This place has been one of my after work/happy hour staples for nearly 20 years. Many memories were made (and at the same time lost) at this establishment. From the gigantic whiskey selection, to the extremely high ceilings and dimly lit dark decor, the vibe is classy yet accessible to non-connoisseurs. What makes this place awesome is that you get the feeling of sophistication without the pretense of needing to belong. The service is awesome, and the bar staff is patient with folks that are new to the whiskey 'scene'. 83 proof is an awesome little bar that's situated perfectly among the sea of start-ups (and tech giants) in SOMA. Come check it out!!! read more

Local after work bar with knowledgeable bartenders. It feels like it's been here for decades.. no food. Just drinks....ambiance is in between dive and swanky. Negronis are well done here! Prices are fair. JYW recommends meeting friends at this spot read more

I really like this place. The friendly bartender turned me on to some teally good tomato gin from Italy. Made a great g&t. After wandering around for a while, this was a pleasant discovery. read more

83 Proof - This is one of the gins I enjoyed here. - Whiskey Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Loved this bar. Had an Amazing selection of just about every kind of alcohol that one may like (pictures of the selection drew me into seek it out)... I'm very much a whisky guy and live to try different kinds Got to talk shop with Bartenders Zack and Sydney. They were very knowledgeable and friendly and introduced me to some whisky that I have not tried before which was very peaty, which I love. Super friendly and they most definitely knew they're stuff. Tonight was an off night in that it was quieter than normal, but I Lucked out because of that and got to chill w these awesome bartenders and some of the local crowd. It had a very inviting non pretentious vibe of a spot that knew what it was doing. No fireworks or flashy fakeness... Just an appreciation for good people and Great drinks. read more

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I would highly recommend this place! They have a great selection of liquors, and the bartenders were fantastic. We just told them what we like in a cocktail, and they made us something custom that was delicious, new, and exactly what I like. I'll definitely be back! read more

83 Proof - Whiskey Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Sometimes - you walk down a random street in San Francisco, looking for your parked car - it's raining, rush hour and you are really not looking forward to a drive down to the Peninsula. A good sip of whiskey is all that's on your mind, and then you just run into a small open door that opens up into one of my coolest whiskey bar finds in a while. These guys know their stuff - with over 400 whiskeys on display and a knowledgeable bar staff that was whipping up some interesting cocktails. Any other day and I would have gone for an old fashioned, but today win was being a purist. A hasty order for an Uncle Nearest 1884 quickly led me down the path of sitting at the bar and taking a closer look at what was on display - and then I zero in on something that I haven't seen before. A rare bottle of Shenk's sour mash 2023 edition. Had to have it and boy did it not disappoint. The good thing is that I expect to be in this part of town a lot for some business. The bad part is - I am going to have to spend some serious amount of time at this place read more

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Super cool place! Definitely a hidden gem, they'll customize a drink towards your palette and your ~vibe~. Both bartenders were very nice and knowledgeable and I got two very yummy customized drinks for a better price than most bars charge for a Moscow mule!! read more

83 Proof - Cocktail - Whiskey Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

If you want a whiskey education without condescension, but with a great neighborhood vibe head here. And if you're lucky Alexis will be on the job to provide you with insight and a welcoming that will make it tough to leave. read more

The worst service i have experienced in SF. The bartender gave my card to someone else. When I informed then that I did not sign it, they started belitting me for having bad memory. When I asked to review the receipt and signature, they started to call me difficult. When I showed the card was signed by someone else, they refused to accept their mistake and blamed the other customer. Mistakes can happen but through out the process, they we shouted at me, spoke rudely and interrupted other random customers to point fingers at me. This is unacceptable behavior anywhere but especially at a service establishment. read more

