Alcademics

Category: San Francisco

  • Nightingale Bar to Become Shotski’s Alpine Lodge

    The Kearny Street bar Nightingale is about to change theme. Owned by Future Bars and most recently home of the pop-up The Merriest Bar, Nightingale will soon become Shotski’s Alpine Lodge in a change of concept.

    (image from Nightingale Facebook page)


    They promise “the essence of a ski getaway, minus the cold. As summer approaches, Shotski’s will transform into a picturesque lakeside hunting cabin. Initially, Shotski’s will offer a vibrant indoor/outdoor atmosphere featuring warming cocktails, icy shots, amusements, energetic DJs, and live bands—all while showing sports on TV. It will be the perfect place to celebrate the day’s adventures and embrace the ambiance of the mountains.”

    The bar had a huge successful event during Santacon this year where they took over the 1-block Claude Lane out back (they don’t usually have a patio out there) for DJs, etc. Given this description I would guess that they’re going to try to capitalize more on the back alley rather than the front sidewalk.

    I work nearby so I’ll be checking in on its progress.

    Nightingale was themed as a fern bar with nods to 1970s drinks on the menu and in the design. It has a larger downstairs and a cute little upstairs bar – and now maybe room out back for apres-ski-inspired shenanigans.

    Here’s a screen cap from the website:

  • 103 Things to Drink in San Francisco, 1855

    I am reading the 1855 book Land of Gold, Reality Versus Fiction by Hinton Helper. You can find it online here. It talks a lot of smack about San Francisco and I love it.

    San Francisco was a brand new city in 1848 when gold was discovered in Sacramento, but by 1855 the population was over 20,000, soon to be 30,000 in another couple of years. And already you could get all this stuff to drink.

    BILL OF FARE OF A CALIFORNIA GROGGERY.

    1. Scotch Ale,
    2. English Porter,
    3. American Brandy,
    4. Irish Whiskey,
    5. Holland Gin,
    6. Jamaica Rum,
    7. French Claret,
    8. Spanish Sack,
    9. German Hockamore,
    10. Persian Sherbet,
    11. Portuguese Port,
    12. Brazilian Arrack,
    13. Swiss Absynthe,
    14. East India Acids,
    15. Spirit Stews and Toddies,
    16. Lager Beer,
    17. New Cider,
    18. Soda Waters,
    19. Mineral Drinks,
    20. Ginger Pop,
    21. Usquebaugh,
    22. Sangaree,
    23. Perkin,
    24. Mead,
    25. Metheglin,
    26. Eggnog,
    27. Capilliare,
    28. Kirschwassen,
    29. Cognac,
    30. Rhenish Wine,
    31. Sauterne,
    32. Malaga,
    33. Muscatel,
    34. Burgundy,
    35. Haut Bersac,
    36. Champagne,
    37. Maraschino,
    38. Tafia,
    39. Negus,
    40. Tog,
    41. Shambro,
    42. Fisca,
    43. Virginia,
    44. Knickerbocker,
    45. Snifter,
    46. Exchange,
    47. Poker,
    48. Agent,
    49. Floater,
    50. I O U,
    51. Smasher,
    52. Curacoa,
    53. Ratafia,
    54. Tokay,
    55. Calcavalla,
    56. Alcohol,
    57. Cordials,
    58. Syrups,
    59. Stingo,
    60. Hot Grog,
    61. Mint Juleps,
    62. Gin Sling,
    63. Brick Tops,
    64. Sherry Cobblers,
    65. Queen Charlottes,
    66. Mountaineers,
    67. (continued)
    68. Brandy Smashes,
    69. Whiskey Punch,
    70. Cherry Bounce,
    71. Shamperone,
    72. Drizzles,
    73. Our Own,
    74. Red Light,
    75. Hairs,
    76. Horns,
    77. Whistler,
    78. White Lion,
    79. Settler,
    80. Peach and Honey,
    81. Whiskey Skin,
    82. Old Sea Dog,
    83. Peg and Whistle,
    84. Eye Opener,
    85. Apple Dam,
    86. Flip Flap,
    87. One-eyed Joe,
    88. Cooler,
    89. Cocktails,
    90. Tom and Jerry,
    91. Moral Suasion,
    92. Jewett’s Fancy,
    93. Ne Plus Ultra,
    94. Citronella Jam,
    95. Silver Spout,
    96. Veto,
    97. Deacon,
    98. Ching Ching,
    99. Sergeant,
    100. Stone Wall,
    101. Rooster Tail,
    102. Vox Populi,
    103. Tug and Try,


    One mistake: 67 is (continued) where it went onto the next page, so make that 102 things to drink!



    To learn more about San Francisco’s bar and cocktail history, join me for an upcoming history walking tour. Information is here!

  • Speaking at the Museum of the Eye Dec 28

    I’ll be giving a short talk at the event “Celebratory Bubbles, Not Eye Troubles” at the Museum of the Eye in San Francisco on December 28th. It’s an annual New Year event.

