Bending Elbows: If there was a view it would be of San Francisco

Re-introducing an occasional feature about extraordinary watering holes wherever. This time it's in the East Bay. Yes, the only.                                                                  

        A lovely out-of-the-way spot in Emeryville (south Berkeley) harkens back to august industrial traditions of the neighborhood. Like the ice house - that emblem on the coaster is of tongs once used to move blocks of ice, and real tongs dangle potted plants from the ceiling. The long, commodious bar is backed by an amazing array of tequila and mescal, among other excellent and often hard to get bottles. Bartenders are knowledgeable about the many varieties and vagaries of agave - a succulent, not a cactus - as well as the geography and haunting spirits of Oaxaca and Tequila Valley. (I never got around to asking about all the bourbon, scotch, etc.) Whatever your choice, something wonderful will be made with potent ingredients and a gracious explanation of why it’s delectable and from whither it hails. Name’s Prizefighter, another bygone concept, and the street Hollis Avenue near Ashby, just a hop off Interstate 80.
(See also http://cjonwine.blogspot.com/2014/11/mystery-heft-provenance-tequila.html)