Restaurant
Unclaimed profileMarket Tavern Lodi
Lodi, CA · $$
Inebrious
Beverage Program Score
The editorial take
Market Tavern runs a serious beverage program across cocktails, wine, beer, and nonalcoholic drinks. Craft cocktails lean classic with a twist, like the Smoked or Strained Old Fashioned and Linden Cherry Manhattan. Local wines and beers share space with Napa and Sonoma labels. Mocktails and house sodas are equally considered. Prices stay reasonable for the quality.
- What should I order?
- Start with the Smoked or Strained Old Fashioned, a Four Roses bourbon build finished with wood-fired orange rind and optional smoked glass. It is the cocktail list's most distinctive offering. For wine, the Acquiesce Rosé pairs well with lighter fare.
- Who will enjoy this place?
- Drinkers who appreciate a wide-ranging menu with local California focus. Cocktail enthusiasts, wine lovers exploring and those seeking thoughtful nonalcoholic options all find something. The variety supports groups with divergent tastes.
- When should I go?
- The brunch menu brings a separate cocktail list including Ramos Fizz and Aperol Spritz, making weekend brunch a good time to explore a different side of the program.
- What should I expect to spend?
- Craft cocktails run $13–$15, wines by the glass $8–$19.50, draft beers $8–$10, and mocktails $8. Bottles can climb to $370, but entry-level options are accessible.
- What makes the beverage program distinctive?
- Local sourcing is a theme: wines like Acquiesce Rosé and Van Ruiten Cabernet, plus WTF Beer Co. Honey Blonde Ale sit beside Napa and Sonoma picks. The cocktail list offers both a smoked-glass Old Fashioned and a build-your-own-spirit martini with stuffed olives.
Beverage categories
We only score what a venue sets out to do. Categories a venue doesn't attempt are left unscored rather than penalized.
Cocktails
Craft cocktail list spans eight named drinks plus after-dinner and brunch sections. Classics get inventive touches: smoked glass on an Old Fashioned, jalapeño agave in a tequila drink. Priced competitively from $13 to $16.
Menu strengths
- — Eight craft cocktails listed, including classics and originals, with a separate after-dinner section.
- — Uses quality spirits like Four Roses, Buffalo Trace, and Botanist gin.
- — Brunch menu adds Ramos Fizz, Aperol Spritz, and Market Classic Bloody.
Standout selections
- — Smoked or Strained Old Fashioned – Four Roses, Noilly Prat, Angostura bitters, Luxardo cherry, wood-fired orange rind.
- — Linden Cherry Manhattan – Buffalo Trace, Noilly Prat, cherry bitters.
- — Some Like It Hot – Corazon Blanco, jalapeño agave, chili de arbol.
Pricing: $13–$16 for most cocktails; brunch cocktails $10–$16.
Wine
Wine list covers sparkling, rosé, white, and red by the glass, with local bottlings and premium Napa/Champagne bottles. Reasonable entry prices and a few higher-end options.
Menu strengths
- — Includes local producers like Acquiesce and Van Ruiten.
- — By-the-glass range from $8 Chloe Chardonnay to $19.50 Post & Beam Cabernet.
Standout selections
- — Acquiesce Rosé 2024 –.; Post & Beam by Far Niente Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 – Napa Valley.
Pricing: By the glass $8–$19.50; bottles $34–$370.
Beer
Draft and packaged beer list mixes regional California craft with a Belgian classic. Local representation comes from WTF Beer Co. Honey Blonde Ale. Prices are fair for the category.
Menu strengths
- — Local brewery WTF Beer Co. Represented on draft.
- — Mix of pilsner, IPAs, hazy IPA, and dark ale covers varied tastes.
Standout selections
- — WTF Beer Co. Honey Blonde Ale –.; Humble Sea Socks & Sandals – hazy IPA from Santa Cruz.
Pricing: Draft $8–$10; bottled/canned $6–$14.
Nonalcoholic
Dedicated nonalcoholic program with mocktails, house-made sodas, and 0% ABV options. Mocktails mirror cocktail creativity with ingredients like star anise and jalapeño. House sodas are inexpensive.
Menu strengths
- — Eight mocktails and house sodas listed, all with distinct flavor profiles.
- — House-made sodas include grapefruit-thyme and lemon-rosemary.; NA beer (Heineken 00) and fresh hand-pressed juices available.
Standout selections
- — Nojito – mint, lime, lemon, soda.; Spanish Tonic – star anise, thyme, pink peppercorn, juniper berries.
- — Panoma – grapefruit, lime, Fever Tree grapefruit, Tajin.
Pricing: Mocktails $8; house sodas $5; 0% ABV $4–$6.
Spirits
No standalone spirits list, but the cocktail program showcases a wide array of base spirits from bourbon and rye to gin and tequila. Premium labels like Casamigos and Redemption Rye appear in after-dinner drinks.
Menu strengths
- — Cocktails feature bourbon, rye, gin, vodka, tequila, and reposado.
- — After-dinner section includes Licor 43 and Casamigos Reposado.
Standout selections
- — Carajillo – Licor 43, Casamigos Reposado, espresso.; Revolver – Redemption Rye, Kahlua, orange bitters.
- — Hugo Spritz – St. Germaine, Chandon, lemon, mint.
Pricing: Spirit-forward cocktails $12–$16.
Community reviews
Anyone with a free Inebrious account can rate the drinks here. Community ratings are kept entirely separate from the Inebrious editorial score above.
No community reviews yet. Be the first to write one.