Where to Drink the Best Cocktails in California Wine Country

Sometimes, you need to give your palate a break from sipping Cabernet and Chardonnay.

While the world-class wines of Napa Valley and Sonoma County are the main draw, there comes a point when you need a break from big, bold Cabernet Sauvignon and lighter-bodied Pinot Noir.

In recent years, the ante has been significantly upped when it comes to the cocktail culture in northern California wine country. Downtown Napa in particular has experienced an awakening thanks to a host of thoughtfully executed beverage programs that are on par with the level of excellence expected from one of the world’s top wine regions.

“The addition of dedicated cocktail bars is creating a nightlife scene for downtown Napa, which is something our visitors have been missing when they visit Napa Valley,” says Aubrey Bailey, co-owner of Cadet Wine and Beer Bar, as well as a highly anticipated, tequila-focused spot, Chispa, both of which are right in town. “When they’ve finished wine tasting for the day and are leaving dinner, they are not ready to go back to their hotel. They want to continue their evening and the emergence of all these great cocktail destinations allows the Napa community to offer an adult beverage for every drinker.”

In Sonoma, the quaint little town of Healdsburg is bursting with exciting drinking destinations with seriously good cocktail programs, including the newly reopened Little Saint and Molti Amici (in the former Campo Fina space).

Read on for a tour of some of our favorite cocktail spots in Napa and Sonoma, ranging from trusted classics to buzzy new additions to the scene.

Best cocktails in downtown Napa

Chispa

Conveniently located in downtown Napa, Chispa is a new tequila-focused cocktail spot (opening in late July/early August 2023) by Aubrey Bailey and Taylor Kindred, the duo behind the beloved Cadet Wine & Beer Bar a few blocks away. Noteworthy cocktails include the Side Eye, made with tequila blanco, bitter pomegranate liqueur, and hibiscus, and the Delta Diamond, made with popcorn-infused tequila reposado, amaro, and corn liqueur.

The bar program is dedicated to highlighting traditional Mexican flavors and ingredients like corn, tamarind, and molé, as well as small, family-owned agave-based spirits. On the food front, the menu features  eye-catching seafood towers and tableside caviar “bumps” served with a shot of tequila. It’s worth noting that Chispa is open daily from noon to 12 a.m.- — perfect if you’re looking for somewhere to continue the fun after dinner. 

Related: How to Find the Best Wines from Napa and Sonoma Valley

The ArBARetum

The Napa Valley Distillery opened this art-deco cocktail lounge in downtown Napa last spring and it rapidly became a local favorite for happy hour drinks and nightcaps. Both the greenery-filled setting and the photogenic, gin-centric cocktails, which feature butterflies made with wafer paper and dry flowers, play nicely to the arboretum concept. The San Remo made with Napa Valley Distillery gin, Cointreau, blueberry, and sparkling elderflower soda is a crowd favorite. 

Bar Zuzu

Mick Salyer and the team behind Zuzu Tapas & Paella and La Taberna — two long-time local favorite establishments situated on downtown Napa’s Main Street — recently opened this gin-centric cocktail bar. The bar program is inspired by the Spaniards’ love for gin, specifically gin and tonics served in big goblets. Create your own gin and tonic by picking from one of the 60 gins from around the world, and then select a tonic (they have two house-made tonics on offer). If you are looking for more than a liquid meal, order up Zuzu’s paella to go with your cocktail. 

The Bitter Bar

Adjacent to Bar Zuzu on Main Street, The Bitter Bar is a newly refurbished, 1950’s dive bar formerly known as Henry’s, where you’ll find the local hospitality insiders and winemakers unwinding after a long day. The drinks at this unfussy hidden gem range from well-executed classic cocktails to innovative concoctions with cheeky names, like the Mister Banger, with absinthe, sarsaparilla, amaro, and vanilla cream. There’s also the Cornhub.com, with vodka, Nixta, cumin, chile, and butter.

Best cocktails in Yountville

Bouchon

Situated in the heart of downtown Yountville just down the road from The French Laundry, Thomas Keller’s Bouchon has been a trusted staple in the Napa Valley restaurant scene for decades. Bouchon is perfect for when you’re in the mood for a reliably perfect, classic cocktail to enjoy alongside French bistro-style fare. Go for a martini and stay for the frites. While you sit at the bar, you’ll rub shoulders with some of Napa’s top winemakers and restaurateurs.

