From Berkeley to Sausalito, new restaurants to old, here are a handful of drinks to put on your warm weather, spring radar – and accompanying bites to go with. COMAL, Berkeley (2020 Shattuck Ave., between Addison & University, Berkeley, 510-926-6300) Downtown Berkeley (as opposed to the rest of Berkeley) has never overwhelmed on excellent dining options, much as I’ve combed… Read more →
WHISKIES of the WORLD Tastes A better than ever year aboard the SF Belle at Whiskies of the World means some fine, global pours of whisk(e)y from Scotland to Australia. On the fun and interesting tip, Lark Distillery distills single malt whisky in Tasmania, an Australian island – and it’s surprisingly solid. Distilled in copper pot stills, it’s smooth with a… Read more →
Spring imparts new life and lush green after Winter rains. It also ushers in a glut of Spring cocktail menus emphasizing the best produce of the season and new trends. Bottled Cocktail Line-up Bottled cocktails are sprouting up everywhere, including just-opened (on April 12), 1950’s era speakeasy, Local Edition, from the Bourbon & Branch crew. There is no carbonation here,… Read more →
LOCAL EDITION, Downtown (691 Market St. at 3rd, 415-795-1375) Bourbon & Branch, Wilson & Wilson, Rickhouse… I’ve frequented (and written about) each since they opened. Though some tire of the speakeasy concept, Bourbon & Branch led that trend, remaining one of the more transporting places to drink anywhere. I value Future Bars (Destination Bars) emphasis on setting and will always… Read more →
HEAVEN’S DOG, 1148 Mission Street (between 7th & 8th Streets), 415-863-6008 Heaven’s Dog has been a haven for superb cocktails since it opened, with excellent bartenders like Erik Ellestad (Savoy Stomp) and pre-Prohibition era cocktails ($10 each) from Charles H. Baker’s The Gentleman’s Companion (aka Jigger, Beaker & Glass). The bar still serves Baker classics, and with new bar manager… Read more →
GITANE, Financial District (6 Claude Lane between Bush & Sutter Streets, 415-788-6686) While I miss the sophisticated, out-of-the-box cocktails of former bar managers Carlo Splendorini and Alex Smith at Gitane (they both continue to craft excellent drinks, Splendorini at Michael Mina, Smith at Honor Bar), I am pleased to say Gitane, one of the sexiest spots in all of SF,… Read more →
Did you know there is an orange called the Curacao? It’s a variety of orange extremely bitter to taste, with weathered skin. Drying them in the sun releases fragrant oils. Homely as the orange may be, its intense flavor was valued in making curacao in ages past. American palates aren’t exactly prone to bitter. We’ve been so weaned on sugar,… Read more →
An Irish whiskey with a Bay Area connection… Livermore, to be exact? It’s true. January saw the release of a brand new whiskey, not a common occurrence in Ireland. What better way to initiate this new release than with a Bon Vivants’ party? My recent travails through Ireland, particularly exploring whiskey production in County Cork (from pot still beauties like Redbreast,… Read more →
It’s true: the East Bay cocktail scene is growing by leaps and bounds lately, with a slew of new bars (many opened by San Francisco bar stars) popping up from Albany to Alameda. Two comfortable, new hang-outs just debuted January 3rd serving cocktails for the geek and casual imbiber alike. Both claim noteworthy bartenders covering various shifts. I spent an… Read more →
Food and wine are the draw at Fifth Floor (read here and here), but bartender Brian Means (formerly of Zero Zero) has created cocktails worth a stop all by themselves in the mellow lounge. The unassuming Mr. Means creates some of the more promising recipes I’ve tasted from an up-and-coming bartender. As I judge multiple cocktail contests, his entries consistently… Read more →