58 MARCH 2020
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Y BIGGEST COMPLAINT ABOUT BARS is that there are too many expectations. The
dive bar demands that we socialize at unbearable decibel levels over nachos and
Narragansett, and the wine bar dares us to spend that post-rent pocket change
on a bottle we’re pretending to know how to pronounce. Enter the listening bar,
or hi-fi bar, where you can sit silently, sip a sidecar, and do nothing else.
Traveling in Japan in 2015, Daniel Gahr and Shirin Raza of Bar Shiru in Oakland,
California, were blown away by bars with audiophile sound systems and tidy,
enticing menus. “We were shocked to find that nothing similar existed here,”
Gahr says. Last February, the couple opened Bar Shiru, where 70 acoustic panels
in the ceiling and walls maximize sound quality. Even the photos of Billie Holiday
and Nina Simone hanging over the bar are printed on acoustic-friendly fabric.
Unsurprisingly, nostalgia is at the core of the listening-bar ethos. “We focus
on jazz in its many eras of expressions and forms,” Gahr says. Most guests end
up staying put for one or two full albums’ worth of music and drinks, which are
also respectful riffs on the classics—adding, for instance, pamplemousse liqueur
and sea salt to a traditional paloma (see recipe at right).
Bar Shiru isn’t the only listening bar in the U.S. these days. In Chicago, check
out Dorian’s; in New York City, head to Public Records and Tokyo Record Bar. “In
a lot of bars, the music is in the background as sonic wallpaper,” Gahr says. “But
in truth, when we travel, record stores and bars are how we get a sense of place.”
M
BRING IT HOME
Gahr and Raza created a hi-fi stereo system
at home before building out Bar Shiru. They
recommend the Rega RP1 turntable ($450,
amazon.com) and a pair of Dynaudio Evoke
10 speakers ($1,500, crutchfield.com).
Bar Shiru serves many drinks using retro-
cool Nick and Nora glasses, named after
the iconic Hollywood detective duo. We love
Cocktail Kingdom’s gold-rimmed version.
($42 for a set of 6, cocktailkingdom.com)
Ruby Red
Pamplemousse
Paloma
TOTAL 5 MIN; SERVES 1
Giffard’s pink grapefruit
liqueur has a concentrated
grapefruit flavor, with a
gentle bitterness from the
pith and plenty of citrus
sweetness from the fruit. It
adds complexity to this
upscale paloma, rounding
out the fresh, tart juices
with enough sweetness to
balance each drink.
3 Tbsp. (1^1 / 2 oz.) blanco
tequila
2 Tbsp. fresh Ruby Red
grapefruit juice
2 Tbsp. (1 oz.)
Giffard Crème de
Pamplemousse Rose
liqueur
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon
juice
Pinch of fine sea salt
(not iodized)
2 Tbsp. club soda
Lime wedge
Combine tequila, grape-
fruit juice, liqueur, lemon
juice, and salt in a Boston
cocktail shaker. Fill shaker
with ice cubes. Cover and
shake vigorously until well
chilled. Strain into a Collins
glass filled with ice cubes.
Top with club soda, and
garnish with a lime wedge.
—DANIEL GAHR, BAR SHIRU,
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA
NOTE Find this stunning
liqueur at Total Wine &
More and other well-
stocked liquor stores.
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