884 quickly led me down the path of sitting at the bar and taking a closer look at what was on display - and then I zero in on something that I haven't seen before. A rare bottle of Shenk's sour mash 2023 edition. Had to have it and boy did it not disappoint. The good thing is that I expect to be in this part of town a lot for some business. The bad part is - I am going to have to spend some serious amount of time at this place

Super cool place! Definitely a hidden gem, they'll customize a drink towards your palette and your ~vibe~. Both bartenders were very nice and knowledgeable and I got two very yummy customized drinks for a better price than most bars charge for a Moscow mule!!

The worst service i have experienced in SF. The bartender gave my card to someone else. When I informed then that I did not sign it, they started belitting me for having bad memory. When I asked to review the receipt and signature, they started to call me difficult. When I showed the card was signed by someone else, they refused to accept their mistake and blamed the other customer. Mistakes can happen but through out the process, they we shouted at me, spoke rudely and interrupted other random customers to point fingers at me. This is unacceptable behavior anywhere but especially at a service establishment.

Wow! Ryan is an amazing bartender!!! The customer service was so on point and I really think the bartenders make the experience. Catie and Ryan made my visit to San Francisco so amazing and I would 100% return ONLY when Ryan and Catie are working. They feel like family which is what you want in a neighborhood bar. Ryan took extra care to make my experience wonderful and my trip to San Francisco really felt special, strictly because of the experience I had tonight!

Nice bartender! Made a fun custom drink for friend. Went on a Friday night before 10pm and it wasn't busy. It wasn't too loud or quiet. Good place for a sit-down, post-dinner/chill drink with friends. On an off street, near Montgomery BART. Would go again!

The whiskey selection is awesome. More importantly, bartenders were knowledgeable and attentive.

Great bar spitting distance from Salesforce Tower. Zach and team are great hosts and know their drinks. We'll be back!

Literally the best bar ever. Zach makes this place feel like home. Never dissatisfied with drinks, amazing whiskey selection and the bartenders are very knowledgeable. Had my birthday here and would do it again anytime!! 10/10 recommend.

context: I don't like to drink alcohol bc I don't like the taste of it. my bf has been on a mission to find me a cocktail I'll like, and he is also the first between the both of us to scope out the NA/mocktail options for me anywhere we go. he really likes this place and he thought I'd like it too bc of the custom drinks. this place doesn't have a menu, so you need to know how to describe what you want, either by flavors and profile or drink name. we got there on a Thursday night, after visiting SFMOMA, a little after 8pm. Place was busy and really loud, one or two tables were open, all bar seats taken. a bartender noticed us within the first few mins we were there, though, and took our orders. bf told him he wanted smth tea-based and mentioned gin. he basically got an alcoholic raspberry iced tea, which he really enjoyed. (I obvs didn't lol.) I thought bf and I were on the same page about me wanting something NA, but when he asked me if I wanted something NA, I said yes but he heard "meh." I told him I wanted smth w strawberry and not sickeningly sweet. what he relayed to the bartender was "she likes strawberry and doesn't like the taste of alcohol, so smth not alcohol-forward. and not sickly sweet" what I got was a slightly carbonated strawberry drink, perfect amount of sweetness, some aperol. I could taste hints of alcohol, but it was non-offensive. it was a great drink for me. had I not been starving, I probably wouldn't have noticed the alcohol taste at all. our bartender was great, wasn't able to get his name, but I'll try to next time. I think he had curly-ish longer hair? possibly down to shoulders or a little above. if I got the description right, and you see him, I recommend that bartender 10/10 would go again, but I'd probably try to go when it's less busy. great place to bring a date, friends, ppl from out of town, alone w a book, etc. edit: bartender is Zach and he's awesome! v intentional about what the bar is stocked with and ensures that customers have a great experience at 83 proof.

I came for a whiskey cocktail before I went back to the eastbay I didn't stay too long but my Manhattan was very good My bartender chose my whiskey and I drank it He was very cool . Chill vibe Observed others Not busy Sat at the bar I had A great time with my companion . Took some silly pics together and left Will I return? Most definitely Perhaps every time I come to the city

Always pass by this spot but haven't tried it till now. There's no cocktail menu but the bartender knew everything. We got aviation and whiskey sour and they were both one of the best of these drinks I've had in a long time. Super chill vibe, great to come with a group or with a friend.

Great service and really yummy drinks. Been coming to this place for years. Always consistent. A good place for after work happy hour.

