3113 W Cary St, Richmond, VA
There are a limited number of cocktail bars in Richmond, but the one that shines perhaps the brightest has to be The Jasper. Making its debut in 2018, The Jasper has had the past five years to earn its stripes. When people recommend a bar with specialty cocktails, it is usually here. The happy hour prices are half off the normal prices and as its slogan succinctly proclaims: Full Pours, Honest Prices. The space itself is rather intimate with a long bar on the left side of the entryway and seating on the right and in the back.
Since The Jasper is known as a cocktail bar, it focuses its attention primarily on drinks. The food on the menu is limited to small plates like steak tartare or little snacks like popcorn. The espresso martinis are the best, and I make a point to order one each time I visit. Their drinks always taste strong but the edge is taken off by the expert flavor combinations. There's a fun option during their happy hour that entails a beer and shot combo, so if you want your Modelo served with a tequila shot, you can happily do so.
You may miss The Jasper as you waltz through Carytown, not only because there is so much liveliness in that part of the city, but because The Jasper does not exactly have a sign indicating what it is. There is, however, a sign that simply says "Bar," and a little J decal in the tiling outside the door. There is also a golden lion which I reckon speaks to its regal taste. As someone who gawks about cocktails at any and every restaurant I frequent, a place designated to such a treat is something of a treat in and of itself.
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