By Tony Ware | Illustrations by Joy Gosney

As relaxed trade broadens and floods our market with products, a new breed of bars is jumping on the opportunity to accentuate a bevy of niche ingredients. In these specialty bars—be it vodka, brandy, tea, Scotch, bourbon, sushi or caviar—you can look forward to the best ingredients. Here are some of the country’s top depots for those looking to humor a particular indulgence.

20 SPECIALTY BARS

Revel in these 20 specialty bars, where there is more than just beer on tap.

CAVIAR
N9NE Steakhouse
Dallas
3090 Olive St., Suite 100
214-720-9901
n9negroup.com

There’s the old adage that when it comes to the finer things in life, a little goes a long way. But at this Chicago-style chop house—one of three operated by Michael Morton, son of the Morton’s chain founder—folks live by a different credo: present the richest offerings, and patrons will travel to eat. Among those indulgent options drawing crowds throughout the Dallas/Fort Worth area is N9NE’s circular caviar and champagne bar, which sits luminescent underneath a prismatic ceiling. Revered in this multifaceted lounge is an array of pearls of the sea, including Siberian Osetra and American sturgeon roe by the ounce.

SASHIMI
Uni inside Restaurant Clio
Boston
370 Commonwealth Ave.
617-536-7200
www.cliorestaurant.com

Chef Ken Oringer keeps everything a cut above at his 22-seat sashimi bar, Uni, inside Restaurant Clio beneath The Eliot Hotel. He transforms the intimate recess of a restaurant into one of the most coveted crannies in Boston by offering a meticulously chosen menu of only the finest, flown-in-daily fish, sourced from worldwide purveyors. This foodie haven, however, believes that inventiveness is as much an ingredient as precisely tuned textures. So, instead of purist presentations, expect a palette of several complementary triggers, plus counterbalances to round things out.

AQUAVIT
Aquavit
65 East 55 St.
New York
212-307-7311
www.aquavit.org

Scandinavia’s vodka relative aquavit—or akvavit, from aqua vitae, Latin for “water of life”—flows freely at this namesake, an accolades-laden Swedish restaurant and café. The drink, nourished through the centuries in the Swedish grain belt, has gone from a schnapps crudely spiced with caraway to a refined eau de vie, infused in-house with culinary flair. The modernist setting is that of a luminous lounge, and it features a dozen-plus flavors, such as pineapple and Thai basil. Those smitten can also purchase the housemade white cranberry flavor to take home.

GRAPPA
La Famiglia Ristorante
Philadelphia
8 S. Front St.
215-922-2803
www.lafamiglia.com

Maybe you’ve heard it through the grapevine, but no proper Italian meal is complete without a spot of grappa, a grape-based pomace brandy. This potent digestivo originated as a means to conserve the residue from the winemaking process, but it has evolved into an art all its own, with artisans taking on distinct traits from different Italian regions. Additionally, grappa producers celebrate craftsmanship inside and out, as exhibited by the 60-plus vessels adorning the colonial-era mantles of this celebrated, 30-year-old restaurant. Within these Florentine surroundings are testaments to the stimulating staying power of grappa, from the first succulent whiff to the final herbaceous sip.

VODKA
Red Square
at Mandalay Bay
Las Vegas
3950 Las Vegas Blvd.
702-632-7407
www.mandalaybay.com

Despite associations with Siberia, vodka is more the Switzerland of spirits—striking a neutral line with both amateur and mature palates. But, at this perestroika-inspired restaurant, no comrade is neutral about the astounding, multinational vodka brigade. Russia may once have been state-controlled, but this sleek, crimson republic, complete with a decapitated Lenin statue, is all about democracy with 200 choices in its potable arsenal. There’s no struggle of the people, just a struggle to choose from the spoils, kept in a -10 degree walk-in vault and available in flights and signature cocktails at an ice-topped bar.

SOJU
RoHan Lounge
San Francisco
3809 Geary St.
415-221-5095
www.rohanlounge.com

Soju is a Korean cousin to vodka—a potent, brain-whirring distillation of sweet potato, barley and rice—that’s popping up with increasing frequency on metropolitan menus and bar menus needing an extra kick. This eclectic, lacquered lounge serves from giant bottles in its cozy space, and stirs up inventive cocktails such as the Asian Blonde (soju with fresh carrot and orange juices splashed with lemon and lime), and the Haiku, (a cucumber soju martini). Lovely small plates (from wok-tossed garlic edamame and salmon spring rolls to heartier Korean barbecue offerings) help soak up the damage.

