14 位调酒师眼中的“绿旗”酒瓶：吧台上看到它，就知道这家店靠谱

When you visit a bar for the first time, there’s always a slight possibility you may leave disappointed. It’s a chance you’re willing to take if you’re a cocktail enthusiast, particularly if you’re dropping by a spot that’s generated its fair share of acclaim. But it’s also one that may leave you particularly frustrated these days when you have to invest $20-plus to try one cocktail.

A “green flag” bottle on a bar’s back shelf can go a long way into mitigating any concerns you may have about the establishment’s quality. Spotting a specific brand or a slightly obscure label can provide a quick clue about a bar’s cocktail-making capabilities, commitment to quality, and staff nerdiness — elements you may find alluring if you fancy yourself a drinks buff. There are no set rules about what makes a bottle a positive sign. It could be a well-respected rum brand, a small-batch amaro, or even a slightly weird neon liqueur from three decades ago enjoying a market resurgence.

Nobody’s better at identifying these bottles than bartenders, since their job usually requires them to be familiar with a wide range of bottles spread across numerous categories. So what bottles are worthy of “green flag” status? We asked 14 bartenders to find out. Here’s what they had to say.

The green flag bottles behind the bar, according to bartenders:

• Ron Del Barrilito 3 Star
• Punt e Mes
• Ron Abuelo Rum
• Benriach Scotch
• Chartreuse 1605
• Hpnotiq
• Cascahuín Tequila
• See the Elephant Amaro
• Galliano
• Rochelt Brandy
• Green Chartreuse
• Yellow Chartreuse
• Tapatio 110
• Nikaido Shochu
• Worthy Park 109

“Ron Del Barrilito 3 Star is my ultimate green flag to see when I walk into a bar. It’s always made in small batches, using original distillation methods dating back to 1880, and aged in Oloroso sherry casks for at least three to five years. It’s subtle, smoky, and woody, accentuated by notes of almond, vanilla, and plum. As we get into colder months, it’s my favorite spirit to drink neat, but it holds up equally well over a large rock. Seeing it on a back bar is an indication that the bar program is thoughtful and intentional, while still being accessible for all.” —Hannah Hulsey, head bartender, FKA: Formerly Known As, New York City

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“There are a variety of craft cocktail shibboleths one sees in the great bars of the world, but none more important than Punt e Mes. Anyone opening a bar these days can figure out the obvious amari and monk-made liqueurs expected to line the shelves. Punt e Mes is a dive deeper. It is a product that needs experience to work with, and demands a fine touch. When a bottle of Punt e Mes comes out of the fridge and is skillfully measured into a Manhattan or Negroni riff you know you are sitting on a world-class barstool.“ —Toby Maloney, owner, The Elbow Room, Vancouver, Wash.

“Any spirit that’s got zero marketing budget but is high quality — stuff like Ron Abuelo rum or Benriach Scotch. To me, seeing those bottles tells me whoever curates the bar cares and hasn’t gone only for marketable overdone stuff.” —Patrick Chiquette, bartender, Le Grand Comité, Montreal

“Seeing a bottle of Chartreuse 1605 behind the bar is an instant green flag for me. It’s a special release bottle and not one you see often, and I love when a bar makes room for spirits that are a little more unique and have a story behind them. To me, it shows that whoever is putting the back bar together really appreciates what they’re working with. It’s a small detail that screams at serious enthusiasts, but it’s also the kind of thing that makes me appreciate a bar before I’ve even ordered a drink. It makes me pay closer attention to everything else they have to offer.” —Julian Flores Torres, beverage director, Mode Bar, Santa Ana, Calif.

