Juniper Tar

I went in on a Downtown Tuesday, expecting a Happy Hour, unfortunately their recent opening meant that they didn’t actually have time to set up a Happy Hour menu yet. (the bar manager did promise it was coming within the month!)
I asked the bartender what his favorite thing to make was, and after telling me it was a Slow Gin Fizz, I told him, while that drink is great, I was more int he mood for a Old Fashioned or a Manhattan. He set me up with an Old Fashioned. Then I sat to enjoy my cocktail while waiting for my friend.
The bartender and the bar manager were both very friendly. They would include me in their conversations (most of the time they just involve things they were putting on the menu and ways to reduce loss on fresh fruit and whatnot). While it was conversation you wouldn’t typically hear in a bar, it was fascinating that I was able to see what kind of goes on behind the scenes of a bar and that they staff was comfortable talking about it, though that might have had something to do with the fact that I was the only patron in the store since they opened 15 minutes prior to my arriving.
I finished the cocktail, paid ten dollars for it all together. Which is a little pricey for my tastes (since i like to frequent happy hours) but the drink was good, the venue beautiful and the company pleasant. It’s definitely a bar to go back to! Next time though, it will be when they have the Happy Hour up and running. :P
(Also; Tip! Check out the Bathroom, It’s probably the nicest bathroom I’ve ever been in.)

Trying to figure out if this place is still open. Went by Saturday night and it was closed. You call their number and it is still working with an outgoing msg about reservations and parking, but is it still open???

Great place for happy hour. My friend raved about their cocktails so I was happy to go with her on a Wednesday night to check them out. Their cocktail menu does rotate but if you have a favorite and they still have the fruit, they will make it for you. I had a drink off of the happy hour menu (6 cocktails each at $ 6) and the current one. I enjoyed both of my drinks. Place has great décor and a fun vibe.
I had no issues with my dress or the staff. I think use your common sense as this isn’t an ice house. Dress nice and act respectfully to the staff and you will have a great time. There is pay for parking right across the street although the screen on the meter is jacked up.

By far one of the coolest designs for a bar in the country. My dream home would have a setup similar to it.

We went on a Friday night, and it was ideal since it wasn’t a full house to the point we couldn’t score two seats but I guess it was busy enough for the waitress to occasionally forget us, or — take a really long time for our next order rather. So I go up to the bar to ask for my next drink, the bartender asked where I was seated, I showed him. He said– «tell your waitress so she can tell me, it’s easier for me that way». Which it makes sense– it really does. But we were literally seated across from him, and it was evident we had been waiting to flag olé girl down for a good 10 – 15 min. And it wasn’t so packed since the biggest party left. So granted, when a bartender puts his convenience over a customer it just leaves you a bad taste in your mouth. Pun intended. Eventually he asked another bartender to make my drink since it was evident I wasn’t happy.
Music was hit or miss. I guess I expect the music to match the ambience and décor. I’m not expecting Frank Sinatra all night but I sure as hell wasn’t expecting dance, electro, EDM type music. And the music was very random. One song was slow and indie, next was EDM. Kills the vibe. And buzz, quick.
Drinks were. I don’t know. We have been to a lot of cocktail faves around SA and I wasn’t impressed. Secret Agent was strong, and the best one compared to the others I had. I had a peach infused whiskey based one that was weak, and a whiskey smash that was like a whiskey extra sour packed with Sonic ice. I was a fan of the fresh fruit though.
Overall– being turned down once over his convenience, weak drinks at high end prices didn’t meet my expectations and the music completely ruined my first time experience. And poor music choice is crucial in any setting, IMO.
The competition is steep with new and upcoming cocktail fashionistas breaking way at new bars and dives– so easily, expectations are higher.

New favorite. The interior is absolutely gorgeous. The drinks are fresh, delicious, and presented beautifully.

