Alcademics

Opening in mid-November from Jon Santer and Dylan O'Brien: Prizefighter. 

You'll know Jon Santer from all over San Francisco over the last decade: Bruno's, Tres Agaves, Range, Bourbon & Branch, Beretta, and most recently the brand ambassador for Hendrick's Gin. He's since retired from that position to open the bar, along with Dylan O'Brien,  co-owner of Bloodhound in SOMA and Churchill at Church and Market. 

The space is the former Kitty's in Emeryville. You might think the name comes from that bar's fisticuffial reputation: a 180-person bar brawl that happened there in February. Nope. Nor is it a boxing-themed bar. It's named after the Eels song Prizefighter. 

The bar has 1800 sqare feet of space inside and a patio with an additional 1000 square feet. The goal, according to Santer, is to create "A world-class bar in a casual and fun environment." He say's they're not trying to be a San Francisco bar and you're unlikely to see any sleeve garters on the bartenders.  

The beverage program is pretty intense though: three types of ice (Clinebell blocks, Kold-Draft big cubes, and Scotsman small cubes) and a drink menu divided into nine sections:

• Cocktails
• Beer (cans, bottles, draft)
• Wine (some on bottle, some on tap)
• Punch
• Sangria 
• Patio Drinks - communal drinks like cocktails by the pitcher
• "Soda Fountain" Drinks - not a true soda fountain nor non-alcoholic, but tall refreshers that you can drink several of without getting loaded.
• Mezcal, served neat in small and large ceramic containers
• The Oaxacan Stand-Off - a combination of copita of mezcal, a sangrita, and a little beer

Santer said the goal of the drink program is to embrace "Sessionability: The ability of a beverage to be both delicious and highly drinkable in great quantities while leaving the imbiber lifted but not legless."

It sounds like I'll be spending weekend days there. They hope to be open at that time (after permit approval), and at 5PM the rest of the week. 

To entertain patrons during the long hours of low-alcohol imbibing, they'll also offer shuffleboard and invite food trucks to serve customers. 

Prizefighter
6702 Hollis Street
Emeryville, CA

Opening mid-November 2011