#36 | Canon, Seattle, USA
Last Visit: June 2024
Seattle, located in the north-west of the US, just before the Canadian border, is not only home to the headquarters of Starbucks and Amazon, but also a whole host of excellent bars. Surrounded by many lakes, the sea, and plenty of green nature, the city also offers a wide range of opportunities to relax and enjoy a variety of outdoor activities away from the hustle and bustle of the big city.
In Capitol Hill, no, not the one with the US Senate, but a district of Seattle, there is a small bar that is quite inconspicuous from the outside: the Canon Bar.
As soon as you enter the bar, you get the feeling of immersing yourself in another world. The bar has a generally classic, slightly rustic and vintage style, with the main focus on the huge collection of bottles on the shelves.
These, as well as the tables, bar counters and other areas of the interior, are made of dark solid wood. The indirect lighting, as well as the chandeliers and open light bulbs hanging from the ceiling with their pleasantly warm light, create a cozy and stylish ambience even in daylight.
You are surrounded by countless bottlings, which are beautifully displayed and really make visitors want to start a collection as well. These are not only located behind the bar, but also in the guest area, high up on the wooden beams, above the guests' tables or even enclosed underneath the seating that serves as a table (see photos further below). A truly fascinating and impressive library, for which a lot of passion and, above all, time have been invested.
The current stock of bottles consists of no less than 4,000 spirits. Starting with whisk(e)y, rum, cognac, mezcal, tequila, gin and much more. So it is hardly surprising that the Canon Bar is America's bar with the largest collection of spirits and is home to one of the largest American whiskey collections in the world. Numerous official awards testify to the bar's collecting frenzy.
These include special rarities from the 1930s, for example, which makes it additionally interesting from a historical point of view, apart from the possible taste and pure rarity of course. A tablet is provided for the selection of spirits, which is bound in a beautiful leather cover and contains well over 150 pages to browse through.
In the end, I just couldn't resist a 19-year-old Old Fitzgerald bottled-in-bond. This is a bottling from 2022, which originally came out for just over USD 220 and, as is usual in the crazy bourbon market, is now trading at just under USD 1,000. The aroma was wonderfully deep and velvety, with a light nuttiness, complex oak and quite dry sweetness, some vanilla, tobacco, and leather were present. While tasting, I was again particularly surprised by the incredible depth. Full-bodied, spicy oak, but without being overpowering, with a great light nuttiness and a pleasant sweetness that rounds everything off. This was underlined with vanilla, dark caramel and a hint of maple syrup. The finish is full and long, becoming oily and dry, always full of oak, with some leather and fine spices. A very complex and deep bourbon. The finish feels like it goes on forever.
The longer you let your eyes wander, the more loving details you discover, and not just in the barroom itself. Even the bathrooms are worth seeing, with lots of dark wood and bar books as decoration, as well as again parts of the bottle collection on your way there, in keeping with the rest of the bar's style.
Canon Bar opened in 2012 and was immediately named “Best New Bar in Seattle 2012” by Seattle Magazine. Just two years later, the bar made it to sixth place (!) in Drinks International's World's 50 list, which was phenomenal at the time. The euphoria, the passion, the joy for the project and the focus on the essentials are still there and palpable.
It's also worth talking about Jamie Boudreau's personal relevance to virtually everything we do here at LT. Canon didn't open until 2012, almost a decade after the modern cocktail renaissance began. But Jamie was a digital native of cocktail blogging from the very beginning, starting a mixing blog in the US back in 2004, already working as a bartender. To finally be his own boss, Canon came along in 2012, even if it feels like it's been in this place for much longer. In addition, he has also imparted to us at LT in particular a lot of motivation, inspiration and important tips and tricks via his videos on YouTube, on the Small Screen Network, thank you for that, Jamie.
The menu (see below for excerpts) is strongly historicized, think of the late 19th century up to the 1920s and matching drawings and decorations. Certainly not a new concept, but very nicely implemented with great attention to detail. The structure of the different categories is made clear by a large heading and a brief explanation. Nothing is left to chance and so, in addition to the name of the drink and the ingredients, you will discover the corresponding glass/vessel in which the drink is served, usually alluding to the name of the drink. From fancy to classically simple, everything is included here.
The “Rarities” category has special treasures in store and catapults you back to 1935 in one case in terms of ingredients. For example, a Champs-Élysées with cognac from around that time period and — which is almost crazier at today's prices — Chartreuse from the 1930s. Accordingly, you have to dig a bit deeper into your pockets for a drink (in this case just under USD 600). Nevertheless, you have to bear in mind that this is only possible in very few bars worldwide and that Chartreuse from that time alone would cost over €2000 at auction today.
However, with the wide range of cocktails, there will be something for everyone, otherwise simply ask the friendly service or one of the courteous and competent bartenders, and you are sure to get an exciting recommendation, even outside the menu. One focus of the bar is a whole range of homemade bitters in different variations, which are not only used here, but can also be purchased in the bar. In general, many home-made ingredients and modified spirits are used at Canon.