XO COGNAC
XO Bar at InterContinental
Hotel Buckhead
Atlanta
3315 Peachtree Road
404-946-9000
www.xobar.com

Buckhead, once populated by gaggles of coeds, is transforming into the Rodeo Drive of the South. This posh pewter bar amid gilded accents serves vintage cognac in the stately light it deserves, adjacent to French bistro/ raw bar Au Pied de Cochon. XO Bar is already the destination for post-awards show parties—hosting the likes of P. Diddy—with more than 50 types of cognac, all designated XO (Extra Old) or older and offered from $18 to $375 a shot. Select cognac and champagne cocktails can cost more than $500.

RUM
RumBa
at InterContinental Boston
Boston
510 Atlantic Ave.
617-747-1000
www.intercontinentalboston.com

Boston may be associated with tea and an ill-fated party, but rum has been sweet business for New

England since colonial times. The sugarcane distillate may be most famously mixed with cola, but this mahogany alcove advances the art with mixology masterpieces such as the tangerine Mojito, Hemingway Daiquiri and signature Rumbullion, made with Bacardi 8, DeKuyper orange curaçao, lime juice, pomegranate juice and Demerara rum. For a luxurious change of pace, head to the private Moulin Rouge-inspired Champagne Bar.

CHOCOLATE DREAMS
BITTERSWEET
San Francisco
2123 Fillmore St.
415-346-8715
5427 College Ave.
Oakland
510-654-7159
www.bittersweetcafe.com

The Bay Area has been home to some of America’s finest chocolate makers (Ghirardelli and E. Guittard) for a few hundred years, setting the foundation for a sweet culture that continues to grow in numbers and enthusiasm. Bittersweet: The Chocolate Café takes cacao back to its original roots as a liquid elixir, offering specialty drinks such as chocolate chai, spicy hot chocolate with pepper, cinnamon and rose, and even chocolate milk. There are also pastries, chocolates, a local and international selection of gourmet bars, and even a sinfully rich chocolate pudding with a dulce de leche surprise center. All that Bittersweet is missing is Willy Wonka’s river for diving into the chocolate abyss.

Name Your Caffeine
PT’S COFFEE COMPANY
Overland Park, Kan.
College Square Shopping Center
11030 Quivera
888-678-JAVA
www.ptscoffee.com

TEA CELLAR AT THE PARK HYATT WASHINGTON
Washington, D.C.
24 & M Streets
202-419-6755
www.parkwashington.hyatt.com

No beans, or more appropriately, all beans, about it—Kansas City is recognized as a Midwest mecca for java. Coffee around Kansas City is taken seriously—especially at PT’s Coffee Company, which has spent 14 years picking fair-trade beans and roasting them into manna from Heaven. PT’s produces almost as many regional and national barista championships as it does signature latte art. That’s quite a pull, as the baristas would say.

If you prefer tea, head to D.C. for the Tea Cellar in the Park Hyatt Washington, to steep your senses and absorb the benefits of antioxidants. A humidor contains more than 50 tea varieties and dramatic hand-tied arrangements, as well as the country’s deepest inventory of vintage cave-aged Pu-Erh teas, the most rare costing $300 a pot. A gracious host serves the teas in temperature-controlled flights. Also available: iced teas and tea-infused cocktails.

CALIFORNIA WINE
First Crush Restaurant, Wine Bar & Lounge
San Francisco
101 Cyril Magnin St.
415-982-7874
www.firstcrush.com

An intimate spot in the heart of S.F.’s downtown shopping district, First Crush celebrates local love with a discerning wine list culled from California fertile vineyards, a simple idea that is an innovative addition to the area. Offering more than just the world-renowned Napa Valley wines, the restaurant holds the effervescence of tasty grapes from areas such as the Russian River Valley, Santa Cruz, Sonoma and Paso Robles. The theme even crosses over into the dinner menu, which features Golden State favorites like grilled artichokes and peppercorn-crusted Sonoma duck.

BEER
Von Rothenburg Bier Stube
Germantown, Wis.
N116 W15841 Main St.
262-250-0522
www.vonrothenburgs.com

Those looking to tap into a taste of Munich need look no further than this beer garden located in—where else—the MIlwaukee suburb of Germantown. Surrounded by stained-glass windows and the smell of schnitzel, beer lovers shout “ehrfurchtgebietend!” (“Awesome!”) when they see the hardwood hideaway’s selection of 200 European bottled beers.

