The Cocktail Glass Collection: The Pink Elephant, Monte Rio

I came across this delightful neon bar sign recently on the way out to a mushroom foraging class at Salt Point State Park on the Sonoma Coast. The cocktail glass in this one is in the trunk of the elephant – a unique custom design. I'm not sure whether this place is still open. Some sources seem to indicate that it was shut down for a while but also that it has recently (summer 2025) opened again. I'd love to see the sign lit up at night.

For more neon cocktail glass signs, use the "Cocktail Glass Collection" search tab to the right side of the feed.

The Cocktail Glass Collection: The Silver Peso

It's been quite a while since I've added a new photo to my collection of neon bar signs with cocktail glasses, and this one is from several months ago, but, better late than never....

This sign is in front of The Silver Peso, at 450 Magnolia Ave, Larkspur, California. The lettering is custom, but the cocktail glass on top looks fairly generic. 

For more neon cocktail glass signs, use the "Cocktail Glass Collection" search tab to the right side of the feed.

The Cocktail Glass Collection: The Ha-Ra Club, San Francisco

Another neon cocktail glass sign to add to my growing collection. (This is No. 21. For more, use the "The Cocktail Glass Collection" tab to the right.) This is the Ha-Ra Club, at 875 Geary St., in San Francisco. This one looks generic, just popped on top of the Ha-Ra sign.

[Update: In November 2017, I happened to drive by the place at night. Below is a shot of the sign lit.]

For more, click the "Cocktail Glass Collection" label at right at the top of the page.
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The Cocktail Glass Collection: Pasquini's, Live Oak, CA

On a recent short jaunt up towards Sacramento and Redding I passed through Yuba City. On the outskirts of the town I saw this neon cocktail glass sign at Pasquini's. This one is fairly simple, but the glass is a shape I've never seen before, suggesting it was custom made. Although I seemed to be in Yuba City, the Pasquini's website gives the address as 6241 Highway 99, Live Oak, CA 95953.

For more, click the "Cocktail Glass Collection" label at right at the top of the page.
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The Cocktail Glass Collection: West House Cocktail Lounge, Roseville, CA

On a recent trip up north as far as Redding, California, I spied this neon cocktail glass sign in front of the West House Cocktail Lounge, at the corner of Atlantic St. and Washington Blvd., in Roseville, California. I don't think I've ever seen one like this before--with the glass hanging down from the bottom. This is one of my favorites.

For more, click the "Cocktail Glass Collection" label at right at the top of the page.

The Cocktail Glass Collection: The Washoe House

At the corner of Stony Point Rd. and Roblar Rd., to the west of Cotati, CA, sits The Washoe House, a run-down roadhouse dating back to 1859. Still a bar and restaurant, Washoe House has been an inn, a restaurant, a bar, and, according to Wikipedia, a butcher's shop as well as a post office and a community hall. It was a stage coach stop on routes between Petaluma and Santa Rosa. Ulysses S. Grant is said to have given a speech here once, but the Wikipedia article points out that no supporting evidence for the claim exists. I drove by the place at night tonight for the first time in many years, which afforded an opportunity to photograph the neon cocktail sign lit up--the latest addition to my growing collection of neon cocktail glass signs in front of bars. For more examples, use the "Cocktail Glass Collection" tab to the right.

The Cocktail Glass Collection: Fagiani's in Napa

Another neon cocktail glass--this one at Fagiani's in Napa (813 Main St., in an interesting old building). The glass here appears to be a ready-made, as I've seen ones of identical shape before (in fact, the last example I posted appears to use the same glass or a very similar one--Mario & John's Tavern, in Petaluma). Still, the effect with the Fagiani's script is not bad.

To see others in this series of photographs, click on the "cocktail glass collection" label. 

The Cocktail Glass Collection: Mario & John's Tavern, Petaluma

Last night I attended an art show opening at Griffin Map Design and Gallery on D St., in Petaluma. On my way home I noticed Mario and John's Tavern, at 428 E. D St. Here I add it to my small but growing collection of neon cocktail glass signs. I liked this custom neon sign for the unusually squat cocktail glass on top.

To see others in this series of photographs, click on the "cocktail glass collection" label. 

The Cocktail Glass Collection: Negri's in Occidental, California

Negri's is a hotel in the small town of Occidental, California, in Western Sonoma County. The hotel has a bar with an old school neon sign out front. This example has a skewered cherry, I believe--the neon looks red, anyway. I suppose it's a Manhattan that sits atop the lettering.

To see more in this series of photographs, click on the "cocktail glass collection" label at right.

The Cocktail Glass Collection: The 500 Club, San Francisco

I found myself walking along Valencia St. in San Francisco yesterday, winding my way back to my car  after an appointment--a lot of interesting shops there. I walked a few blocks on 17th St. on my way back toward Dolores Park. At the corner of 17th and Guerrero, I spied The 500 Club, apparently a well-known dive bar, judging from Internet comments I found. I photographed the sign out front to add to my Cocktail Glass Collection--a collection of photos of the martini glass signs in front of bars I began last year (not very seriously--I just enjoy seeing good examples of variations on a theme). This one actually has two martini glasses incorporated into the sign--a large one in neon and other lights perched on top and a smaller all-neon glass at the bottom. Both have skewered cherries.

Click here to see it lit up at night--the top half anyway.

To see others in this series of photographs, click on the "cocktail glass collection" label. 

The Cocktail Glass Collection: The 8 Ball, Cotati, California

There are two or three bars in downtown Cotati. I've never been to any of them, but they keep the town center lively on weekend evenings. I noticed recently that one has a neon cocktail glass sign, so I thought I'd add it to my small but growing collection. This one has a cherry but the glass has no stirring stick or skewer. The bar is at 8 Charles St., Cotati, CA 94931.

To see others in this series of photographs, click on the "cocktail glass collection" label. 

The Cocktail Glass Collection: Willi Bird's Restaurant, Santa Rosa (August 16, 2013)

Here's another addition to my small but growing collection of cocktail glass signs on bars that I see (this is number three). The glass pictured here is on the roof of Willi Bird's Restaurant, 1150 Santa Rosa Ave, in Santa Rosa, California. This is an example of a ready-made, mass produced design that appears on many bars. The custom signs are, of course, more interesting.

To see others in this series of photographs, click on the "cocktail glass collection" label. 

The Cocktail Glass Collection: The Distillery, Sacramento (July 26, 2013)

I visited Sacramento yesterday. Besides taking a walk around Old Sacramento (which is not devoid of interest, but mostly shops with tourist trash in them) and visiting Sutter's Fort, taking a peek at the Capital Building rotunda, and visiting the Crocker Museum of Art again, I photographed this martini glass bar sign, which belongs to a place called The Distillery (near 21st and L Streets). For some reason, I love these old-school martini glass advertising signs on bars.

To see others in this series of photographs, click on the "cocktail glass collection" label. 

[Update: This was only the second example in my collection of cocktail glass bar signs, which has ended up focusing on neon signs. I've decided to leave it here because it lights up, even if it's done with incandescent bulbs rather than neon tubes.]

Miscellaneous: The Martini Glass as Icon (July 18, 2013)

Interesting how the martini glass with a skewered olive or cherry remains the icon of choice for a certain kind of old-school bar. I was in Calistoga yesterday and saw this one over Susie's Bar, a place I'd never noticed before right on the main street. I liked the neon martini glass with what looks like a skewered  red cherry in it.

To see others in this series of photographs, click on the "cocktail glass collection" label.