Tag archives: Brandon Ristaino

There’s something magical about a great hotel bar. Done right, it becomes a portal: a sanctuary for travelers, a home base for locals, a liminal space where you can slip into anonymity or stumble into unexpected conversation. It’s the perfect setting for an impromptu martini or a slow-burning Manhattan, a late-night snack or a celebration […]

Natural wine refers to wine made from grapes farmed without pesticides and with minimal intervention in the cellar, meaning nothing is added or removed. Devotees think of it as the purest form of wine, and something as essential as choosing to eat organic foods. The arrival of two new natural wine-focused bars to downtown Santa […]

When Brandon Ristaino and his partner and wife Misty Orman started The Good Lion bar on State Street, no one believed there was a market in Santa Barbara for a stand-alone drinkery featuring the fine art of mixology. Five years later with three local establishments, including Test Pilot in the Funk Zone and Shaker Mill on […]