Inside ABV’s Final Upstairs Pop-Up Bar, a Shrine to Tequila

16th Street cocktail haven ABV is rounding out a full year of quarterly-changing bar menus and decor for its upstairs bar-within-a-bar, Over Proof, with one last pop-up held from November 9th through February 24th. But fans of Over Proof’s well-executed cocktail and bar bites pairings can dry their eyes: ABV itself isn’t going anywhere, and Over Proof’s final incarnation, Lágrimas, offers plenty of chances to drown one’s sorrows.

ABV, which opened to acclaim in 2014, converted its upstairs bar area into the imaginative cocktail clubhouse Over Proof last January. The first bar theme there was Flip Flop, and focused on rum and tiki drinks. That was followed by Double Back, devoted to whiskey and Japanese food pairings. Most recently, the theme was Spanish-inspired with Este Oeste, serving sherry, gin, and tapas.

With each theme, ABV has radically swapped its decor. Now the place is difficult to recognize, done up as a sort of altar to tequila and Mezcal under the name Lágrimas. Certainly the mounted devil’s head behind the bar wearing a “Make America Mexico Again” hat is new. Over the course of service, the bar pairs five drinks with Mexican small plates from chef Collin Hilton and sous chef Nick Salazar.

The whole menu is below, $75 minus tax and tip. Seatings are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 6:30 and 9:30. Reservations here.

What’s next for ABV’s upstairs mezzanine area? “We’ve been playing around with ideas about what to do with the space next over the last 12 months, but honestly haven’t committed to anything yet,” says co-owner Todd Smith. “We do know there is more fun to be had, but a creative recharge is needed.”

Sure, but first, a few more drinks.

Food Menu

Mushroom Huarache grilled hen of the woods / squash blossom / huitlacoche

Rock Cod Ceviche toasted sesame / baby radish / lime

Carne Adobada (adobo marinated and grilled steak) / flour tortilla / carrot escabeche / salsa borracha

Chestnut Tamal / blue corn masa / charred sweet potato / peanut mole

Caldo de Res (bone marrow soup) / Cascabel chili / delicata squash / Brussels sprouts / cilantro

Drinks Menu

Ernesto Mezcal, lime, prickly pear syrup, maraschino, grapefruit

Vicente Reposado tequila, amaro, lemon, grendadine

Ojo Rojo hibiscus infused blanco tequila / manzanilla / raspberry gum / coffee / cappelletti

Ponche de Leche de Chivo mezcal / goat's milk / lime / pineapple / cinnamon

Clarita mezcal / dry vermouth / curacao / lime

• ABV’s Upstairs Bar Over Proof Will End on a Tequila-Inspired High Note [ESF]
• Peer Into Over Proof, ABV’s New Upstairs Bar, a World of Raucous Fun [ESF]