context: I don't like to drink alcohol bc I don't like the taste of it. my bf has been on a mission to find me a cocktail I'll like, and he is also the first between the both of us to scope out the NA/mocktail options for me anywhere we go. he really likes this place and he thought I'd like it too bc of the custom drinks. this place doesn't have a menu, so you need to know how to describe what you want, either by flavors and profile or drink name. we got there on a Thursday night, after visiting SFMOMA, a little after 8pm. Place was busy and really loud, one or two tables were open, all bar seats taken. a bartender noticed us within the first few mins we were there, though, and took our orders. bf told him he wanted smth tea-based and mentioned gin. he basically got an alcoholic raspberry iced tea, which he really enjoyed. (I obvs didn't lol.) I thought bf and I were on the same page about me wanting something NA, but when he asked me if I wanted something NA, I said yes but he heard "meh." I told him I wanted smth w strawberry and not sickeningly sweet. what he relayed to the bartender was "she likes strawberry and doesn't like the taste of alcohol, so smth not alcohol-forward. and not sickly sweet" what I got was a slightly carbonated strawberry drink, perfect amount of sweetness, some aperol. I could taste hints of alcohol, but it was non-offensive. it was a great drink for me. had I not been starving, I probably wouldn't have noticed the alcohol taste at all. our bartender was great, wasn't able to get his name, but I'll try to next time. I think he had curly-ish longer hair? possibly down to shoulders or a little above. if I got the description right, and you see him, I recommend that bartender 10/10 would go again, but I'd probably try to go when it's less busy. great place to bring a date, friends, ppl from out of town, alone w a book, etc. edit: bartender is Zach and he's awesome! v intentional about what the bar is stocked with and ensures that customers have a great experience at 83 proof. read more

83 Proof - Right drink: Free Spirits Milano, Aperol, Lemon, Demerara, Muddled Strawberry, Soda - Whiskey Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Wow! Ryan is an amazing bartender!!! The customer service was so on point and I really think the bartenders make the experience. Catie and Ryan made my visit to San Francisco so amazing and I would 100% return ONLY when Ryan and Catie are working. They feel like family which is what you want in a neighborhood bar. Ryan took extra care to make my experience wonderful and my trip to San Francisco really felt special, strictly because of the experience I had tonight! read more

83 Proof - Whiskey Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

I came for a whiskey cocktail before I went back to the eastbay I didn't stay too long but my Manhattan was very good My bartender chose my whiskey and I drank it He was very cool . Chill vibe Observed others Not busy Sat at the bar I had A great time with my companion . Took some silly pics together and left Will I return? Most definitely Perhaps every time I come to the city read more

83 Proof - Manhattan Whistle pig piggyback - Whiskey Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

I enjoy coming here. A relaxed post-work bar with friendly bartenders and just enough seating. Tough for groups bigger than 3/4 as the tables are small, unless you get a spot upstairs but the upstairs area is almost always reserved. Would suggest coming here if you're a group of 2-3 and are just looking for a casual drink or two. Cheers! read more

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The whiskey selection is awesome. More importantly, bartenders were knowledgeable and attentive.

Great bar spitting distance from Salesforce Tower. Zach and team are great hosts and know their drinks. We'll be back!

Nice bartender! Made a fun custom drink for friend. Went on a Friday night before 10pm and it wasn't busy. It wasn't too loud or quiet. Good place for a sit-down, post-dinner/chill drink with friends. On an off street, near Montgomery BART. Would go again! read more

Always pass by this spot but haven't tried it till now. There's no cocktail menu but the bartender knew everything. We got aviation and whiskey sour and they were both one of the best of these drinks I've had in a long time. Super chill vibe, great to come with a group or with a friend. read more

83 Proof - a man sitting at a bar - Whiskey Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Literally the best bar ever. Zach makes this place feel like home. Never dissatisfied with drinks, amazing whiskey selection and the bartenders are very knowledgeable. Had my birthday here and would do it again anytime!! 10/10 recommend. read more

Around 10 of us ended up here after work. Place was energetic but not too crowded. The bar attended to people swiftly, it looked like they served a solid collection of whiskey, scotches, beer on top of some food. We could hear each other rather easily (some reviews said loud & echo-y, we didn't find that), so turned out to be a good place to have a drink & chat. To us, it felt more like a stand & drink type of place, less lounge-y. Will definitely revisit. read more

Cozy little bar, a hole-in-the-wall behind the Walgreens at 1st & Mission. Seriously, if you walk by before 2pm, you wouldn't even know it's there--no signage, just "83" on the door. At 2:00, the door opens and you can see that there's a bar inside. (They open at noon on Fridays.) Stopped in for a little Happy Hour with the office team. Even though well drinks are $2 off during Happy Hour, I went with an old fashioned. I haven't had many, so I can't say that I'm a connoisseur, but I will say that these were the best I've ever had. Most draft beers are $7, so they are $5 during HH. Not bad for FiDi. The bartender didn't have any help, but he was hustling and handling the light crowd very well. Around 4:00, the place was filling up and a couple more employees showed up. One minor thing--they did not have coffee for our designated driver. read more

83 Proof - Old Fashioned, $12 - Whiskey Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Great service and really yummy drinks. Been coming to this place for years. Always consistent. A good place for after work happy hour.