And unlike most bars, this is an establishment where you do want to be given the boot, because here it’s a two-liter glass boot full of one of six German draughts. (Also available: the mammoth five-liter ceramic stein.)

BRANDY
Brandy Library
New York
25 N. Moore St.
212-226-5545
www.brandylibrary.com

This bar displays liquor with as much reverence as one would an ancient tome. To behold the wall of brandies— including Armagnac and Calvados—in this caramel-colored Tribeca lounge is an experience in itself. With its comfy chairs and gracious staff, it provides the perfect backdrop for investigating that rare 1914 Pierre Ferrand. Monday nights, enjoy the live sounds of jazz pianist Joel Forrester.

In The Raw
OLD EBBITT GRILL
Washington, D.C.
675 15 St.
202-347-4800
www.ebbitt.com

Old Ebbitt Grill, established in 1856 and in its current location since the early ’80s, is the epitome of a 19th century saloon. Behind a Beaux-Arts façade, this mahogany and marble compound offers a selection of seasonal oysters, as well as other assorted bivalves and crustaceans. Once a year, the grill hosts Oyster Riot, when each half-shell is served with a side of history.

SPECIALTY COCKTAILS/MARTINIS
Lola’s
Los Angeles
945 N. Fairfax Ave.
213-736-5652
www.lolasla.com

Thanks to “Sex and the City,” there are those who can’t imagine that a colorful cocktail served in a Martini glass could come from anywhere besides Manhattan. Over on the West Coast, however, they know apples from oranges, especially in this coquettish lounge where the now ubiquitous Green Apple Martini was invented. If that flavor isn’t to your liking, there are more than 50 others to choose from; there are both debonair and daring tastes to suit everyone from Humphrey Bogart to Carrie Bradshaw.

SINGLE-MALT SCOTCH
Birds of a Feather
Restaurant & Scotch Bar
Baltimore
1712 Aliceanna St.
410-675-8466
www.abs.net/~scotchjh

Sitting in front of the bar at this tawny sliver watering hole, it’s impossible to resist the temptation to utter a cliché the owners have surely heard ad nauseam: Birds of a feather really do flock together. All of these birds, however, are bottle-shaped and would have very thick brogues if they could squawk, because they are more than 120 single-malt Scotches. Located in the 19th century maritime port neighborhood/pub district of Fell’s Point— appropriate, considering sailors love an earthy tipple— this institution features the finest peaty, pot-distilled barley spirits. With so many mature, nuanced feathers, it’s no wonder all the whiskey fans come to roost.

BOURBON
Bourbons Bistro
Louisville
2255 Frankfort Ave.
502-894-8838
www.bourbonsbistro.com

They say the proof is in the pudding; well, at this Louisville restaurant the 40-proof could be in the pudding—or anything else for that matter. With more than 130 bourbons, there’s enough for both cooking and sipping. Open the door to Bourbons Bistro and you’ll be immersed in the spirit—an ambrosial elixir that lures people together to unwind—with the added accompaniment of savory, Southern-inspired cuisine. Enjoy the upscale-casual ambience of the equally historic 1877 building.

CHAMPAGNE
Napoleon’s
Las Vegas
3655 Las Vegas Blvd So.
877-603-4386
www.parislasvegas.com

Not even the most hoity-toity world traveler could stick his or her nose up at this swank lounge’s selection of over 100 bottles of sparkling indulgence. With this much premium bubbly popping up in one place, the only sin in this city would be not partaking in one or two “flights of fancy,” which allow you to sample three flutes of different sparkling wines at a time. Even those who laugh at tradition will cave when they find that the champagne cocktails— made with fresh fruit purees, ground-to-order spices and premium liqueurs—are no laughing matter.

TEQUILA
El Agave Tequileria
San Diego
2304 San Diego Ave.
619-220-0692
www.elagave.com

It’s rumored that in Mexico tequila is a cure-all. Headache? Have some tequila. Toothache? Tequila. Mother-in-law rearranging your holy santos? Tequila. If this is true, head to El Agave, which offers the most amazing selection of remedies nationwide. Lauded for accumulating upwards of 900 tequilas, El Agave gleams with the shine of endless bottles. Sumptuous light bathes you as you sip the zestful nectar and sample equally flirtatious mole.