Best cocktails in St. Helena

The Charter Oak

This family-style restaurant housed in the old Tra Vigne space is a Napa Valley mainstay for locals and tourists alike. While chef Christopher Kostow’s farm fresh fare might be the main draw here, the craft cocktail program is not to be overlooked. Stop by on a nice day to lounge outside in the gorgeous courtyard, and sip on a refreshing Tequila & Strawberry (tequila, strawberries, orgeat, and lime) or the Space Age frosé with a floater of Aperol in the summertime. The crowd-favorite house margarita features El Tesoro reposado tequila that’s exclusive Charter Oak, as well as a  a dry curacao float and a sweetened black lime salt rim.

Best cocktails in Sonoma

Valley 

Valley is first and foremost, a wine bar that highlights biodynamic and organic producers, but this laid-back, cool Sonoma Plaza spot also serves up a delicious Cappelletti spritz.They also make a mean Dirty Bamboo, a twist on a classic Bamboo with white vermouth, fino sherry, and pickled green tomato brine that adds savory, umami notes. While you’re there, try a few of dishes from the seasonal food menu, including the hard-boiled eggs with savory XO sauce and the roasted half chicken with achiote, sour orange, and cabbage.

Related: The Napa Wine Train Is Back With an All-New Dining Experience

Best cocktails in Healdsburg

Little Saint

After SingleThread’s Kyle and Katina Connaughton split ways with Little Saint at the end of last year, the plant-based Healdsburg restaurant (in the former Shed space) is back up and running with a refreshed look thanks to famed restaurant designer Ken Fulk, who is also Little Saint’s creative director, as well as new menus for the all-day cafe and lounge and the Second Story, an elevated dining space that opened this summer. The cocktail program, run by former SingleThread executive bar director Matt Seigel, aims to utilize and celebrate every element that’s harvested from the Little Saint Farm. Imperfect produce and already used items that are typically deemed as waste are incorporated into the cocktails and mocktails, tonics, and ferments in creative ways, like tepache made from carrot skins.

The menu features creative takes on classic cocktails, like the Beet Bloody Mary, made with Red Ace beets, lemon, spices, and your choice of spirit. They also have a roster of Italian-inspired coffee cocktails, like the Espresso Martini Float, as well as delicious non-alcoholic cocktails, such as the M.E.T. Gala with pistachio, rose, maca, hibiscus, blood orange, and sumac salt. Go and grab a cocktail and enjoy Little Saint’s impressive music programming, which, on a recent visit,included Phoebe Briders, Lucy Dacus, and Julien Baker. 

Molti Amici

The wine country community was deeply saddened when the beloved Healdsburg restaurant Campo Fina closed its doors last year, but the space is enjoying a second act thanks to SingleThread alums Johnny Barr, Sean McGaughey, and Melissa Yanc. The bocce court and the wood fire oven out on the patio both remain from the restaurant’s former life, but the team gave the space a face lift and put their own spin on the Italian food and beverage program. This is exactly where you want to go soak up the sun and good vibes while sipping Negronis and spritzes. Don’t forget to order the Neapolitan pizza with squash blossoms, zucchini, and ricotta, as well as the stone fruit salad.

Hannah’s Bar at The Madrona

Originally built as a private residence in 1881, this Healdsburg home is now a 24-room, Insta-worthy hotel with an incredible art collection commissioned by Lisa Chadwick of San Francisco’s Dolby Chadwick Gallery, a restaurant run by chef Patrick Tafoya, and an impressive craft cocktail program that attracts local winemakers and restaurant owners alike. Sit at Hannah’s Bar, which is named after the house's original matriarch, and sip on the Estate Martini made with gin, dry vermouth, verjus, and estate nasturtium oil.

Related: Now's the Time to Visit Sonoma County's Most Wine-Friendly Town

Best cocktails in Petaluma

Mario and John’s

If you find yourself in need of something boozy near Petaluma — which became a recognized AVA just recently, in 2018 — make your way to Mario and John’s Tavern on D Street. Opened in 1946, this unassuming local watering hole is an institution in the area, and is a throwback to the quintessential neighborhood corner bar. The original owners, Mario and John Figone, also ran the grocery store and barbershop, as well as the nursery school nearby; inside, you’ll riffs on classic craft cocktails, many of which are made with Northern California spirits like Redwood Empire and Old Potrero. Pro tip: their bourbon collection is one of the best around.

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