Author: Camper English

Leblon is a cachaca (Brazilian sugar-cane-based rum) that’s aged 3-6 months in used cognac barrels in France. The last part has always been a confusing point to cachaca consumers. Or at least to me. If it’s aged in France, how can it be called cachaca? Last night I had dinner at Jardiniere with Gerry Schweitzer,…

By me, in today’s San Francisco Chronicle: Jammin’ cocktails Camper English Friday, August 3, 2007 With mixologists around town focusing on farmers’ market fruits and fresh herbs, we wouldn’t have guessed the hot new cocktail ingredients would be marmalade and jam. But we don’t make the trends, just report on them. — Bar Drake, the…

It’s hard for me to leave downtown without stopping into one of my favorite watering holes. And it’s hard for me to leave one of my favorite downtown watering holes without stumbling into one of my other favorite watering holes nearby. Yesterday I hit Bourbon & Branch for some investigative drinking. (The management is not…

I received the latest copy of San Francisco Magazine in the mail today, in which I have a story on the latest trend in nightlife- retro-opulent design bars with demoted dancefloors. In San Francisco, some of the hot new spots opened recently are: Harlot (Bordello theme) Slide (Speakeasy theme) Etiquette (Victorian-bondage theme) Ambassador (Rat Pack…

Bay Area bartenders earn toasts at New Orleans cocktail event Camper English, Special to The Chronicle Friday, July 27, 2007 We like to think our bartenders and their drink creations are extraordinary here in the Bay Area. Last weekend at the Tales of the Cocktail event held in New Orleans, we found validation that it’s…

It became clear at Tales of the Cocktail that the amount of swag was going to be unmanageable, so I started declining freebies unless I was prepared to lug them home. Not everything made it (hope the hotel maid likes vodka!) and I still had two additional pieces of luggage on the way back. My…

I think I’m a rare person that made it through all of Tales of the Cocktail without a hangover. But then I drank a lot on the plane and have one today back in San Francisco. Still, the conference was exhausting and I was starting to feel it on Saturday. At the Cocktails and the…

By me in today’s SF Chronicle: St. George Spirits, the Alameda distillers behind Hangar One Vodka and several eaux-de-vie, liqueurs and one whiskey, have launched another small bottling with big flavor. Aqua Perfecta Basil Eau de Vie is made with Thai and other varieties of basil, soaked in unaged California grape brandy and redistilled. The…

Day 3 Recap: On Thursday I attended a lot more seminars: Organic and local cocktails- Alison Evanow of Square One organic vodka says, “Vodka is like butter.” There are some really interesting non-profit healthy food programs happening in New Orleans post-Katrina. The future of mixology, with bar stars Todd Thrasher, James Meehan, and John Kinder.…

It’s day two of Tales of the Cocktail and I’m still going strong. Currently I’m skipping the “spirited dinners” drinks-and-food pairing dinners happening all over town because as a vegetarian they don’t make these things for me. (“Can you pair this vermouth with a salad?”) So I had my own beer and pizza pairing at…