Holy Water
Andrew Calisterio's line for this Cortland Avenue bar is that it holds
one of the best whiskey collections in San Francisco, plus niche options like Vietnamese amaro.1 The house drink is After the Gold Rush: bourbon with pineapple gum syrup, apricot and lime. It has been on the list since the first day, and Camper English put it on his 2024 list of fifty San Francisco cocktails.
Why go
The bar keeps its own single-barrel bourbons, and which one is open changes between visits.5 The rest of the list moves with the season. There is a real beer selection under it.
The room is decorated around religious figures, which is where the name came from. The ceiling is painted as clouds.3 Small TVs sit in the corners if you need a score.
Matt Tillquist's advice for peak hours is to bring one friend, because bar seats stop turning over once people settle in.2
Order this / avoid
- Order: After the Gold Rush.4
- Order: whichever private barrel is open, poured neat.
- Order: the Du Monde, a chicory-coffee cognac old fashioned, if it is still on the list.3
- Avoid: bringing a group at peak hours.
What locals & experts say
- Matt Tillquist, Eater SF, on the neighborhood and the room:
It's no secret that Bernal has a bit of a sleepy reputation. The crowd at Holy Water begs to differ.
2 - Will Kamensky, The Infatuation, December 2019: Bernal Heights has plenty of dive bars and wine, and Holy Water is the one for a properly made cocktail.3
Good to know
- Getting in: walk in. The bar opens in the afternoon, daily.5
- Where: 309 Cortland Avenue, Bernal Heights.
Verdict
could-visit — The daily happy hour in the late afternoon is the window with room in it.