Future Bars has officially arrived on the East Bay bar scene: Brian Sheehy and Doug Dalton, the impresarios behind Bourbon & Branch, Local Edition, and Tradition, among other popular SF bars, have just debuted their very first watering hole in Berkeley, Tupper & Reed. (They got their feet wet a few months ago by opening a location of their artisan liquor store, Cask, at College and Alcatraz.) Housed in the historic space that was most recently Beckett's, and was once a music shop by the same name, Tupper & Reed boasts a wide-ranging menu of more than 70 drinks, from classics like the Rattlesnake, Pisco Sour, and Boulevardier to bespoke concoctions from GM and Bourbon & Branch alum Sevan Araneda, like the Leggo Brick (tequila, lemon, pineapple, egg white, peach bitters, vanilla-almond-black tea tincture). Here's the full menu.
In keeping with the more laid-back Berkeley environs, Tupper & Reed will be only partly reservations-only: the upstairs tables need to be booked in advance online, but the downstairs bar is open to all (albeit with a reduced cocktail menu). In addition to the drinks, Tupper & Reed boasts a selection of nearly 100 whisk(e)ys, many of which are available as flights. And prices have been tamed somewhat, with most drinks in the $10 range and some dipping as low as $6. Four wines by the glass, three draft brews, and some bottled beers round things out.
The music theme extends to every inch of the space, from the menu (divided into Introductions, Main Scores, Intermissions, Finales, and Encores) to the space, which is bedecked with vintage musical instruments and old record players that date to the music store's era. (There's even a private room for groups where you can choose your own soundtrack from a collection of vintage records.) Even the sign has been meticulously reconstructed from vintage photographs to look just as it did back in the day. Up next for Tupper & Reed: cocktail classes similar to those offered at Bourbon & Branch's Beverage Academy (beginning in April), and possibly live music down the line—they've retained Beckett's live entertainment license, but aren't sure what they're going to do with it yet. Hours are Monday-Saturday, 4 pm-2 am.
