Watch CBS News

Best Places For Holiday Cocktails In Sacramento

The holidays have a way of sneaking up on everyone. As things get hectic, it's nice to know there are numerous places where one can go to unwind and relax while enjoying a holiday cocktail. Sacramento bartenders take pride in creating libations for locals to enjoy year round. When the holidays creep up, they often come up with a little something extra for their patrons. Here is a short list of local places you can visit to consume a tasty holiday cocktail.
Block Butcher Bar
1050 20th St
Sacramento, CA 95811
(916) 476-6306
www.blockbutcherbar.com

Block Butcher Bar is the most recent venture from the owners of Lowbrau to be fully embraced by the community. This is the only place in town that can boast being a charcuterie and a full bar. Block also has some of the tastiest pressed sandwiches to be found in Sacramento. In looking for the best places for holiday cocktails in Sacramento, Assistant General Manager/Beverage Director Dave Steinberg was gracious enough to speak with us. Dave knew exactly what to do when we asked about holiday cocktails. Dave created the Spice Rack, a cocktail containing Micher's Bourbon, Earl Grey Tea, Pur Pear Liqueur, Allspice Dram, OJ, Orgeat, Bitters and a cinnamon stick garnish. If you enjoy fine artisanal cheeses and cured meats to go with your hand-crafted cocktails, then drop by Block Butcher Bar.

Grange Restaurant & Bar
926 J St
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 492-4450
www.grangesacramento.com

Grange is the restaurant and bar located inside of the Citizen Hotel. However, over the years, Grange has been recognized for much more than being inside one of Sacramento's top hotels. With the menu being prepared by Chef Oliver Ridgeway, the culinary program at Grange seems to have reached its full potential. The bar at Grange has always been among the trendsetters in Sacramento and the craft creations are serious business for the bartenders at Grange. The first holiday cocktail to be mentioned is the Cranberry Apple Shrub created by bartender Brooke Barrett. This drink is not only delicious but good for you as well. Ingredients are bourbon, green and red apples, cinnamon, apple cider vinegar (good for digestion), apple cider, cranberries, lemon juice, Prosecco, sugar, water and cloves. The second holiday libation is the Egg Nog Manhattan created by bartender Ryan Seng. This cocktail is inspired by Ryan's love of both egg nog and Manhattans. The drink contains bourbon infused with cocoa beans, carpano antica, nutmeg, clove syrup and vanilla angostura.

Related: Best Sports Bars In Sacramento

The Red Rabbit Kitchen And Bar
2718 J St
Sacramento, CA 95816
(916) 706-2275
www.theredrabbit.net

For those who think all of the creative juices flow at night, this cocktail put together by daytime bartender Ian Young at the Red Rabbit will change that way of thinking. The Rabbit is actually a place where you can get a great drink day or night. The cocktail is called Wolf's Bane and is as beautiful as it is delicious. Terroir Gin is the base for this one. Add to the gin some cherry heering, lemon juice and green chartreuse. While the name of the cocktail might suggest a Halloween theme, the cocktail is tasty any day of the week and will be available through the holiday season.

Cornerstone
2326 J St
Sacramento, CA 95816
(916) 441-0948
www.facebook.com

Cornerstone made its name in Sacramento by being a top breakfast restaurant. A while back, after changing locations to 23rd Street and J, it started to build a reputation as a local bar and overall great place to come by for happy hour. As a side note, Cornerstone also has some decent specials during NFL games. After stopping in one night, we asked the bartender Nina about holiday cocktails. Nina came up with a Baked Apple Pie, made with butterscotch schnapps, apple liqueur, whiskey and Fireball. Cornerstone still has that great breakfast available, but it just added a bit more to the menu as well. Having a full bar never hurt the equation either.

Kupros Craft Bar
1217 21st Street
Sacramento, CA 95816
(916) 440-0401
www.kuproscrafthouse.com

So many positive changes have taken place at Kupros over the past year. The addition of Chef Martin Hutton to the staff has supplied some vibrant changes to the menu. The identity switch from Kupros Bistro to Kupros Craft House has pinpointed it on the map as a great place to get local beer. Adding to the charm at Kupros is the building itself, an old Victorian converted into a beautiful restaurant by owner Steve Tokuhama, former owner of G Street Pub in Davis. If you stop in at Kupros over the holidays, be sure to ask for its specialty holiday cocktail, a chilled mulled wine.

Related: Best Bars To Get Local Beer In Sacramento

As a hospitality professional Andy Soto has worked every facet of the industry. He currently leads the team at Spectrum Restaurant Consulting. He started writing a hospitality blog in 2009 and restaurant writing for Sacramento Press in 2010. In 2011 Andy became a Sacramento Restaurant Examiner for Examiner.com. His work can be found on Examiner.com.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.