Category: San Francisco

  • Best Business Bars in Entrepreneur Magazine

    I contributed a few write-ups to Entrepreneur Magazine's annual Best Business Bars story. It is the July issue, hitting newsstands now.

    I wrote about Azucar Lounge in San Francisco, Drago Centro in Los Angeles, and ROOF at TheWit in Chicago. 

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    Pick it up at the newsstand or read it online here.

     

  • Cocktail Predictions for San Francisco

    I wrote this piece on predictions for the Bay Area cocktail scene back in November for The Bold Italic magazine, and it has just gone online. They made it look super snazzy for the web.

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     Predictions include:

    • Shorter cocktail menus
    • Hyper-local cocktail menus
    • More Scott Beattie
    • Cocktail party pop-ups
    • Other cities taking the lead over San Francisco

    Give it a read and let me know what you think! (Especially about that last thing…)

     

     

  • Three SF Bars Reviewed on DiffordsGuide

    I wrote a new bar report for CLASS Magazine online. 

    It includes short reviews of Jasper's Corner Tap, Harry Denton's Starlight Room, and Wo Hing General Store. 

    The story is here

  • The SF Chronicle’s 2011 Bar Stars

    The SF Chronicle has announced the 2011 Bar Stars, bartenders who deserve special recognition. The introduction by Wine Editor Jon Bonne is here.

    The Bar Stars are:

    Click the links for the write-ups on each bartender.

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    (Photo by Russell Yip/SF Chronicle.)

  • Good on Toast, Great in Drinks

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    (Photo courtesy of That's My Jamm)

    David Ruiz of Mr. Smith's makes jams and preserves just for cocktails. I wrote about it with a quick note about jam in cocktails historically, and in which bar you can find a mezcal drink with strawberry-raspberry-jabanero jam. Yumz.

    Read about That's My Jamm on Tasting Table. The story is here.

     

  • Bits and Pieces from Winter Drinking Guide in 7×7 Magazine

    My San Francisco winter drinking guide in 7×7 Magazine is coming online in bits and pieces.

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    Here are some:

  • Winter Drinking Guide in 7×7 Magazine

    Oh hello, giant sexy four-page spread in the December issue of 7×7 Magazine written by Camper English!

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    Run screaming to your local newsstand to pick up the latest issue with a guide to winter drinking. In it you'll learn:

    • Where to get your fancy on in a hotel bar
    • The best hot drinks in SF
    • Bars with rooms for rent
    • The bar with 1200 Santa Claus dolls on display
    • How I worked the phrase "plaid-slathered" into a bar review
    • Gift ideas from local liquor stores
    • The best bar for hungover bartender spotting 
  • The Bar Agricole Bar Staff

    This coming week is the pre-opening of Bar Agricole, the big big big restaurant/bar project from Thad Vogler about which I am very excited. Bar Agricole opens on August 16th (15th according to the SF Chronicle)

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    I asked Vogler about his bar staff- and got a surprise. All the bartenders will work full-time at Bar Agricole. I know three of the crew pretty well already, and have a feeling I'll get to know the two others soon enough. 

    The Bar Agricole Bar Staff:

    • Ben Krupp (Camino, Slanted Door)
    • Rosa Lynley (Farallon, Slanted Door)
    • Eric Johnson (Eastside West, Bourbon & Branch, Delarosa, Beretta, Heaven's Dog)
    • Craig Lane (Farallon, Heaven's Dog, Slanted Door)
    • Thad Vogler (Slanted Door, Bourbon & Branch, Beretta, Camino, Farallon, Jardiniere, Bardessano, Heaven's Dog)
  • Bar Eras in San Francisco and Beyond

    I have a great-looking four-page story in the August Eat + Drink issue of 7×7 Magazine. 

    The story splits up old bars and new bars inspired by old bars into five types/eras: Barbary Coast, Speakeasy,  Martini Bar, Tiki Bar, and Fern Bar. In each category I list some identifying factors and a few era-appropriate drinks. 

     There are also tons of great pictures by photographer Erin Kunkel, including these yanked from the 7×7 website. 

    Read the story online here or pick up the magazine on the newsstand for even more pictures than on the website. 

    Barbary coast bars in san francisco
    Fern bars in san franicsco history
      
    Tiki bars in san francisco history
     

  • Bar Agricole Cocktail List Revealed

    The SF Chronicle's Jon Bonne gets the scoop on Bar Agricole's forthcoming cocktail list. 

    The story has lots of information about the bar/restaurant (one we've been awaiting for about 2 years). The bar is set to open August 15 or 16. So go read it

    For those of you not lucky enough to have sampled Thad Vogler's cocktails at Slanted Door, Beretta, and other venues, here's the gist: Simple, local, organic, seasonal, custom-made ingredients; small twists on vintage cocktails; consistency and elegance. 

    While the older style of California cocktails was sometimes called the "salad in the glass" style- tons of fresh herb and citrus ingredients muddled together- this menu is more of the refined simplicity Vogler has been seeking all along. For this project, many of the ingredients (even distilled ones) were produced locally just for the bar. 

    I cannot freaking wait! 

    Whiskey Cocktail with dry vermouth and grenadine, absinthe, orange bitters
    Traditional Sour of Blanche d’Armagnac, lemon, egg white
    Brandy Cocktail with curaçao, Italian vermouth, absinthe and bitters
    Daiquiri of white rum, lime, grapefruit, maraska, aromatic bitters
    Jersey Sour: California brandy, lemon, apple, maple, aromatic bitters
    Tequila Daisy with lemon, vermouth blanc, apricot preserve, chartreuse bitters
    Petit Zinc: farmhouse vodka, orange juice, red vermouth, farmhouse curaçao
    Whiskey Sour: lime, port, and orange bitters
    Presidente: California agricole, farmhouse curaçao, grenadine, orange bitters
    White Rum Swizzle with 2 vermouths, lemon, farmhouse curaçao, raspberry
    Ti Punch made with hibiscus bitters
    Gin Cocktail with riesling and stonefruit bitters
    Star Daisy: Calvados, gin, grenadine and lemon
    Capitan Cocktail: Blanche d’Armagnac, aromatic bitters and chinato
    Dry Pisco Punch with pineapple gum and hibiscus bitters