Perhaps it’s the B in Ballard that brings out the neighborhood’s seemingly unquenchable thirst for bourbon. A number of recently opened establishments specialize in America’s finest spirit, and none cater to this niche better than The Sexton. Those fiending for a pour of Elmer T. Lee or Eagle Rare need look no further than this Southern-fried addition to Ballard Avenue, where the drinks are served atop a constellation of white cassette tapes encased in glass. Music features prominently in the decor (with an old acoustic-guitar body converted into shelving, among other details), but those tapes, arranged like some sonic constellation cast-off from the late ’80s, are the unique touch that sets the place apart from those others nearby. KEEGAN HAMILTON 5327 Ballard Ave. N.W., 829-8645, sextonseattle.com