Looking like a hobbit hole for Golden Hill’s high density of creative types, you wouldn’t expect half of Counterpoint’s business to come from outside the neighborhood. But that’s the truth, says owner Cam Fomby. Maybe it’s the always-shifting craft beer menu. Or the not-crappy art, curated and rotated every six weeks by local architect Chris Bittner. Or the vegan farro risotto.
It’s something. And now they’ve got something else—a new cockail program designed by Kate MacWilliamson, a wine specialist for the legendary Kermit Lynch who first designed cocktails at Starlite. MacWilliamson designed Starlite’s first cocktail menu and is responsible for the famous Moscow Mules in copper mugs. Some would even give her credit for the entire Mule renaissance in San Diego. As a local musician, Golden Hill resident and friend of Fomby’s, the collaboration just made sense.
“We try to make everything in house when it comes to food,” says Fomby. “Now we’re starting to slowly do that with cocktails, barley scratching the surface of a really meaningful craft.”
Counterpoint decided not to name most cocktails, posting a photo of their menu on their Facebook page with the caption: “Eff naming things.” Specialty cocktails have names like “Champagne cocktail” (cava, Plymouth gin, Lillet, lavender, honey brandied cherry), “vodka drink” (Tito’s vodka, strawberry, mint, lemon, ginger, rose water), and “whiskey drink” (Buffalo Trace bourbon, herbsainte, Peychaud’s bitters, black walnut bitters, orange zest). All seven are priced at $9.
For their next trick, Fomby says he’d like to create some space in the back of the restaurant for tasting cured meats or wines or whiskeys. “We want to create the opportunity to connect with people,” says Fomby. The space is already cozy (70 seats, inside and out), an intimacy that breeds connections.
“I can’t imagine the place being any smaller,” I suggest.
“I can’t imagine it being any bigger,” Fomby replies.
Mule Variations