The smoked drinks are something from the “you love it, or you hate it” category. I can say in advance: Never before have I had such a perfect interplay between the ingredients of the drink and the wood selected for the smoke and, in turn, its non-intrusive but very aromatic intensity.
Before visiting, however, you should definitely read the FAQs so as not to be disappointed later if, for example, you are planning a spontaneous visit with more than four people. Unfortunately, this is not possible due to lack of space and the bar's own standards.
Canon's Cannon
| Maker’s Mark Cask Strength Whisky
| Floral Liqueur
| Amaro
| Housemade Blueberry-Thyme Shrub
| Barrel Aged
The presentation and name point to the bar's flagship drink. It is served in a (you guessed it) cannon and with cask strength whisk(e)y as the spirit base. An aromatic, full-bodied bullet and, despite the Maker's Mark Cask Strength, beautifully round and with a great balance. Floral and slightly fruity, with notes of blueberries and some vanilla at the start and in the middle. The whole thing is rounded off with a fresh, tart herbaceousness, with thyme, other Mediterranean notes and a subliminal, quite mild acidity. The finish is dry, becoming oily, with pleasant, lingering oak notes.
All in all, a complex drink with great depth that is not overpowering and is definitely a recommendation not only for whisk(e)y lovers.
Reyes' Cocktail
| Mezcal
| Agave
| Cocchi Americano
| Fresh Lime
| Puréed Melon
| Hint of Habanero
| Bitters
| Sage Leaf
A distant riff on a Mezcal Margarita, but quite fruitier and yet more complex at the same time. Fresh and fruity at the start, with a great balance between sweetness and acidity, as with every cocktail we tried at the Canon Bar. Mezcal and agave is of course always a good match anyway. Based on the color and the slightly lighter melon notes that resonate from start to finish, I'm guessing it's a honeydew melon. The Cocchi Americano, which adds a hint of spice and orange peel as well as grape notes, is a perfect match. The whole thing is surrounded by a certain herbaceousness, with slightly smoky, ashy notes from the mezcal and a subtle spiciness that rounds everything off in the finish.
A fruity, slightly complex cocktail with a beautiful interplay of aromas and again a touch on the easy-to-drink side. Despite the additions to the recipe, the mezcal comes through sufficiently, though.
Unsinkable
| Genever
| Chartreuse
| Apple and Lemon Juices
| Vanilla-Peach Marmalade
| Angostura Bitters
| Smoke
When the fog and storm slowly subside, the ship appears on the horizon, laden with a wealth of aromas, the Unsinkable.
It opens with a very fruity potpourri and tends to be on the lighter, more drinkable side. Juicy peach with vanilla and fresh apple slices, rounded off with a slightly restrained yet fresh citric acidity and a small hint of cinnamon. The Angostura bitters work well together with the herbal notes of Chartreuse and hearty, malty Genever and lend the drink a subtle spiciness with a certain depth at the end. The whole thing is wrapped up in lightly smoked, woody notes, which are an excellent addition and give the whole drink a pleasant complexity.
For me, the Unsinkable is a perfect introduction to the world of smoked cocktails, as it is not overwhelming and can therefore also introduce first-timers to this technique. It is really balanced and with a presentation to be proud of.
Camp Fire in Georgia
| Mezcal
| Puréed Peach
| Habanero
| Fresh Orange Juice
| Caramelized Cinnamon
| Cherry- & Applewood Smoke
| Bitters
The name says it all, that's all you really need to know. First, the empty tumbler is smoked under the glass bell and then the finished drink is placed under the smoking bell again, one can guess already where this is going.
After lifting it off, notes of a campfire made with slightly wet wood fill the nose. The first sip is full-bodied and fruity, with a subtle round acidity from the orange juice, followed by (you guessed it) campfire smoke. Finely smoked, caramelized cinnamon follows with peach, apple and pear, as well as slightly earthy notes that together remind you of autumnal forests. There is a hint of spiciness at the end from the cinnamon and the very soft habanero spiciness, with a pleasant depth in the long autumnal finish. A drink with varied, diverse flavors that are very complex yet palatable and linger in the mouth forever.
The Camp Fire in Georgia is probably one of the best smoked cocktails I've ever had. I was on the fence at first as it doesn't read too spectacular with its two fruits in the ingredients, but the fireworks it sets off in your mouth were a fitting end to our visit.
Canon Bar looks quite inconspicuous from the outside, and you might think that the saloon-like appearance hides a larger pub with beer and some whiskey.
But with your first step through the door, a completely different world emerges in front of you, a sense of fascination and the feeling that you've come to the right place as a fan of classic bars. As soon as you enter, you are at the center of the spectacle, because the entire bar is a highlight both visually and in terms of taste. A place with charm, soft soothing music, good conversation and first-class, slightly classic, but always well-balanced cocktails that make you want to come back again and again.
/tg