NOVELA, SoMa (662 Mission St. between New Montgomery and Annie Streets, 415-896-6500) Watch out: Lead Bartenders Christina Cabrera and Suzanne Miller’s new menu for 2013’s literary drinking lounge newcomer, Novela, signifies a cocktail duo to watch. While Alex Smith continues on as General Manager and talented Dillon Lockwood (formerly of Ice Cream Bar) oversees the unique punch on draft menu… Read more →
THIRD RAIL, Dogpatch (628 20th Street at Third Street) The desolate streets of Dogpatch have continued to come alive with food and drink destinations over recent years. Not long after Dogpatch Saloon re-opened as ideal neighborhood bar with quality cocktails, Third Rail, long in the works from Range owner/chef Phil West and bar manager Jeff Lyon, just opened December 12th. The… Read more →
In the Netherlands with BOLS GENEVER Photos & Article by Virginia Miller Getting lost amid the canals and museums of Amsterdam is mesmerizing. This May, I took a memorable journey to the Netherlands with legendary Bols Genever, genever (pronounced “jeh-NAY-ver”) being the precursor to gin (read my Amsterdam food/dining recommends and best cocktail havens and dive bars here). Confusion still… Read more →
From a beer-laced float, to a South Asian punch, here are four of San Francisco’s best cocktails now: TOSCA’s “HOUSE CAPPUCCINO” I was afraid. Very afraid. Though iconic Tosca Cafe was my beloved haven for San Francisco history and Italian singers on the jukebox, its takeover from NY crew and Chef April Bloomfield had me more than a little concerned… Read more →
No doubt about it: gin has had a year. Small batch producers are sprouting up in greater numbers than ever – in the US but also the UK. Though Bay Area local, Old World Spirits, made waves with their barrel aged gin, Rusty Blade, years ago, the aged gin trend has taken off, with even legendary Beefeater (who I had… Read more →
It gets easier and easier to find an elevated cocktail in Wine Country, besides the superb cocktails at Healdsburg’s Spoonbar and Campo Fina or gratifying refreshers at The Thomas (Fagiani’s) in downtown Napa. Here are a few recent cocktail highlights and one top-notch bitters shop: Bitters Heaven NAPA VALLEY DISTILLERY’s Bitters Shop, Napa Tiny Napa Valley Distillery (the first licensed… Read more →
Meeting lovely Véronique Van Acker-Beittel here in San Francisco in September, I learned fascinating things about genever (pronounced “jeh-NAY-ver”) that I was not aware of even after years of drinking and exploring the Dutch/Belgian spirit that is the predecessor to gin. As a Belgian native (from East Flanders, specifically) who moved to the US in 2002 and married an American, Van… Read more →
Another great year of whiskey, whisky and beyond (Cognac, gin, beer, etc.) at WhiskyFest San Francisco on September 27th at the SF Marriott Marquis – a massive whisk(e)y tasting event featuring distillers and brand ambassadors from around the world, held only in SF, NY and Chicago annually. I’ve been going six years straight (read about past years here), and while… Read more →
My spring travels in Peru with Campo de Encanto Pisco allowed me to richly deepen my pisco knowledge, from hands-on work in pisco production and blending, to witnessing broader uses of pisco in cocktails on Lima menus. I come from a city that has full-on pisco bars, a rarity in the US. Yet despite the range of pisco cocktails in SF,… Read more →
Sacramento… Sac Town, our California Gold Country capital, known for its politics, surrounded by the boundless produce of inland California which us city dwellers richly benefit from. It’s a town I stop to dine in on the way to or from Tahoe but have only stayed the weekend in a couple times, despite its close proximity to San Francisco. A… Read more →