    My talk (probably a short one of 20ish minutes) is “Eye-Openers, Corpse Revivers, and Anti-Fogmatics: The Medicinal Morning Cocktail.” It’s based on stuff from my book Doctors and Distillers, of course.

    More info and link to tickets is here.

  • Did the Original Cocktail Sauce Contain Angostura Bitters?

    I am researching Prohibition and a search for “cocktails” in the San Francisco Chronicle turned up a story from 1920 on the origin of the “oyster cocktail” that I think is what today we call “cocktail sauce” that is used more on the shrimp cocktail. (I am a 30+ year vegetarian so I could be wrong it though!)

    I just noted the part about Angostura Bitters and ketchup – see the second image. If you give that recipe a try… let me know how it goes.

  • Ginger’s in San Francisco is Closing

    I got wind that Ginger’s, a gay bar in downtown San Francisco, was closing suddenly. The truth may be that there is still a chance to save it if they find the right person to run it, but honestly the job sounds nearly impossible. 

    Bars named Ginger’s have a long history in San Francisco dating to 1978. I felt that the closing of the last one needed to be memorialized. So I pitched a story and wrote the whole thing in one day – some if it from the waiting room of my doctor’s office. 

    Hopefully I did it justice – read it at this link. 


  • The Spirits Micro-Festival Era is Here

    While huge fests like Whiskies of the World, Fog City Social, and WhiskyFest have long been annual traditions, and single-brand tastings are regularly held in bars and liquor stores, an interesting new format has entered the chat. And at least two more of them are scheduled over the next few weeks. 

    Elixir is hosting its second whiskey tasting festival on October 25th – a malt whisky festival they’re calling it. Only 50, $50 tickets are being sold, because 50 people inside Elixir would be a lot on a regular day. Their first one was a bourbon fest with “10+ whiskey vendors” on Sept 13.

    Likewise, Kona’s sponsored a Spirit Showcase: Bourbon Edition at the end of September, with plans for more that will branch out into other spirits categories. This one had 6 producers (each with 3-8 products) and a full food spread including caviar for $75.

    And on October 18th the Dawn Club and Lark Bar plus Cask (all owned by Future Bars) is holding a Whiskey and Blues Fair with 20 distilleries with an outdoor block party down Annie Street for $45.

    I think it’s an interesting new phenomenon happening; a social event, a reason to come out to the bars; a good bargain; and probably good money for the bars as they can partner with the brands on the tastings.

  • Bartender’s Ketchup is Back on the Menu in SF

    Bartenders ketcup

     

    I wrote a story for the SFStandard about elderflower liqueur making a huge comeback. It was so popular when the brand St. Germain first launched in 2007 that it was given the nickname “bartender’s ketchup.”  

    It’s so back, but now bartenders are using a wide range of products. Read the story here. 

     

    IMG_5857

  • 50 Year Time Capsule from the Transamerica Pyramid

    There’s a new exhibit at the Transamerica Pyramid from a time capsule buried 50 years ago. I checked it out. 

    The building was completed in 1972- the time capsule is from 1974. Before that, from 1853-1959, it was the Montgomery Block that hosted the Bank Exchange Saloon. The Bank Exchange was the home of the Pisco Punch, the most famous cocktail in SF from roughly 1870-1920. Duncan Nicol, mentioned in the pictures, was the proprietor of the Bank Exchange in its later decades, and the person who popularized the Pisco Punch. He took his secret recipe to his grave.  

    I’ve left these images purposefully crappy to encourage you to go see it yourself! 

    Transamerica time capsule 1974 - 2025_1

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    Transamerica time capsule 1974 - 2025_5
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  • All of the Olives’ Brine Time to Shine

    My latest story for the San Francisco Chronicle is about all the ways bartenders are liquifying olives in their Martinis – in the vermouth, gin, vodka, brine, leaf tinctures, oil-washing everything, and even an “olive turducken.”

     

    Here’s a gift link so you can read it. 

    CHRONICLE

     

  • Heinold’s First and Last Chance Over the Years

    I stumbled across this thread on Threads -it’s a history of the wonderful and historic the bar Heinold’s First and Last Chance Saloon in Oakland’s Jack London Square, as seen through pictures of its front. 

    If you haven’t been, Heinold’s is a little shack built from the remains of a paddle steamer boat, which opened in 1884 (or 1883, depending on which history you believe). The interior of the tiny bar runs on an extreme slant as the ground beneath it compressed during the 1906 earthquake. The bar is so angled that if you set a full pint of beer on top it will likely pour out of the side – they sometimes offer coasters in a wedge shape like a doorstop so that drinks stay flat! It’s a magic place. 

    The post was put together by the San Francisco Ghost Signs Mapping Project. 

    Here are a few pics and I’d recommend  you follow the entire thread, it’s great and there are a lot more to see. 

     

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