Penelope at Clay Street & 11th St, Oakland, California.

Penelope is a strange place... Packed and empty, all in the same sitting - the crowds here seem to come in waves. Speaking of crowds, that's also a mixed bag. There were several loud and obnoxious middle aged dudes, hanging around and gambling with dice at the bar (apparently a somewhat normal occurrence here). Otherwise there was a wide array of loud people discussing everything from company stock options to good school districts.The music was popular 90s hip-hop. I had the Beso and Manhattan Project, which were strong, but in a good way. You pay on average $11-12 per drink, so not particularly cheap, but the drinks definitely hit you (only high-end alcohol is used here, so at least you're paying for quality). For the building itself, small doesn't do this place justice - it's TINY! Also, the door was left open the whole time, which brought in smoke and cold air the whole night. Overall - very good drinks, but for the higher prices and poor atmosphere I would pass on Penelope in favor of other nearby bars.