The Baldwin Bar at Sichuan Gardens

Fun and tasty cocktails for summertime (or any time of year)!

I found the Baldwin Bar by happenstance, I was looking for somewhere halfway to meet one of my friends from college. It happened to be perfectly in the middle for us to go to dinner! Whenever I’m meeting people for dinner, I always suggest we go here. I can’t get enough of the delicious cocktails!

It turns out the Baldwin Bar is a cocktail bar that’s a part of the Sichuan Garden Restaurant. There’s been confusion with friends thinking they went to the wrong place because the sign out front says, “The Sichuan Gardens.” The Baldwin Bar isn’t the only cocktail bar in the place; on the second floor is another cozy bar, Baldwin and Sons Trading Co. All three coincide in an old mansion, serving authentic Chinese cuisine. I haven’t had the chance to try Baldwin and Sons Trading Co, because I’m obsessed with the Baldwin Bar.

I was first drawn in by the purple drink. I had no idea what it was, other than it was a deep vibrant purple. It was like Barney climbed out of the screen to make his own special drink. I learned it was called the Halo Halo, made purple from ube milk. Ube is a type of purple sweet potato that tastes like coconut in my opinion. The Halo Halo is the best cocktail I’ve ever had, I wish I knew the secret to making it.

The list of cocktails could be in a foreign language for all I know. The ingredients sound strange and I have no idea what more than half of them are, but when mixed together, they’re always delicious!

I went to the Baldwin Bar for the cocktails, but stayed for the food. They know how to cook. The restaurant is family style, so you order a bunch of dishes to share. Everything I’ve ordered has been top notch. They’ve also been able to make dishes vegan for friends of mine with that preference!

The staff is also so welcoming, offering recommendations about food and explaining flavor profiles of the cocktails. It’s a great place, with mouthwatering food, and amazing cocktails! The only way it gets better is with the company you bring.