Excellent whiskey selection. Close to my work at Salesforce Tower. Bartenders provide fantastic whiskey recommendations

Good custom drinks. Local-bar feel. Crowded! Loud! Good bartenders. Not a lot of seating. A small upstairs area where you might find some extra seats. Very pub-like. I had wine, but I saw some really nice looking custom or mixed cocktails happening. read more

The bartender was very rude and said my friend was paralyzed. She was watching the bartender make a drink and was called paralyzed. She's not friendly and made jokes about non-able bodied people. Not cool not funny it's 2022. Be better. Avoid this spot. read more

This is a pretty cool whiskey bar with nice and fun bartenders. This is my first time here and I didn't even know it existed because there is only a number 83 in front of the door. I came here with a friend around 9:30 pm or so and it wasn't extremely crowded so my friend and I easily found seats at the bar. About 20-30 minutes of sitting there, it became more and more packed mainly because there was a firm event of some sort where people were being loud and rowdy. I got a whiskey sour and my friend got two rounds of Macallan neat. Overall, this is a nice bar, not as spacious and it's a bit tight but the large open window in front makes it nice and cool regardless of all the people in there. read more

83 Proof - Whiskey sour - Whiskey Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

A refuge for the Whisky enthusiast who desires more than the mass produced bottles found in Duty Free (Johnnie, Jack, Club - you know who you are) Thank you 83 Proof for providing a refuge of brown spirit selection while in SOMA and FiDi. Bonus: for the architecture/construction fans, the new hi-rises going up across the street for the past couple years provide a pleasant scene to watch while analyzing your Bourbon neat. read more

Great speakeasy in South Beach. No menu, you just order by feel and taste, and the bartenders make you just what you need in the moment. Classic rock on most nights too, just the vibe I need near home. Would be even better if y'all were open on the weekends read more

Like many have said, 83 proof is almost hidden unless you walk past during happy hour on a Thursday or Friday when the busy bar seems to pop out a bit more. Having had some work events here and casual happy hours, it has always been a great experience. The bartenders are usually so busy but great at hustling and helping everyone. Last visit once the bar died down I asked for some cocktail recommendations and she taught me what a paper plane is. Delicious! If you like citrus and bourbon 10/10 would recommend. The only downside of the bar is really the layout (I know, not too much you can do there) and people not being aware of the limited space. Please take off your backpacks if you're standing in a crowded bar. read more

83 Proof - Hot toddy on a cold night. Yum - Whiskey Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

The 1 star is for the bartender in particular that served us last night. Was our first time, as we had been planning to check out the bar around the corner from our office. Ambiance, great. Music, great. Vibe, great. Bartender, douche! Who tells a customer "I've made this drink quite a few times, so I think I know what I'm doing!" and, when asking the bartender what pilsners you have on draft, who responds "uh, yes, we have Pilsners!" without mentioning the selection? read more

Came back here for a work happy hour after years of not stepping foot in this place. It's the same as always but currently just less packed given its location downtown. I'm sure that's stressful for the business but pleasant as the customer to be able to snag a table easily! The service was all on point. Very casual but the guy behind the bar had good awareness. He offered to pour my friend's beer as soon as he walked in the door, and sure enough he dropped it by our table just as my buddy shook my hand (we can shake hands again! Covid be gone!). Obviously this is a simple thing to do, but I swear so many bartenders don't think of the details. Good on him. Great beer selection and I was happy to have a Blind Pig to start my evening. If you're back in the neighborhood to go to your office, don't miss out on a happy hour here. They're really enjoyable now that so many are vaccinated. Didn't realize how much I missed it! read more

Great place to go for happy hour! I mean 7pm happy hour, how could you go wrong. $5 beers and $12 old fashioneds. The bartenders are really awesome too. There's plenty of space to spread out or find one of many tables to gather around. There's plenty of beers, wine, tequilas, whiskeys, scotch's. Pretty much any alcohol you could imagine. They'll make whatever you can think of. read more

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Bartenders leave much to be desired. Not listener or attitude. The place is tiny. They have a fair beer list.

