GRAPPA
The space
Bar 888, the lobby bar adjoining the restaurant Luce in the new InterContinental San Francisco hotel.
The selection
Between 75 and 100 types of grappa (Italian, grape-based pomace brandy, traditionally distilled from the leftovers of winemaking), including barrel-aged and infused varieties.
The serving
Grappa is typically served straight, chilled, or added to espresso, but Bar 888 also offers 10 grappa-based cocktails designed by Vegas-based mixologist Francesco Lafranconi.
The address
888 Howard St., S.F., 415-616-6566, intercontinentalsanfrancisco.com

OUZO
The space
Dio Deka, in the Hotel Los Gatos, a restaurant serving Hellenic cuisine that opened in 2006.
The selection
Just under 20 types of ouzo, a clear, anise-flavored, grape-based liqueur from Greece.
The serving
Also used as a flavoring agent in some of the restaurant’s dishes and two of its cocktails, ouzo is usually consumed neat, with water, or over ice, which turns the liquor cloudy.
The address
210 E. Main St., Los Gatos, 408-354-7700, diodeka.com

SHERRY
The space
Gitane, the new restaurant from Franck LeClerc of Café Claude, due this summer.
The selection
Spanish spirits, including sherry, Madeira, Patxaran (a sloe berry–infused anisette liqueur), and brandies, plus wine and cava.
The serving
Not only will Gitane likely have the largest sherry list in the Bay Area, but Dominic Venegas (Bacar, Bourbon & Branch) is consulting on the cocktail list. His menu will feature classics like the Adonis alongside modern drinks—at least one inspired by the molecular methodol­ogy of El Bulli.
The address
6 Claude Ln., S.F., 415-788-6686, gitanerestaurant.com

SHOCHU
The space
Yoshi’s Jazz Club, in the Fillmore Heritage Center.
The selection
Cousins of the ubiquitous Korean soju used as a substitute for vodka in cocktail bars without liquor licenses, the assorted Japanese shochu at Yoshi’s are distilled from such raw ingredients as rice, barley, buckwheat, and sweet potatoes.
The serving
Poured by the glass or served bottle service–style, low-alcohol shochu can be sipped on its own or with ice, or accentuated by a side serving of grapefruit soda or cold oolong.
The address
1330 Fillmore St., S.F., 415-655-5600, sf.yoshis.com