“A bottle of Hpnotiq on the back bar is an immediate green flag. It tells me the bar is fun, has a sense of humor, and knows how to balance classic cocktail craft with a little playfulness. I love a serious cocktail program, but I love it even more when the people behind it know when to break the fourth wall and be a little less serious. A bottle of radioactive blue liqueur sitting next to your $90 amaro tells me you’re confident enough to be a little silly, which is exactly what I want in a bar. Not everything needs to be rare, bitter, or made by a monk. Sometimes it should just be blue.” —Andi Burrows, founder, Kayos Creative, Brooklyn

“I think that a bottle of Cascahuín tequila is a huge green flag. It means that the sourcing of spirits is intentional and that they aren’t also just going for what’s trending in terms of more traditionally made agave spirits. It’s also readily available for most of their SKUS and something any spirit loving bartender can get behind.” —Jonathan Adler, managing partner, Chiqui, NYC

“The bottle that almost always gives me that ‘green flag’ feeling is See The Elephant amaro. Produced in southern Italy, it uses arugula as its primary botanical, and all of the other herbs and botanicals are locally harvested. On its own, it smells like a freshly opened piece of Bazooka Joe bubble gum, which does not make any sense in the best way possible. The flavor notes are more akin to egg nog, which is both complex and polarizing. This is an obscure bottle for a lot of people, but any bar that carries it shows me it embraces unique things that most places may easily pass over.” —Max Schikora, bar manager, Echelon and Huna, Ann Arbor, Mich.

“Galliano is a fabulous and underutilized cocktail component. It’s also my go-to neat shooter, and it’s so much more than a vodka and orange juice accompaniment. To me, it signifies that the bar respects a retro classic, and it may even get adventurous with it. That, or it’s a relic that I’ll gladly chip away at when I visit. The bottle might not have been touched for the past decade, but it’s in the building, and therefore, it’s an option! I take comfort in that.” —Erica Luera, bartender, Strong Water, Anaheim, Calif.

“Rochelt Brandy is one of those bottles that if you know, you know. It’s ridiculously expensive, incredibly well-made, and so niche that most people don’t know what it is, including bartenders. So when I see it on a back bar, it’s a huge green flag. Chances are, whoever decided to carry it is a serious spirits geek who genuinely appreciates the craft. Rochelt isn’t something you just pick up on the job as a bartender. It’s something you discover because you’re genuinely a spirits geek who’s spent years seeking out and tasting things out of pure curiosity. It’s also not a bottle you stock to make money, it’s a bottle you stock because you know how special it is, and hope someone else walks in who does too.” —Vay Su, co-owner, Vandell, Los Angeles

“Chartreuse, green or yellow. I assume someone somewhere knows something if I see either of them. Bonus points if I spot them in a dive bar.” —Aaron Jones, beverage manager, Board & Batten, Mesa, Ariz.

“Tequila Tapatio 110. Overproof or still-proof tequila in general is a green flag because it means whoever is making choices for the program is paying attention to something other than price point or brand recognition. Tapatio 110 isn’t diluted, and it’s also delicious, and holds up in cocktails. The real bars know.” —Sid Lewis, bartender, Semiprecious, Denver

“Whenever I see shochu on the back bar or on the menu, I always get excited, because it’s a category that I really care about, and find so interesting and versatile. I love that it is being featured more and more on back bars. When I see Nikaido on a menu specifically, I’m more inclined to think that the bar team has experience working with shochu since it’s a more traditional brand with a low ABV. I also love the toastiness that Nikaido has as the result of being made with 100 percent barley. It tends to bring a beautiful, round flavor to a cocktail.” —A-K Hada, co-owner, dokidoki, Brooklyn

“I love tiki drinks, but I don’t necessarily love tiki bars. So any time I see Worthy Park 109 on the back bar, it’s a green flag that I’m in a bar that respects rum, and that I can trust them to make a decent Mai Tai or Jungle Bird. ‘Dark rum’ is such a vague category that’s been very limited for a long time, and Worthy Park really knocked it out of the, well, park, with this one.” —Tom Martinez, general manager, Bar Betsie, Washington, D.C.

“A bottle of Hypnotiq! Seeing it on the shelves tells me one of two things: The bar is either here for a good time or they’ve been here for a long time.” —Austin Harrington, bartender, Youngblood, San Diego