San Francisco Guide to Drinking
Name: Bourbon & Branch
Address: 501 Jones Street

Located out of site to the naked eye in a sort of alley near Jones and O'Farrell, Bourbon and Branch has made a splash in the city's nightlife. It's a speakeasy bar, and as their website states, is a throw-back to an actual 1920's speakeasy that was shutdown due to prohibition. The name comes from Branch Water, which is a term first used in the 1800's referring to pure, clean water from a tiny stream called a "branch." An order for "bourbon and branch" is a truly old-school request for bourbon and water.

And that's just the beginning of the old world charm, as I prefer to see it. The bar has a set of house rules which include using a password to enter. If you're just looking to hang out for a couple drinks, you can do so in the Library, using the password, "Books," when buzzed in. If you're looking to make an evening of it, and sit in the less-crowded dining room, you better plan ahead. This takes out some of the spontinaity, as you have to go through their "rules," by making a reservation, receiving a specific password, and "speaking easy" - which among other things means entering and exiting the premise quietly.

Some people have said these rules just aren't worth the hassle - and the price of the somewhat expensive drinks. They've complained about bar tenders who aren't overly friendly and the fact that they feel the attempt to be a legitimate speakeasy is cheesy, or a merely thinly-veiled attempt to be the next "It" bar. I think it's a fun place to experience something a little bit out of the ordinary when it comes to your normal bar scene. So I say, go for the experience and then make the decision whether or not you want to come back!