Healdsburg, the small wine town in the north of Sonoma, is home to a little more than 10,000 people and a lot of wineries. It is also now home to a new cocktail bar that officially opened Thursday, June 23, 2016. I was lucky to be in town last night when Duke’s Spirits Cocktails opened.

Duke’s is located on the main plaza of Healdsburg in a space that has been open since the end of prohibition in 1933. What was most recently a local dive bar is now a modern mixology bar owned and run by three former Spoonbar bartenders, Laura Sanfilippo, Tara Heffernon, and Steve Maduro.

On opening night, the room was packed with locals from far (Santa Rosa) and near (Healdsburg) who were excited to check out the new space. It is a rectangular space with a long bar on one side, couches and tables on the other, and lots of standing room in between.

The menu consists of drinks made with garden ingredients. The herbs and flowers come from Heffernon’s garden and the fresh fruits and vegetables are from Sanfilippo’s orchard and vineyard.

Heading to Sonoma for the weekend? Be sure to stop by for a cocktail when you need a break from wine. But if you still want wine, or beer, Duke’s has a small, curated list of local products.

Duke’s
111 Plaza Street, Healdsburg
(707) 431-1060