OVERVIEW
Barrel House Tavern (660 Bridgeway Sausalito, CA) is of Sausalito’s most celebrated bar locations, occupying the original ferry building. Open daily with a locally sourced seasonal menu and welcoming atmosphere, it is consistently named among the best restaurants in Marin County.
HISTORY
In 1868, the Sausalito Land & Ferry Company established its first headquarters at this exact location - soon launching Sausalito’s first ferry, the Princess, into San Francisco Bay — beginning a regular service that transformed Sausalito from a quiet waterfront village into an international destination. Ferries carried commuters, day-trippers, produce, and freight for over a century. During Prohibition, this ferry terminal was also one of the primary points through which bootleg Canadian whisky moved from Marin County beaches into San Francisco. The original building survived the 1906 earthquake and two World Wars. In 1946, the original building was torn down and this unique Quonset hut structure became the Purity Market for the next 40 years before being reimaged into use for future watering holes. Ultimately, in 2013 becoming today’s Barrel House of the day. For over 150 years, this location has been truly Unsinkable.
FEATURED WHISKEY
Sausalito Unsinkable Bourbon
Sausalito Whiskey Co., United States · 49.5% ABV
Named for Sausalito's free-thinking, unsinkable spirit. Five-year-old bourbon finished in California Cabernet Sauvignon barrels. The Princess launched from this spot in 1868. A bourbon named for this city's soul, poured where that story began.