How Bourbon Branch Helped San Francisco’s Cocktail Scene Endure

San Francisco Bars With Staying Power is a story about how a few bars nurtured the city’s cocktail scene, and how some of those bars kept going while others faded away. The story follows the arc of a city that went from dive bars serving beer and shots to a place where the art of the cocktail became a defining local tradition.

Ehrmann’s Dive Bar

H. Joseph Ehrmann bought a weathered dive bar in the Mission District in late 2003. He wanted it to be a neighborhood hangout, a place for beers and shots. Cocktails were not on his radar.

“The cocktail thing was not a thing,” Ehrmann says. “When I opened, it was all about beers and shots not cocktails.”

He eventually added a cocktail program at Elixir, but the change came slowly. He learned to watch what people wanted.

“Fads come and go, trends come and go,” he says. “When I first opened, vodka was the biggest-selling thing, then everybody hated vodka. Then it was whiskey, and now it’s agave. You have to be cognizant of what people want.”

The Cocktail Talent Incubators

Venues like Harry Denton’s Starlight Room and 15 Romolo were already nurturing talented bartenders in the mid-2000s. Places like Absinthe and Slanted Door were functioning as cocktail talent incubators.

Marco Dionysos, Jeff Hollinger, and Jonny Raglin worked at Absinthe. Hollinger and Raglin later opened Comstock Saloon. Erik Adkins worked at Slanted Door, developing a distinctive San Francisco take on the art of the cocktail.

These bars were not just serving drinks. They were training the people who would shape the city’s cocktail culture for years to come.

Bourbon Branch Opens

Everything clicked into a higher gear in 2006, with the opening of Bourbon Branch. Brian Sheehy was a co-founder, and he credits Todd Smith, the founding bartender, with helping to create a bar that would last decades.

“Todd had 20 years of cocktail and spirits knowledge that he poured into the cocktail program he created for Bourbon Branch,” Sheehy says. “And the top cocktail bartenders in San Francisco all looked up to Todd, so they lined up to support him and joined our team.”

Bartenders including Jon Santer, Dominic Venegas, and Neyah White were early faces behind the bar. Bourbon Branch introduced cocktails including Smith’s and Santer’s Revolver, drinks that would go on to become classics.

Rye Brings Culinary Drinks

Rye, opened by Jon Gasparini and Greg Lindgren (the partners behind 15 Romolo) and later managed by Phil Mauro, marked a departure for San Francisco bars.

“There weren’t a lot of standalone bars in 2006 doing fresh, culinary-driven drinks that was usually associated with a restaurant kitchen,” Gasparini says. “Cocktails were very precious and important, and we were doing the West Coast style program with herbs and muddlers. We made it really hard on ourselves, but we’ve figured out over time how to make it easier.”

What Lasted

Not every bar made it. Some influential spots remained, while others experienced a shorter lifespan. Gasparini and Lindgren closed 15 Romolo post-pandemic, but after extensive refurbishment, it is set to reopen by this fall.

There is no perfect plan for creating a bar that will endure. Ehrmann’s approach — paying attention to changing tastes — seems to have worked for him.

The Cocktail Renaissance

The story ties into a broader narrative about the cocktail renaissance. Paul Clarke, Imbibe’s Executive Editor and author of The Cocktail Chronicles: Navigating the Cocktail Renaissance With Jigger, Shaker & Glass, released in July of 2015, believes in the importance of a diverse liquid diet.

The story also points to Jennifer Colliau, the brains behind Small Hand Foods, a one-woman company that produces cocktail syrups for Bay Area bars.

Key Facts Box

• Ehrmann purchased the Mission District dive bar: Late 2003
• Starlight Room reopened: 2024
• Bourbon Branch opened: 2006
• Rye opened: Post-Bourbon Branch
• 15 Romolo closed: Post-pandemic
• 15 Romolo set to reopen: By this fall

The story reads as a warm, detailed look at a specific moment in San Francisco’s history. It is a story about people who saw a trend coming and built something lasting around it, and about the bars that did not survive the curve.

Source material: “San Francisco Bars With Staying Power,” Imbibe.

bar history · Bourbon Branch · cocktail bars · Elixir · San Francisco