These three bars (or restaurant bars) are all new openings within the last 1-3 weeks. I’ve visited those in SF a couple times each, while catching a sneak peek of the Oakland bar. Tasting through a number of drinks on these menus signifies all three as bars to watch. AQ, SoMa1085 Mission Street (between 6th & 7th), 415-341-9000 New restaurant… Read more →
The wine scene never rests, particularly during harvest time. Besides traveling to Bordeaux for harvest a couple weeks ago (where I picked grapes with the harvesters one day in Sauternes), and continued weekends in Napa and Sonoma, I’ve been savoring the city’s latest wine bars, wine books, winemaker tastings, and a rare panel for Robert Mondavi staff of key winemakers… Read more →
TEQUILA DON JULIO 70 ANJEO CLARO Don Julio 70 Añejo Claro is the 70th anniversary release created by Don Julio González himself. Yes, he is a person, who retired in 2002 but still creates anniversary recipes each decade (the last was his soft, elegant 1942 tequila released for their 60th anniversary). At 80 proof, Añejo Claro sounds gimmicky at first:… Read more →
Another year, another WhiskyFest. I’ve been attending a number of years now, ever relishing an opportunity to try unexplored whiskies, refresh my taste memory on others, and connect with whisk(e)y industry folk and distillers here from Kentucky to Scotland. A number of options listed as VIP tastes (more than ever this year) were not, in fact, available at all. Some… Read more →
Carlos Camarena, master distiller of El Tesoro tequila (along with Charbay, Tapatio, Ocho, Excellia and more) is a powerhouse. Not only does he mastermind an insane number of tequilas, but he is passionate about traditional, small production, hands-on methods, pure ingredients, no shortcuts… yet he never sounds like a PR pitch. His sincerity authenticates his words: “In every bottle you will… Read more →
Ireland is a green land of rolling hills, sheep and craggy coastline, to be sure. The people enchanted even more… a generous, welcoming, hilarious lot. One of my favorite people in recent Ireland travels was Liam O’Leary, distillery operations manager at New Midleton Distillery in County Cork, near the southern coast of Ireland. The name New Midleton may not mean … Read more →
Consistently, St. George Spirits wears the crown for renegade inventiveness. As I wrote last year, Lance Winters, master distiller, and distillers Dave Smith and Chris Jordan, lead the way in out-of-the-box creativity. Never have I seen the like of their test tube apothecary of experimentation where they’ll try anything, from foie gras and beef jerky, to carrots and Dungeness crab,… Read more →
It’s a unique time in Bay Area winemaking. We see more California winemakers finding harmony between New & Old World-style production, laying off heavier-handed extremes of overly-oaked or high alcohol wines, honing in on our region’s true terroir. While global love for big, bold California wines isn’t going anywhere, it’s ever more apparent that our range is far beyond what… Read more →
On September 6th, Harry Denton’s legendary Starlight Room will reopen, revamped, with brand new menus and look. Though the space wasn’t quite ready for a sneak peek, I did sample a few of the cocktails that will be on offer from bar manager Joel Teitelbaum’s winning menu. Grouped together by time periods, the menu starts with the 1600’s and punch,… Read more →
JAPANESE WHISKY If you were at SF Chefs last month (here’s my recap of it), you might have been privileged to try Hakushu whisky as I did… multiple times over the weekend. The 12 year Hakushu emits sweet pear and green apple aromas, but surprises with dry smoke. Shockingly evocative of a peaty, Islay Scotch (sans the peat), Hakushu is… Read more →