Walked in the bar as a recommendation with a large Bridal party. Handed drink menus by the waitress. Everything looked great until one of the workers came up to our party and said we don’t fit their dress code (two people didn’t have collared shirts and closed toe shoes). He then throws a sport coat saying ‘wear this’ and walks away. How disgusting and rude. To top it off, we begin to leave and two of the patrons and one employee begin calling us hoosiers and other names, implying that we’re not up to their standards to enjoy their company. (Our crowd consisted of a pharmacist an engineer and two lawyers, but that doesn’t matter).
Sad thing is the atmosphere at the bar when we first walked in looked pretty cool, we would’ve liked to enjoy the drinks. Oh well, your loss Juniper Tar.
PS. next time you have a drunk fat bearded patron try to scream and fight your guests, you should probably step in or call the cops.

Wow! I don’t really write reviews, this is probably only my 3^rd review ever on Unilocal but I was so impressed by their drinks and service they truly deserve 5 stars!
Try the Magic Mike!

Not sure if we’ve lucked into something here, but both our visits here have been sensational. Great cocktails, excellent bartenders, nice ambience (great playlist at a volume that doesn’t preclude easy conversation), and the absence of crowds that being a couple blocks away from the tourist crawl gets you.
A big plus here is the ready availability of FREE parking within a block, caveat being that it is only free after 5 PM, not mentioning names here but a phone inquiry at JT should work.
Service from Robbie (that has since left for law school) Bruno, and Corey has been among the best we’ve had in SA. They have a small but varied menu, and yet are readily able to expand on the «bespoke cocktail» concept with an excellent selection of spirits.

Yeah it is expensive, and yeah men have to have a collared shirt on, but damn these guys can mix a cocktail! I can’t afford to drink here often but it is a great place to have a little celebration or grab a cocktail to start an evening out.
They have an ever rotating cocktail menu, I want to say it changes every couple of weeks, using the freshest fruits and juices they can get, but the best way to drink here is to let the bartender play. Obviously, don’t do this if it is busy, that is just mean, but if they aren’t crazy busy tell the bartender what spirit (s) you like, how sweet or boozy you want it, and let them work their magic.
After sampling, and loving, one of their new menu items the other night I asked the bartender if I wanted that again or if he wanted to get creative. I can’t quote his exact response, need to stay PC, but basically he told me that he was ready to get creative. I decided to push him a little bit and have him work with one of my favorite, off the wall, spirits, Calvados. Calvados is an apple brandy, it is both sweet and packs a punch. He asked if I wanted something on the boozier or sweeter side. I chose boozy. He thinks for a minute and goes to work mixing. I tried to watch what he was adding in, saw the Calvados, some rye whiskey and then lost track of what he was grabbing. When I tried the drink I almost proposed! It was absolutely delicious. Served on a ice rock, boozy, sweet, perfectly balanced, quite frankly it was perfect. So perfect in fact that I had him write the recipe down so I can make it at home.
The drinks will set you back $ 12 per but trust me they are worth it. They take their time creating the drinks, it’s fun to watch them work (IMO). This isn’t your Rum and Coke type of place, the drinks will take a little bit to make, relax and enjoy the show.
Follow them on Twitter at @JuniperTar

Great place for drinks. Bartenders give you their undivided attention and are extremely knowledgable to every cocktail on the menu. However this bar is not for the under average person. Guys you NEED to wear a shirt with a collar or a sports coat before entering. You won’t find budlight or miller lite behind the bar. And the drinks are not cheap. So if you are one of those drinkers that enjoy $ 5 shots and $ 3 cranberry vodkas this is not your place. However if you are a classy individual that enjoys a great cocktail and social then this is the place for you. CHEERS!!!

Had the opportunity to check this place out on its opening weekend. Made a reservation just to be safe and I’m glad we did. Busy opening night and we were still welcomed by the owner, pretty cool. He asked if he could ask the bartender to surprise us and whatever he brought us was amazing. A little pricy for SA, but the atmosphere and hospitality make it ok. I’ll definitely be back next time I spend a weekend in SA.

Incredible service and a truly amazing product.
I love that they have a huge cooler right on the bar with fresh fruit. I didn’t bother with the menu and just picked a fruit each time I ordered a drink and let the bartenders do their work. I was blown away every time.
Friendly staff and beautiful surroundings.

