Summit and Mercer is the Corner to Be
When we’ve told bartenders that we are going on a hop around Capitol Hill, they always ask if we have done Sun Liquor yet. Apparently, for those in the know, Sun Liquor is the place to have a stellar cocktail. If that is not your mood you can always stroll next door to The Summit and have a beer, watch sports and be really, really loud. I love this block! The Hill Hoppers who represented on Friday were Duff, John, Judi and Justin.
I believe the lost passage is “and on the 8th day, God created Sun Liquor”. Yeah, that sounds right. It is ever-so-discreet in the middle of a block which is surrounded by condos and houses. I walked by it the first time before I got it right and pushed inside. Now, the sign said Happy Hour was from 5-7 PM but at 7 PM there were three people at the bar drinking alone. Of course, I joined right in. The lighting is very low with candles on each table and a faint glow coming from the bar. The bar was manned by one amazing mixologist, Will (‘on his way to being one of Seattle’s premier mixologists’ – Duff). At his disposal our man Will had a fridge full of champagne and wine, Polish beers and Red Stripe, and ginger beer. Shelves of liquor behind him let us know that you should be serious about taste to drink here. A juicer sits at the bar so fresh squeezed juice can go into your drink. Amazing, no?
There was a drink menu and we each asked for something off that (fantastic!). Hopper Judi loved her drink loaded with151. She drew us all a little character which says “151 is Great!” Duff and I decided to test our bartender but first inquired as to why other bartenders loved this place. “Well, I think it is because we make classic cocktails and that is what bartenders like to drink. Also, we use fresh squeezed juices in our drinks.” Duff ended up with the Green Point which is a variation of a Manhattan and has whiskey, dry vermouth, bitters, Chartreuse, and a dash of Amer Picon. It was such a hit Justin ordered one. I asked for Will’s specialty. Hellloooo, Desoto. Fresh squeezed lemon and lime juice, sugar, ginger beer, rum and pineapple juice. Tart, sweet, great. “You can only get that here,” Will informed me. Oh, I’ll be back. Around 10 PM the tables had all filled up with four-somes. Anything bigger doesn’t work in this place. We paid our bills and said good-bye fulling knowing that we will all be back.
Judgings:
Ambience: 4 Stars (“Punk in a South Pacific Themed bar? A-Lo-Ha!”)
Lighting: Way too dark
Drinks: 5 Stars (John, the beer drinker, even liked his Jasmine)
Bartender: 5
Bathrooms: Freaking Cold
Right next to Sun Liquor is The Summit Pub. Walking in you find a lot of dark wood, a free pool table, and a lot of friends hanging out getting rowdy. A bit off a shock after Sun Liquor but still nice. The place looked like all the table tops should be sticky, the bathrooms probably are gross and everyone was probably drunk. Getting to the bar we were greeted with a nice list of beers and a bartender ready to please. He let me taste test 2 beers I didn’t know before I settled on something I already loved. It was a good list that allows exploration but still leaves the safeties. The bartender was chatty and offered to bring my drink to our table. Table service in this pub? Surprises all around.
We settled in to a double two top and were immediately memorized by the Olympics opening ceremony. Should we discuss the fact that the Swiss looked like they were off to the beach? Or that Venezuela made me shudder in the tracksuits? Then the country in the light blue and orange outfits… The condolence card is in the mail. Amongst the inebriated at Summit, our snarky comments fit and we could laugh as loud as we pleased, everyone else was having fun. As Hopper John pointed out, Summit is “…a nice place to get drunk. After Sun Liquor it was a bit loud and smoky but a good place to end a night of drinking.” Amen.
Judgings:
Olympics: 2.5 Stars
Beer Selection: 3.5 Stars
Atmosphere: 3 Stars
Thanks to the Hoppers who came out this week! It was fun, as always. Next time ’round is trivia night. Are you ready for that?
