Canon

Canon opened in 2011 and is, by most counts, one of the most serious cocktail bars in the world. Jamie Boudreau built it around a spirits collection that now runs past 4,000 labels — roughly 2,500 of them whiskey — which has long since overflowed onto shelves in the hallway and in the bathrooms, inside a room that seats thirty-two. He designed the back bar deliberately so that customers would feel utterly, lavishly wrapped up in bottles, and his own explanation of why people come is the most quotable line any bar owner has given: people come to be in the room. The food is proper cooking rather than bar snacks — Taylor Shellfish oysters at $30 for eight, a crab and rice bowl at $20, katsu lamb leg at $20, a vegan "foie gras" at $10. It opens Wednesday to Sunday from 5pm until at least midnight, with happy hour at each end of the evening. It will not split your cheque, and says so in the driest possible terms: not until a computerised till exists that can handle its inventory.

One correction is worth making because the internet keeps repeating it. Canon is widely described as the 2019 James Beard winner for Outstanding Bar Program. It is not — that award went to Bar Agricole in San Francisco. Canon was a semifinalist in that category in 2014, which is real recognition and does not need inflating. The non-alcoholic drinks have their own printed heading, Sans, and each is prepared without alcohol at $20 — the same architecture as the rest of the list, which at this bar means something, because Sans sits directly beneath shared and vintage cocktails running from $345 to $750 built on decades-old spirits. POG the Magic Dragon works passion fruit, orange and guava against a black "horchata" and, per the menu, magic. I'm Longan Ver-Jus pairs longan and pear with verjus blanc and sparkling rosé. Tropical "Julius" is frozen and creamy. Cascadian Norteño is the one to order if you want something bitter and adult: Pathfinder amaro with Mexican vanilla cold brew, chicory and sarsaparilla.