San Francisco’s nightlife scene just got a splash more refined with the opening of The Cognac Room, a new bar for those who drink at the altar of high-level brandy. While the city has no shortage of nouveau craft cocktails stuffed with produce plucked from local gardens, the new Cognac Room offers a respite from all the citrus bombs and rosemary sprigs.
This back stair, 40-seat watering hole boasts the city’s largest brandy selection and serves up more than 50 brandy-based drinks. Though its namesake salutes cognac, other brandies such as armagnac, calvados, eau de vie, pisco, American brandy, and grappa round out the menu.
Veteran San Francisco mixologist John Codd (formerly of Slanted Door and 15 Romolo) has created a menu that spans three centuries of imbibing trends—from Georgian-era reinterpretations to 20th-century classics. Don’t miss the Armagnac Snapper (armagnac, lemon, crème de framboise, honey syrup) and Sweetwater’s Sin (pisco, white port, maraschino, gran classico, lemon bitters).
Tucked above Gaspar Brasserie in the FiDi, the décor is fit for Don Draper, with a masculine, midcentury modern vibe: dark wood walls that highlight the tufted burgundy leather banquettes and a gleaming golden bar top. It’s the perfect back-drop for drinks so fetching they could warrant their own ad campaign.
Jenna Scatena is on the San Francisco Bay Area beat for Travel + Leisure. You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @Jenna_Scatena.
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