Excellent whiskey selection. Close to my work at Salesforce Tower. Bartenders provide fantastic whiskey recommendations

Around 10 of us ended up here after work. Place was energetic but not too crowded. The bar attended to people swiftly, it looked like they served a solid collection of whiskey, scotches, beer on top of some food. We could hear each other rather easily (some reviews said loud & echo-y, we didn't find that), so turned out to be a good place to have a drink & chat. To us, it felt more like a stand & drink type of place, less lounge-y. Will definitely revisit.

Great speakeasy in South Beach. No menu, you just order by feel and taste, and the bartenders make you just what you need in the moment. Classic rock on most nights too, just the vibe I need near home. Would be even better if y'all were open on the weekends

Like many have said, 83 proof is almost hidden unless you walk past during happy hour on a Thursday or Friday when the busy bar seems to pop out a bit more. Having had some work events here and casual happy hours, it has always been a great experience. The bartenders are usually so busy but great at hustling and helping everyone. Last visit once the bar died down I asked for some cocktail recommendations and she taught me what a paper plane is. Delicious! If you like citrus and bourbon 10/10 would recommend. The only downside of the bar is really the layout (I know, not too much you can do there) and people not being aware of the limited space. Please take off your backpacks if you're standing in a crowded bar.

Cozy little bar, a hole-in-the-wall behind the Walgreens at 1st & Mission. Seriously, if you walk by before 2pm, you wouldn't even know it's there--no signage, just "83" on the door. At 2:00, the door opens and you can see that there's a bar inside. (They open at noon on Fridays.) Stopped in for a little Happy Hour with the office team. Even though well drinks are $2 off during Happy Hour, I went with an old fashioned. I haven't had many, so I can't say that I'm a connoisseur, but I will say that these were the best I've ever had. Most draft beers are $7, so they are $5 during HH. Not bad for FiDi. The bartender didn't have any help, but he was hustling and handling the light crowd very well. Around 4:00, the place was filling up and a couple more employees showed up. One minor thing--they did not have coffee for our designated driver.

I enjoy coming here. A relaxed post-work bar with friendly bartenders and just enough seating. Tough for groups bigger than 3/4 as the tables are small, unless you get a spot upstairs but the upstairs area is almost always reserved. Would suggest coming here if you're a group of 2-3 and are just looking for a casual drink or two. Cheers!

The bartender was very rude and said my friend was paralyzed. She was watching the bartender make a drink and was called paralyzed. She's not friendly and made jokes about non-able bodied people. Not cool not funny it's 2022. Be better. Avoid this spot.

Nice little wine/beer bar. Only downside is it's a little small and the seating is very limited especially in the early evening. We had to sit on the windowsill (which is fine, weather was great).

A refuge for the Whisky enthusiast who desires more than the mass produced bottles found in Duty Free (Johnnie, Jack, Club - you know who you are) Thank you 83 Proof for providing a refuge of brown spirit selection while in SOMA and FiDi. Bonus: for the architecture/construction fans, the new hi-rises going up across the street for the past couple years provide a pleasant scene to watch while analyzing your Bourbon neat.

The 1 star is for the bartender in particular that served us last night. Was our first time, as we had been planning to check out the bar around the corner from our office. Ambiance, great. Music, great. Vibe, great. Bartender, douche! Who tells a customer "I've made this drink quite a few times, so I think I know what I'm doing!" and, when asking the bartender what pilsners you have on draft, who responds "uh, yes, we have Pilsners!" without mentioning the selection?

Good custom drinks. Local-bar feel. Crowded! Loud! Good bartenders. Not a lot of seating. A small upstairs area where you might find some extra seats. Very pub-like. I had wine, but I saw some really nice looking custom or mixed cocktails happening.

This is a pretty cool whiskey bar with nice and fun bartenders. This is my first time here and I didn't even know it existed because there is only a number 83 in front of the door. I came here with a friend around 9:30 pm or so and it wasn't extremely crowded so my friend and I easily found seats at the bar. About 20-30 minutes of sitting there, it became more and more packed mainly because there was a firm event of some sort where people were being loud and rowdy. I got a whiskey sour and my friend got two rounds of Macallan neat. Overall, this is a nice bar, not as spacious and it's a bit tight but the large open window in front makes it nice and cool regardless of all the people in there.

Bartenders leave much to be desired. Not listener or attitude. The place is tiny. They have a fair beer list.