Sumptuous for both the palate and the eye.
Starting with a warm welcome from the owner and barmen, I had both the happy hour and regular menu to choose from.
The fresh blackberry Collins… delightful, and beautifully served.
The fresh plum daiquiri is divine.
There is much to keep your eye stimulated while you enjoy excellent libations, and none of it is accidental.
The Ironwork, custom stained glass, and curated art collection are all thoughtful and sourced locally.
Use of color, texture, and material, come together to create a compelling space to enjoy friends, relax, and partake in Juniper Tar’s formidable offerings.
Finished the evening with a lovely house Sancerre .
Cool, embracing, eclectic, friendly, and of course exceptional drinks.
Well done Juniper Tar, we’ll be back!

Ok, first thing first, why are all craft cocktail bartenders so… Arrogant? Let’s just simply get it out of the way people, by all bartender standards, craft cocktails are the norm these days. Yes I get it you are trying to give me a better and proper buzz for my money, but let’s be real, everyone else is doing it and your not doing me a favor. Where ever I go in the country I will find a bar just like yours that probably jumped on the band wagon about the same time as you did.
Now that I got that out of my chest… The cocktails are, well like any other place that offers craft cocktails… Nothing special here. The décor made me feel like I was tripping on Acid… HARD, and the cocktails took a very long time, had one, asked for a second, got my check, got out in a hurry before they managed to kill my buzz

Total speakeasy vibe, no sign outside from when I went (during their opening week) except the name I think is on the glass on the door… I think, also located right next to the dominoes pizza place. There is a bouncer outside, and you have to make a reservation (we didn’t know that, but still got let in anyways). I really loved the décor, it made me feel like I was in a different time period. Pretty quiet with little groups mingling and what not. Met some cool people at the bar. Drinks are pretty pricey though, so if that’s your thing, then do you booboo.

Very nice establishment. Décor very nice. The ladies room is over the top. Servers very welcoming. One server even made a recommendation the Bespoke Reposado Tequila. Nice but very spicy. Drinks are probably considered high for San Antonio. $ 5 for beers and between $ 12-​$ 14 a cocktail. The only way to make a reservation is via email which I attempted but never received a response. Was able to get in after about a 2 minute wait. When I questioned the reservation system, it was explained to me that they do not check emails after 5pm and only checked Monday-​Friday. If you are wanting a reservation for Saturday night you have to email before 5pm on Friday. Seems a little strange but that’s their policy. Some have mentioned they are not a fan of the collared shirt, no flip flop requirement but it may be time for SA to embrace a new way. The drink prices and reservation system make it a little difficult for this to be a every weekend call up some friends and hang out kind of place, but special occasion place most definitely.

Most expensive drinks I’ve ever had. By far.
Came here with two friends, each of us had two drinks. That’s six drinks total. Bar tab was $ 128. I’ve never had a well drink this expensive. But they don’t put down the prices on the drink menu, and dream up massive charges for rather easy drinks. Two of the drinks had just two ingredients. How do they even come close to justifying these prices? I don’t know how they can sleep at night. Seriously– avoid this place.
Absolute rip off.

I liked this place. I went early-​ish on a Saturday night and had no issues getting in (I didn’t need a reservation, and there was plenty of seating). Keep in mind that the bar caps capacity at around 50 people. Cocktail servers were attentive. I had the ginger cocktail (with ginger sorbet on top that melted into the drink) which was sweet and spicy and good. I tried other friends’ cocktails, they were also good. You have the ability to create your own cocktail with whatever liquor you choose, and fresh fruits, in whatever style you want (shaken, over ice, you get the idea). One at a time for the women’s bathroom. Nice decorative touches. I especially like the gold toilet, and hope to get one in my future home! I will return and try other cocktails. Can’t wait! PS– gents, you won’t get in without a collared shirt!

Gold accent 1920s style Art Deco, speak easy-​ish bar next to dominoes at the corner. You’ll find the bouncer with a clip board, can’t miss him!
But of course you have to make RSVPs to enter. I was not aware of this. Someone from another establishment spoke highly of the place and recommended I pay a visit to Juniper Tar
It’s nice place and very pricey. If your about that life this is for you, go for it!