Restaurant
Unclaimed profileMason Bar & Kitchen
Arroyo Grande, CA · $$
Inebrious
Beverage Program Score
The editorial take
Mason Bar & Kitchen runs a beverage program built around barrel-aging and breadth. The bar hand-selects Buffalo Trace barrels, serves a roster of barrel-aged cocktails as 3 oz. Pours over a large cube at $17, and offers a Personalized Barrel Club for custom 2-liter barrels aged six weeks. Wine Spectator has recognized the wine list eight consecutive years, with 16 local wines by the glass and over 100 bottles. More than 25 bourbons and whiskeys anchor the spirits list, alongside 20 rotating taps.
- What should I order?
- Start with a barrel-aged cocktail such as the 227, a 3 oz. Pour of Buffalo Trace bourbon, Campari, Sibona amaro, and orange twist over a large cube at $17. For something lighter, the 2022 Laetitia Vineyards 'Estate' Chardonnay is a local SIP Certified pour at $40. A pour from the hand-selected Buffalo Trace barrel is another house-specific option.
- Who will enjoy this place?
- Guests who want a deep whiskey and spirits selection, barrel-aged cocktails, or a wine list with both local by-the-glass pours and rare bottles will find plenty here. The range from a $5 non-alcoholic beer to a $660 bottle of Opus One accommodates different budgets and occasions.
- When should I go?
- A good choice for a cocktail-focused evening, a wine bottle shared among a group, or a spirits tasting that moves from tequila and mezcal into aged cognac. The to-go cocktail option with a required food purchase suits takeaway occasions.
- What should I expect to spend?
- Draft beers are generally $10, with Russian River selections at $11–$13. Barrel-aged cocktails are $17, Mason Originals run $16–$19, and The Throne is $299. Wine bottles range from an $11 split to $660 for 2017 Opus One. Spirits by the pour run $11–$206, with Louis XIII cognac up to $520 for 2 oz.
- What makes the beverage program distinctive?
- The venue hand-selects Buffalo Trace bourbon from barrel samples and labels it 'Mason Bar and Kitchen Hand-Selected Buffalo Trace.' A Personalized Barrel Club lets guests customize a 2-liter barrel aged over six weeks. The bar also holds a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for eight consecutive years and claims the largest spirits selection on the Central Coast.
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
Barrel-aged cocktails are the centerpiece, served as 3 oz. Pours over a large cube at $17. The Mason Originals list includes bourbon, gin, mezcal, vodka, and cognac builds, and bartenders use house-made syrups and fresh-pressed juices. A Personalized Barrel Club lets guests customize a 2-liter barrel aged six weeks.
Menu strengths
- — Extensive barrel-aging program using hand-selected Buffalo Trace bourbon from barrel samples
- — Personalized Barrel Club for custom 2-liter barrels aged over six weeks
- — Bartenders hand-craft cocktails with house-made syrups and fresh-pressed juices
Standout selections
- — 227: Buffalo Trace bourbon, Campari, Sibona amaro, orange twist; barrel-aged 3 oz. Pour, $17
- — Black Eagle: Eagle Rare 10 yr. 'Mason Bar and Kitchen – Sazerac Barrel Select' bourbon, Sibona amaro, Angostura and orange bitters, $19
- — Vieux Carré: Rod & Hammer 'Cask Rye,' Hine cognac, Foro Rosso Sweet Vermouth, Benedictine rinse, Peychaud's and Angostura bitters, lemon twist; barrel-aged 3 oz. Pour, $17
- — The Throne: Rémy Martin 'Louis XIII' 100 Yr. Cask-Aged Cognac, Lillet Blanc, lemon oils, $299
Pricing: Mason Originals $16–$19; barrel-aged 3 oz. Pours $17; The Throne $299
Wine
Wine Spectator's Award of Excellence has recognized this list eight consecutive years. The program pours 16 local wines by the glass and carries over 100 bottled selections across sparkling, white, red, rosé, and dessert categories, including large-format magnums and half-bottles.
Menu strengths
- — Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for 8 consecutive years
- — Over 100 bottle selections with sparkling, white, red, rosé, and dessert wines
- — 16 local wines by the glass and large-format magnums from $124 to $464
Standout selections
- — 2022 Laetitia Vineyards 'Estate' Chardonnay, SIP Certified, CA, $40
- — 2017 Opus One, Napa Valley, CA, $660; 2021 Sea Smoke Estate Vineyards 'Southing' Pinot Noir, Santa Rita Hills, CA, $199
- — 2019 Saxum Vineyards 'Booker Vineyard,' Willow Creek District, Paso Robles, CA, $268
Pricing: Bottles $11 split to $660; magnums $124–$464; Sauternes half-bottles $438 and $495; 16 local wines by the glass
Beer
Twenty rotating tap handles cover draft, bottled, and canned formats alongside hard seltzer, hard kombucha, and cider. Local drafts from Central Coast breweries such as Firestone Walker, SLO Brew, and Wild Fields share the board with Russian River selections available in limited supply.
Menu strengths
- — 20 rotating tap handles with local Central Coast drafts
- — Russian River Brewing Company beers available with limited availability
- — Includes hard seltzer, hard kombucha, cider, and non-alcoholic beer options
Standout selections
- — '805' Blonde Ale, 4.7%, 16 oz. Draft; Firestone Walker Brewing Company, Paso Robles, CA, $10
- — 'Space Dust' IPA, 8.2%, 16 oz. Draft; Elysian Brewing Company, Seattle, WA, $10
- — Whalebird 'Electric Feel' Hard Kombucha, lavender, lemon, rose hips, 6.0%, 16 oz. Can; San Luis Obispo, CA, $13
- — Golden State Cider – Mighty Dry, 6%, 16 oz. Can; Sonoma County, Sebastopol, CA, $10
Pricing: Bottled $5–$7; draft generally $10, Russian River $11–$13; hard kombucha and cider $10–$13
Nonalcoholic
The beer menu lists Michelob Ultra 0.0% non-alcoholic beer at $5, giving non-drinking guests a straightforward option alongside the bar's broader beverage program.
Menu strengths
- — Beer menu lists Michelob Ultra 0.0% non-alcoholic beer.
Standout selections
- — Michelob Ultra – 0.0%, non-alcoholic beer, 12 oz. Bottle; Anheuser-Busch, St. Louis, Missouri, $5
Pricing: $5
Spirits
The spirits list spans tequila, mezcal, vodka, rum, gin, cognac, brandy, and liqueurs, with more than 25 bourbons and whiskeys and a claim to the largest selection on the Central Coast. Hand-selected Buffalo Trace barrels are labeled 'Mason Bar and Kitchen Hand-Selected Buffalo Trace.'
Menu strengths
- — More than 25 bourbons and whiskeys with hand-selected Buffalo Trace barrels
- — Extensive tequila, mezcal, vodka, rum, gin, cognac, brandy, and liqueur selections
- — Rare cognacs including Rémy Martin Louis XIII and local Central Coast distilleries
Standout selections
- — Rémy Martin 'Louis XIII' 100 Yr. Oak Cask-Aged Cognac, priced per pour: 0.5 oz. $130, 1 oz. $260, 1.5 oz. $390, 2 oz. $520
- — Fortaleza Blanco tequila, $16; La Luna 'Black Label – Espadin' mezcal, $12
Pricing: By the pour $11–$206; Louis XIII cognac $130–$520; tequila and mezcal $11–$206; gin $11–$25
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