Came back here for a work happy hour after years of not stepping foot in this place. It's the same as always but currently just less packed given its location downtown. I'm sure that's stressful for the business but pleasant as the customer to be able to snag a table easily! The service was all on point. Very casual but the guy behind the bar had good awareness. He offered to pour my friend's beer as soon as he walked in the door, and sure enough he dropped it by our table just as my buddy shook my hand (we can shake hands again! Covid be gone!). Obviously this is a simple thing to do, but I swear so many bartenders don't think of the details. Good on him. Great beer selection and I was happy to have a Blind Pig to start my evening. If you're back in the neighborhood to go to your office, don't miss out on a happy hour here. They're really enjoyable now that so many are vaccinated. Didn't realize how much I missed it!

This is a go-to spot if you want a night of rude bartenders that will be racist to your group of asian friends. They will make racist jokes and serve others before you, even on a slow night. The woman was making comments about being paralyzed to a different group of people near us. It was extremely rude to say that their group looked paralyzed for no reason. No point to come here ever again.

The bartenders were more than nice and hospitable even when I made a slightly outrageous request all around solid drinks and staff would recommend to anyone who's looking for a nice chill spot with quality on the mind.

Great place to go for happy hour! I mean 7pm happy hour, how could you go wrong. $5 beers and $12 old fashioneds. The bartenders are really awesome too. There's plenty of space to spread out or find one of many tables to gather around. There's plenty of beers, wine, tequilas, whiskeys, scotch's. Pretty much any alcohol you could imagine. They'll make whatever you can think of.

Made a quick stop at 83 Proof for a drink before heading over to an event. I met up my friends on Friday, September 16th around 5:45pm. The bar was super packed, but my friends got there first and managed to stake some standing room by the bar for our group of four. Since I was the last one to get there, my friends just ordered a round of drinks, so I had a Manhattan waiting for me. It was nicely balanced and not too sweet. Not sure why type of liquor they used, but I enjoyed it. One of my friends got an old fashioned and seemed to like it. Nice place for a quick happy hour, but I prefer a more low key bar. It was so packed in here, that I felt uncomfortable. People kept bumping into us while trying to get to the restroom, meet up their friends, etc. There were several times where I almost spilled my drink. Overall, good drinks, but I wouldn't stay for more than a round.

Nice little speakeasy bar in FiDi. Meet up with friends or work colleagues to relax or catch up before dinner or heading home.

I met my friend at 83 Proof, which was one of the few bars by her work in FiDi. I thought it was a nice, low key bar. It had an old-style bar feel, but it wasn't divey at all with its impressive liquor wall and upstairs lounge area. I appreciated how you can order fruit and herb fusions to classic cocktails. My friend, for example, ordered a gimlet with basil and jalapeno. I had a gin and tonic with basil and blueberry. Although our drinks were satisfying, we did find that the bartender may have accidentally swapped the jalapeno in our drinks. Mine had a kick to it, whereas my friend noted no spice at all. Other than that slipup, 83 Proof was a great pit stop before our dinner reservations later that evening.

Cool, chill bar near the Embarcadero in the city. This would be a good spot to share drinks with friends or coworkers or a date. Tasty, cold beers. The bar was packed on a Thursday afternoon.

Zach (Zack?) is the best! Love the atmosphere almost as much as the bartender. Always a good time here with or without company.

It's crazy how 1 bad experience could ruin a bunch of previously good experiences and change one's impression of an establishment. I started my Wednesday night over at 83 Proof which is usually a solid bar. The typical crowd is in their late 20s to late 30s of professionals from the financial district. There's 2 TV's to watch ball games (or whatever) and a well stocked bar with an excellent whiskey selection (almost entirely from America). I've come here several times in the past and had good experiences until now. Typically, the bartenders are pretty personable and well skilled. Unfortunately, this time I was served by a bartender that practically treated me like I was in a dive bar. Not that there's anything wrong with dives but we, as patrons, pay a premium to go to nicer bars with better service. First off, this dude gave me some attitude when I couldn't hear what he was saying (it's pretty loud inside). Secondly, he scoffed a little at my typical one-off drink- Sazerac, half cognac, half rye. I've never been rude to a bartender before but he was kind of pushing it. I mean.. I'm ordering a solid whiskey drink with a unique twist. Don't knock it til you try it bruh. My reasoning behind giving this usually 4 establishment 2 stars is that I could go to one of the other dozen bars plus in the area. Until I cool off on this place, you can catch me at Michael Mina's, Pabu, Novela, Local Edition, Sutter Station, Rickhouse, Patriot House, Cafe Terminus, Sens, Natoma Cabana, Louie's, RN74 and Steph's just to name a few places.

