Wine Bar
Unclaimed profileThe Temple Bar & Brunch
Bellingham, WA · $$
Inebrious
Beverage Program Score
The editorial take
The drink list is the argument here: 18 specialty cocktails built across bourbon, gin, mezcal, tequila, brandy, pisco, rum, and absinthe, plus a separate breakfast cocktail section of eight and four non-alcoholic cocktails. Wine runs red, white, orange, rosé, and sparkling by the glass and bottle, with a house pour at $10 and bottles from $30 to $80. Eight bottled and canned beers lean imported — German lagers, Belgian farmhouse and Trappist ales, cider.
- What should I order?
- Start with the Dark Parts, a mezcal drink with fresh grapefruit, Amaro Sfumato, Campari, grenadine, and lemon at $15, or the rye-and-Cynar Potager at $14. For something lighter, the Picpoul de Pinet at $12 a glass. Skip the cocktail list only if you want the Orval Trappist Ale at $11.
- Who will enjoy this place?
- Drinkers who want a long cocktail list and a wine list with orange and sparkling options in the same visit. The breakfast cocktail section and the four NA cocktails make it workable for a morning table where not everyone is drinking.
- When should I go?
- The breakfast cocktail list and the brunch menu make a morning or early-afternoon visit the obvious fit. The happy hour section gives a second, later option.
- What should I expect to spend?
- Specialty cocktails run $10–$16, breakfast cocktails $10–$12, with a prosecco-and-orange-juice bottle service at $35. Wine by the glass is $10–$14, bottles $30–$80. Beer is $6–$11; NA cocktails $10–$11 and other non-alcoholic drinks $6–$8.
- What makes the beverage program distinctive?
- A specialty cocktail list of 18 spans eight base spirits, and a separate breakfast cocktail section of eight sits alongside four non-alcoholic cocktails. The wine list covers red, white, orange, rosé, and sparkling by both glass and bottle, with a 1L Spanish orange wine and a Georgian Saperavi among the pours.
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
Eighteen specialty cocktails plus a note that a full bar and classic cocktails are always available, and a separate breakfast section of eight drinks. Bases run bourbon, gin, mezcal, tequila, brandy, pisco, rum, and absinthe. Prices hold at $10–$16.
Menu strengths
- — Eighteen named specialty cocktails backed by a full bar and classic cocktails always available.
- — Base spirits span bourbon, gin, mezcal, tequila, brandy, pisco, rum, and absinthe.
- — A separate breakfast cocktail section lists eight drinks, from mimosa and bloody mary to a boozy latte.
Standout selections
- — Dark Parts — mezcal, fresh grapefruit, Amaro Sfumato, Campari, grenadine, and lemon, $15.
- — The Potager — rye, Cynar, lemon, sweet vermouth, and rosemary, $14.
- — Temple Vesper — gin, vodka, Lillet Blanc, Castelvetrano olive, and orange twist, $14.
- — Black Dahlia — absinthe, coconut cream, white rum, and sour mix, blended, $16.
Pricing: Specialty cocktails $10–$16; breakfast cocktails $10–$12, with prosecco-and-orange-juice bottle service at $35.
Wine
Six reds and seven white and orange wines by glass and bottle, plus rosé, Brut Crémant de Bourgogne, and Champagne NV. A house pour covers red, white, rosé, and bubbly at $10 a glass or $30 a bottle.
Menu strengths
- — Six reds by glass and bottle, from Saperavi and Chianti Superiore to Rioja Tempranillo and Zweigelt.
- — Seven white and orange wines, including Picpoul de Pinet, Roero Arneis, Chenin Blanc, and Tokaji Dry Furmint.
- — Rosé, Brut Crémant de Bourgogne, and Champagne NV round out the sparkling side.
Standout selections
- — Orange Verdejo/Sauvignon Blanc 'Gulp Hablo' from Spain, a 1L bottle at $55, or $14 a glass.
- — Saperavi 'Mildani' from Georgia, 2021, at $10 a glass or $30 a bottle.
- — Champagne NV 'Charles Ellner' from France at $80 a bottle.
- — Picpoul de Pinet 'Charactere Unique' from France, 2022, at $12 a glass or $40 a bottle.
Pricing: Glass pours $10–$14; bottles $30–$80. House wine $10 glass / $30 bottle.
Beer
Eight bottled and canned beers, weighted toward imports: German lagers, a Belgian farmhouse ale, a Trappist ale, and two ciders. The list is short but specific, and prices stay between $6 and $11.
Menu strengths
- — Eight bottles and cans covering lagers, farmhouse ale, cider, and Trappist ale.
- — Imported lagers and Belgian ales give the list a clear European lean.
- — Two ciders on the list, Irish dry apple and UK organic pear.
Standout selections
- — Orval Trappist Ale from Belgium, 11.2 oz, $11.
- — Saison Dupont Farmhouse Ale from Belgium, 11.2 oz, $10.
- — Kostritzer Black Lager from Germany, 16.2 oz, $8.
- — Sam Smith Organic Pear Cider from the UK, 12 oz, $8.
Pricing: $6–$11 per bottle or can.
Nonalcoholic
Four named non-alcoholic cocktails — Mezcalito, NA Sour, Not Amaro, and Bramble — plus a lemon rosemary soda, espresso tonic, NA IPA, and San Pellegrino. That is a fuller zero-proof set than most wine lists bother with.
Menu strengths
- — Four named NA cocktails in a dedicated section rather than a single token option.
- — NA beer and soda sit alongside the cocktails, from NA IPA to San Pellegrino.
- — NA cocktails run $10–$11, with other non-alcoholic drinks at $6–$8.
Standout selections
- — NA Sour — Pathfinder, lemon, honey simple, and egg white, $11.
- — Mezcalito — NA mezcal, NA bitter liquor, lemon, and mint, $11.
- — Not Amaro — NA amaro, shaken and served up, $10.
- — Espresso Tonic at $8, or an NA IPA at $7.
Pricing: NA cocktails $10–$11; other non-alcoholic drinks $6–$8; NA IPA $7.
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