SALOONS | Chris Barnett
Last time 3640 Sacramento Street was a popular address was in the late 1930s when elegant automobiles such as Packards, Cadillacs and probably a collector’s Dusenberg were parked and pampered by skilled mechanics there.
The onetime garage has seen countless restaurants and businesses come and go. But the current occupant, Spruce, has no shortage of people clamoring to be tended to in style. Since opening in August 2007, the sleek restaurant has amassed a strong following of neighbors who stop by regularly for exceptional food and attentive service.
But for me, it’s the bar off to the right that is of special interest — and among the best in our ’hood.
Example: While countless saloons trumpet their list of 50 different martinis, Spruce bar manager Brandon Clements scoffs that is cheap pandering to trends. He maintains that only one cocktail commands the mantle of martini — gin and dry vermouth. He concedes the same drink, made with a flavorless vodka, is an acceptable second cousin if the customer can’t abide the potency of gin.
“We have a different philosophy here,” says the 31-year-old Clements, who signed on at Spruce three years ago as a bartender and was promoted to bar boss a year later. He is also in charge of the bar at the new and white-hot Cafe des Amis on Union Street, which is also owned by Spruce’s parent company, the Bacchus Management Group. “If someone orders an apple martini, which is basically gin and apple schnapps, we say, ‘Why not create a cocktail that will really open their eyes?’”
The eye-opener? Clements and his colleagues behind the Spruce bar start by muddling a fresh apple, then add a dash of lemon juice, two ounces of the premium Russian Standard vodka, Calvados, Tuaca and a hint of sugar. The mixture is shaken, double strained into a martini glass and garnished with a thin slice of apple skin.
“What we’ve done is create a new cocktail experience for the guest who is used to drinking vodka and some terrible, saccharin, artificially flavored apple liqueur,” he contends. “Now you’re introducing people to something they may not have tried — Calvados, a French apple brandy — or considered as an ingredient in a cocktail.”
At $12, Spruce’s price for this labor-intense libation is a deal.
And Spruce is full of other pleasant surprises. Among them is the interior, designed by Stephen Brady, who’s also credited with designing Ralph Lauren retail stores. The high ceilings are untouched from the garage’s original construction, and the beams and rafters are painted black to virtually and visually disappear. The walls are upholstered in dark chocolate mohair.
The space is imaginatively accessorized. A half dozen silver shakers are clustered in a corner waiting for their next assignment. The bar is anchored at each end by contemporary white lamps you might find in a tastefully decorated living room, perfectly scaled and not overwhelming. Even the art is unexpected and original. And instead of the basic barstool, 14 tall chairs covered in deep gold faux ostrich line a long, L-shaped thick slab of Carrara marble.
Behind the bar, a pair of gold-leaf framed mirrors with glass shelving hold a 300-bottle “library” of popular, premium and rare liquors. Clements, who can regularly be found behind the bar, describes it this way: “For me, it’s like a kid in a candy shop. We have everything a bartender or a discriminating guest could possibly want at our fingertips.” Take, for example, the Jim McEwan Celtic Hartland single malt Scotch, barrel aged for 42 years, served in glassware designed by a Scottish company, Glencairn, expressly for single malt Scotch. Price: a mere $76.
Clements, a partner in Bacchus along with founder Tim Stannard and wine and spirits director Andrew Green, have just ordered their third cask of Scotch from Glenfarcos, one of Scotland’s last remaining family-owned distilleries. They also buy a barrel of premium Pappy Van Winkel bourbon, which is privately bottled for them. The 15-year-old straight bourbon is rich and sweet and has tastes of vanilla, cinnamon and cardamom.
“We charge $16 a pour and recommend it should only be mixed with ice and water, if you have to mix it at all,” Clements says. “When you get whiskies of a certain level, it’s better to appreciate them on their own.”
In the end, though, it’s Spruce’s cocktail list that sets it apart from other area saloons. In addition to classics such as a Whiskey Smash, Sazarac, Pimm’s Cup and a Dark and Stormy, Clements has 10 of his own creations as house specialties. One that caught my eye and tongue is the Spruce Goose. It’s a blend of Grey Goose vodka, Douglas Fir brandy, Calvados, pure maple syrup, lemon and lemon bitters, sold for $13. Cocktail list drinks range from $11 to $14.
Now, the biggest and most pleasant surprise of all: Despite the masculine decor, the bar at Spruce — open from noon until late at night — often has more women guests than guys, shattering any notion that this is a male preserve. It isn’t. Maybe it’s because you can order anything off the dinner menu and eat at the bar, or maybe it’s because women simply feel comfortable here. But it’s a welcoming hangout, and not least for those who live nearby in the neighborhood.
Filed under: Food, Drink & Lodging