Renaming it to 1,2,3 Poof!...Would have been more fun and clever! However, it wouldn't quite match the speakeasy vibe to this bar place! They specialize in cocktail drinks and bf ordered the French 75 for me because I wanted something zesty and had a sour punch to it, which that drink did! They serve up wine, bubblies and beer. The ambiance is dimly lit and of wooden decor. They have an upstairs, mini lounge area for some seclusion from the main base floor. Bartenders and staff is spot on - a great bar addition to the FiDi!

A wall of booze is an boozaholic's dream, they can stare at the wall like a Henri Matisse masterpiece. These booze technicians can make anything you ask for. Anything and everything booze related. Since I'm not good at making up delicious cocktails, I copied fellow yelp tips and ordered the basil blueberry gimlete. And it was perfect! Cool vibe, good mix of people, comfortable environment.

Drinks were great. Atmosphere felt like they were trying to go for a speakeasy vibe but looked more like a corner bar.

AFTER WORK SPOT (5 stars) As much as I like to be as far as possible from FiDi after I've clocked out, I don't mind walking around the corner to grab a well crafted cocktail! First timer here and it will not be my last. Great service, great bar, great drink. My teammates all settled for beers and I settled for a nice fancy "fufu" cocktail to close up the week. I ordered "something fruity" and the bartender asked me several questions to narrow down my vague request. I was handed a beautiful drink, very much up my alley, called GIN DOMINATRIX (minus the pepper) garnished with a basil. Ohmy! Purple drink, classy look, fresh fruit taste, and refreshing. It was a nice way to wrap the end of the week with my cool coworkers. No work, just cheers and laughing. I need that. Jaba approved. Until the next review...

This is a cute cozy place. They served Suzie cakes one night. I've never had one before so it was a pleasant surprise.

Cheers to a wonderful happy hour at 83 Proof!! Met here with some classmates earlier today to celebrate a birthday. A little surprised to see the place filled to the brim with people (last time I came we were the sole patrons), but it created for a very lively vibe and made me miss working in FiDi. The happy hour menu was incredible- we had 9 drinks (4 of which were delicious Washington Apple shooters- perfectly made) rounding out to $60 with tax. Service was quick despite the number of people crowded around the bar. Looking forward to coming back soon!

A solid cocktail bar in SOMA that looks to be very popular with the after-work crowd. My friend graciously introduced me to not only the place, but one of the awesome owners as well. While my Manhattan was finely executed, I was left a bit perplexed by one of the bartender's take on an Old Pal. He described the cocktail as it's traditionally made - rye, dry vermouth, campari. Yet he made it with bourbon...usually fine as the two are often interchanged, but the final product was sadly watered down even from the very first sip. In terms of atmosphere, definitely try and find a spot upstairs as the main bar is very busy and noisy enough to almost have to shout to have a conversation. For the atmosphere and price point, I have to be completely honest and say that there are better options in the area.

I've been coming here for a couple after-work meet-ups and I am liking the casual atmosphere; it's not a pretentious place at all. While I know it can be hard to manage with your boss, I would recommend a pre-5pm drink, as this place is much less busy at that time. Anyone in the mood to meet up tonight ;-) ?

Really cheap drinks! The place is a bit crowded and loud for me, but I would definitely come back. I ordered two vodka cranberries. It was decent tasting.

After a couple times here I can't get past the sense that this bar is over crowded, and the staff rude, despite the drinks being of high quality. After waiting a very long time for a drink, and being overlooked by the bartenders a couple times, I observed the bartenders just struggling with the crowd. But not in a "sorry it's taking so long, I'll be with you soon" kind of way, but in a "WTF do you want now" kind of way. Bottom line is with so many options around, I recommend taking your hard earned happy hour dollars elsewhere.

Cozy place for after work drinks. Service is only at the bar. There's a second floor loft that oversees the main floor. This floor would be best for larger groups. Otherwise there are small tables and bar space in the main level. Good selection of wine, but vast selection of spirits and butters for cocktails. Ambiance is warm with a urban rustic vibe. Very centrally located especially if you work close to trans bay terminal.

I hate it when I watch movies where the genie grants three wishes. The fictitious characters always wish for stupid things, like "I wish my teacher would not show up for school today", or "I wish my dog didn't run away". I'm there yelling at the screen "wish for unlimited wishes, dammit"!!! My wishes are simple: good company, good drinks, good atmosphere. 83 Proof fits this bill. Thanks to the bartender, I found my new economy go to Scotch, Springbank 12 Cask Strength. It's scary, the more places I go to, the more favorites I find. Bartenders are also knowledgeable, just tell them your flavor profile, they'll mix up something for you. All I wish were for more places like 83 Proof...and unlimited wishes.