Where to Drink Cocktails in Sacramento

Like Monterey, Sacramento is where I grew up, spending my teenage years there. I saw it before it became “a great restaurant city” and before it had a thriving cocktail scene with its own cocktail week. But even though it’s been decades since I’ve called California’s capital my home, I often visit family or spend the night when I’m passing through on a road trip. Which means I’ve built up a list of go-to cocktail spots across the city, from a chill cocktail lounge to a speakeasy-style bar tucked behind a fried chicken restaurant.

The Butterscotch Den

I fell in love with this cocktail lounge in the Oak Park neighborhood when I first walked in and spotted the grill in the middle of the bar and the cocktail menu by Trevor Easter, partner of Irish Hospitality (The Snug and Ro Sham Beaux). The drink offerings range from the spirit-forward Den Old Fashioned to a strawberry Margarita with Cocchi Rosa, mezcal, and housemade strawberry sauce. The vibes are relaxed, the bar soundtrack chill, and the food and drinks hit the spot, from the $42 ribeye to the $13 freezer Martini with a caviar garnish. It’s my go-to spot for grabbing a drink and a bite with my cousins or to find respite after a long day on the road.

Canon

This Michelin-rated neighborhood restaurant has been praised for its intriguing family-style dishes (think chicken drumsticks with Urfa chile sauce!) by native Sacramentan, chef Brad Cecchi. But don’t miss out on its cocktail program lead by bar director Vince Andreoni. Like the food, the cocktails are inspired by and feature seasonal ingredients. Sip on the Sassenach made with Japanese whisky, passion fruit, vermouth, and lemon and the Green Cap with rum, génépy, California kiwi, lime, and foam. Although it’s best to reserve a table at the popular restaurant, the bar takes walk-ins.

The Jungle Bird

This Midtown tropical bar, around the corner from the historic Sutter’s Fort, sates my thirst for Painkillers in jungle settings. Unlike most tropical bars, its entrance is easy to miss, simply marked by a neon green toucan sign. But once inside, you know immediately that you’re in the right place with its shelves of rum bottles, raffia and rattan decor, and low-hanging blowfish. The bar often hosts events, such as a Disneyland themed pop-up and Sabbath Sundays for “Mai Tais and Metal.” But for Time Travel Tuesdays they spotlight past tropical drinks such as Don’s Beach Planter (1937) and Cesar’s Rum Punch (1930).

Kru

Kru, a Japanese eatery and sushi bar in East Sacramento, entices foodies seeking the nigiri of Sacramento’s first James Beard finalist for Best Chef: California, Buu “Billy” Ngo. However, the bar program by beverage director Jose Carrasco will appeal to those who want to drink well. And there is a dedicated bar area and menu apart from their sushi bar that takes walk-ins. Explore their sake flights and imbibe their unique highballs with fizzy water supplied by a Toki highball machine. Their seasonal ice cream flavor-inspired menu featured the Butterscotch with scotch and butterscotch. “While guests often expect Lychee Martinis and Sake Bombs at a Japanese restaurant, we aim to offer something unexpected and unique,” says Carrasco.

The Roost

No password needed to gain entry to this speakeasy tucked away in fried chicken restaurant Bawk! Chicken + Bar by Urban Roots. Simply look for the host stand marked with a feather and check in. Once you walk through the entrance, you’re transported from a fast casual eatery’s storage room to a relaxed but sophisticated cocktail bar. Highlights off the drink menu include full-size cocktail flights that showcase specific spirits and original cocktails such as the MSG Soundsystem with Japanese whisky, sweet vermouth, sake, benedictine, and umami bitters. The peckish can fill up on bar bites, including charbroiled oysters and confit chicken wings. But for the famished who want to splurge, order the burger with bone marrow and a bourbon luge.

The Snug

The Snug, which just celebrated its 5th anniversary is all about good vibes, from its soundtrack to its huge “Welcome Home” sign painted on the wall by the bar. During a heat wave, they even offered Daiquiris for half the price when the temps reached 100 degrees. Trevor Easter—who ran celebrated bars up and down California such as San Francisco’s Rickhouse, LA’s The Normandie Club, and San Diego’s Noble Experience—leads the bar program with general manager Russell Martin. He’s behind longtime Snug favorites, the Phil Collins and the Spruce Goose.