To pull up a stool at the Zig Zag Café is to sit in the presence of genius. Less a cocktail lounge than a center of drinkable scholarship, the Zig Zag acts kind of like the nation's strategic cocktail reserve?a place where all knowledge relating to the mixing of spirituous beverages is collected, pored over, studied, and utilized in the service of getting you drunk in the best, most original, most interesting ways possible. Head cocktailologist Murray Stenson pours some drinks (in particular, the aptly named "Last Word") that have been called the best ever by folks who have dedicated their lives and considerable fortunes to doing nothing but scouring the globe for the best mixed drinks made anywhere by anyone. And even those drinks not yet discovered by the wider world are still amazing in their own right. This is not a place you come for a beer, a glass of wine, or a shot of whiskey. Though they actually do have a nice list of beers and stock some of the greatest Irish whiskies ever distilled, to drink them is to waste an opportunity to have your mind blown by something off the ultra-creative list of house cocktails, or to simply let the bartenders mix up some of their own favorite combinations of your favorite spirits. ?Jason Sheehan 1501 Western Ave., 625-1146