The truth is, I’m a cheap-o-holic. Addiction necessitates good-to-free deals, otherwise you go broke really fast. So by all accounts, a place like Big is a bar I should hate. But I don’t. The bar is adorned with flamethrowers, fruits and veggies that I don’t recognize and several shelves of high-class liquors, liqueurs, mixers. For the uninitiated, it’s quite impressive. The drinks are all fucking $13 though! Christ! But much like the Green Door on Stockton, you get to choose your delight. So, in a strange way, it’s all worth it. You can say something stupid, like, “mezcal with celebratory sparkles,” and they conjure up something that makes you happy 90% of the time. No menus, just joy. Bullshit and Branch not much further down the street charges almost as much, but you have to pick from their limited menu, Because they know better than you. And if you don’t know what a stank flower mixed with germanium juice tastes like, well, you’re loss. Pay up, sucka’.

That’s my drunk review of Big. Fun times. Expensive times. Now the bad times. It’s closing Friday, June 14th. Brian, one of the main dudes, mentioned, with great disdain, how the Marriott is taking over the hotel + their little speakeasy-ish, 20-person hallway. So what’s next for Big?

He admitted he’s not moving to Hawaii to live on the beaches in Haole Heaven. But he couldn’t divulge what’s next for the bar - not even the neighborhood, to be specific. Sounds like they need to find a license, which isn’t an easy feat in this city. The Marriott will probably keep the license and open some bland, meaningless bar that feeds tourists and not the neighborhood. Lame.

It’s been a good year, Big. Thanks for bringing something unique, if not really expensive, to the neighborhood.

And for those of you in the ‘hood who haven’t strolled in, do so before they close. Order a gin and muddled jelly. I don’t know what that is, but I’m sure they can deliver it.

Update: The Big owners probably own that liquor license and I doubt they’d sell it back to the hotel. I don’t know what I was talking about last night. Transferring a license in this city isn’t fun or easy in this city either though. I know one street they aren’t moving to.