Encore Saloon features artisanal mezcal and tequila

After covering Honolulu’s bar and nightlife scene for more than a decade, I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with Chinatown.

I loved watching Chinatown flourish as a destination for local club kids as venues like Nextdoor, thirtyninehotel, The Loft, SoHo Mixed Media Bar and Manifest opened their doors. There’s been quite a bit of turnover in the last five years or so, however, and I’m not the biggest fan of how most of the new establishments have been bars instead of nightclubs.

Even more recently, the trend in Chinatown is moving even further away from clubbing, as a number of restaurants have sprung up along Hotel Street and the surrounding blocks. Lucky Belly, Livestock Tavern, Fete and The Pig and the Lady all serve quality cocktails, but customers go there first and foremost for the food.

So I’m torn when a place like Encore Saloon opens its doors instead of a new nightclub.

Danny Kaaialii, 41, made a name for himself and his tasty tacos running Cocina in Kakaako before closing up shop in March and moving to Chinatown.

“When I first moved back (to Hawaii) nine years ago, I started working at (Brasserie) Du Vin,” he said. “That was my first exposure to Chinatown. There were a lot of seedy elements, but the character, the architecture and the history is there, too. I saw the potential and I definitely liked it.”

YOU CAN’T open a restaurant in Chinatown without serving liquor, so Kaaialii made the business decision to chase a niche that has been trending elsewhere and position Encore Saloon as Honolulu’s pre-eminent tequila and mezcal bar.

Both spirits are made from the agave plant and distilled in Mexico, but the areas each is produced in and the production methods used are what set them apart. Mezcal tends to be more artisanal and made in smaller batches by hand using methods that haven’t changed for generations. The result is a more richly flavored and smoky spirit that resonates with fans of aged rum, bourbon and Scotch.

“The types of mezcals that are coming out now are a lot different than the old idea of mezcal,” said Kaaialii. “It’s way more interesting now. The mezcals that are getting outside of Mexico are these real artisanal and ancestral spirits. They come from little towns, and there’s a lot of terroir that shows.

“Literally two years ago there were maybe two or three on the market here. Now there are quite a few more available.”

After a month in business, Encore Saloon currently offers between 20 and 30 different types of mezcal and plans to raise those numbers according to customer demand, Kaaialii said. He’s handed the reigns of the bar program over to Quinn Mears, 29, who arrives in Chinatown after three years at Pint + Jigger with a resume that includes stints at Pearl Ultralounge, Apartment3, M Nightclub, Salt Kitchen & Tasting Bar and Hula Grill Waikiki.

WHAT I like about Encore Saloon is that you’ll know what you’re getting into before even walking in the door, but there are also a few surprises waiting on the pages of Mears’ drink menu. I expected to eat tacos and drink tequila at a Mexican restaurant, but I also enjoyed a classic Clover Club cocktail made with gin and a concoction made with navy-strength rum that will resonate with those who like their drinks on the strong side.

“We’re definitely a tequila bar, but we wanted to still give an opportunity to your classic gin and whiskey drinkers,” Mears said. “We’re trying to hit all bases.”

I’d suggest starting with an Encorita ($9) or Paloma ($10), the former being Encore’s standard house margarita and the latter a classic that adds fresh grapefruit juice and soda to blanco tequila. The Otra Salon ($10) is the bar’s calling card for mezcal fans, with spiced vermouth, curacao and grapefruit liqueur added to create a bold introduction to the spirit. And every drink in the classics category — the Paper Plane, Boulevardier, Clover Club, Japanese Cocktail and Maximilian Affair (all $10) — were all chosen for the menu because mezcal can be substituted as the base spirit at a customer’s request.

Bringing a designated driver? They don’t have to stick with boring plain water here. Go for the agua fresca ($4), which changes flavors daily, or try a glass of house-made tamarind soda ($4) or horchata ($4). Nitro cold-brew coffee ($4) is also available, and it’s good to see Mexican Coke ($4) as an option for the taco-eating crowd looking for a little added authenticity to their meal.

Encore Saloon’s long, narrow dining room layout might make it tough for this place to host nightclub-style parties on First Fridays, but a semiprivate outdoor courtyard out back could help address that challenge if Kaaialii decides to go that route. Even if he doesn’t, I’m sure I’ll be back soon for tacos and more in-depth lessons on mezcal.

Chinatown might not be the same place it was a decade ago, but I love how I’m still drawn to the neighborhood to try new things.