Made a quick stop at 83 Proof for a drink before heading over to an event. I met up my friends on Friday, September 16th around 5:45pm. The bar was super packed, but my friends got there first and managed to stake some standing room by the bar for our group of four. Since I was the last one to get there, my friends just ordered a round of drinks, so I had a Manhattan waiting for me. It was nicely balanced and not too sweet. Not sure why type of liquor they used, but I enjoyed it. One of my friends got an old fashioned and seemed to like it. Nice place for a quick happy hour, but I prefer a more low key bar. It was so packed in here, that I felt uncomfortable. People kept bumping into us while trying to get to the restroom, meet up their friends, etc. There were several times where I almost spilled my drink. Overall, good drinks, but I wouldn't stay for more than a round. read more

83 Proof - Manhattan & Old fashioned - Whiskey Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

It's crazy how 1 bad experience could ruin a bunch of previously good experiences and change one's impression of an establishment. I started my Wednesday night over at 83 Proof which is usually a solid bar. The typical crowd is in their late 20s to late 30s of professionals from the financial district. There's 2 TV's to watch ball games (or whatever) and a well stocked bar with an excellent whiskey selection (almost entirely from America). I've come here several times in the past and had good experiences until now. Typically, the bartenders are pretty personable and well skilled. Unfortunately, this time I was served by a bartender that practically treated me like I was in a dive bar. Not that there's anything wrong with dives but we, as patrons, pay a premium to go to nicer bars with better service. First off, this dude gave me some attitude when I couldn't hear what he was saying (it's pretty loud inside). Secondly, he scoffed a little at my typical one-off drink- Sazerac, half cognac, half rye. I've never been rude to a bartender before but he was kind of pushing it. I mean.. I'm ordering a solid whiskey drink with a unique twist. Don't knock it til you try it bruh. My reasoning behind giving this usually 4 establishment 2 stars is that I could go to one of the other dozen bars plus in the area. Until I cool off on this place, you can catch me at Michael Mina's, Pabu, Novela, Local Edition, Sutter Station, Rickhouse, Patriot House, Cafe Terminus, Sens, Natoma Cabana, Louie's, RN74 and Steph's just to name a few places. read more

83 Proof - Sazerac, half cognac, half rye and served with some attitude. - Whiskey Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Renaming it to 1,2,3 Poof!...Would have been more fun and clever! However, it wouldn't quite match the speakeasy vibe to this bar place! They specialize in cocktail drinks and bf ordered the French 75 for me because I wanted something zesty and had a sour punch to it, which that drink did! They serve up wine, bubblies and beer. The ambiance is dimly lit and of wooden decor. They have an upstairs, mini lounge area for some seclusion from the main base floor. Bartenders and staff is spot on - a great bar addition to the FiDi! read more

83 Proof - Pint of beer and French 75! - Whiskey Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

I met my friend at 83 Proof, which was one of the few bars by her work in FiDi. I thought it was a nice, low key bar. It had an old-style bar feel, but it wasn't divey at all with its impressive liquor wall and upstairs lounge area. I appreciated how you can order fruit and herb fusions to classic cocktails. My friend, for example, ordered a gimlet with basil and jalapeno. I had a gin and tonic with basil and blueberry. Although our drinks were satisfying, we did find that the bartender may have accidentally swapped the jalapeno in our drinks. Mine had a kick to it, whereas my friend noted no spice at all. Other than that slipup, 83 Proof was a great pit stop before our dinner reservations later that evening. read more

AFTER WORK SPOT (5 stars) As much as I like to be as far as possible from FiDi after I've clocked out, I don't mind walking around the corner to grab a well crafted cocktail! First timer here and it will not be my last. Great service, great bar, great drink. My teammates all settled for beers and I settled for a nice fancy "fufu" cocktail to close up the week. I ordered "something fruity" and the bartender asked me several questions to narrow down my vague request. I was handed a beautiful drink, very much up my alley, called GIN DOMINATRIX (minus the pepper) garnished with a basil. Ohmy! Purple drink, classy look, fresh fruit taste, and refreshing. It was a nice way to wrap the end of the week with my cool coworkers. No work, just cheers and laughing. I need that. Jaba approved. Until the next review... read more

83 Proof - Whiskey Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Cool, chill bar near the Embarcadero in the city. This would be a good spot to share drinks with friends or coworkers or a date. Tasty, cold beers. The bar was packed on a Thursday afternoon. read more

83 Proof - Whiskey Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

This is a go-to spot if you want a night of rude bartenders that will be racist to your group of asian friends. They will make racist jokes and serve others before you, even on a slow night. The woman was making comments about being paralyzed to a different group of people near us. It was extremely rude to say that their group looked paralyzed for no reason. No point to come here ever again. read more

The bartenders were more than nice and hospitable even when I made a slightly outrageous request all around solid drinks and staff would recommend to anyone who's looking for a nice chill spot with quality on the mind. read more