Category: San Francisco

  • How Sweetened It Is

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    Camper English
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    Here's the second of my two stories in the San Francisco Chronicle this weekend. Spirits: Bartenders find new ways to sweeten the deal Camper English, Special to The ChronicleFriday, April 10, 2009 Nearly all cocktails contain a sweetening agent, the simplest of which is raw sugar or simple syrup. Other, newer options include ginger, elderflower,…

  • Here is that Drink I was Talking About

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    Camper English
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    You know how I was blogging about that great new drink that's unavailable because there wasn't enough Hangar One chipotle vodka to put it on the menu? Well, they heard the outcry, they delivered more chipotle, and now the Escondido Romano is on the menu at Nopa for all to enjoy as of yesterday. Hooray!…

  • Camper’s Clampers Bonus: Plaque Pics

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    Camper English
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    As a bonus supplement to my story in the SF Chronicle on E Clampus Vitus, here are pictures I took of the historic plaques located around SF. I didn't get a picture of the Anchor Brewing or Molloy's Tavern in Colma, but here are the other four. Bonus: Bummer and Lazarus plaque.

  • Camper Meets the Clampers

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    Camper English
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    Though we like to think the interest in classic cocktails is a recent one, the members of E Clampus Vitus have been celebrating drink history since the year 5937. That date – 1932 in our years – corresponds with the rebirth of an organization commonly called ECV, or the Clampers, whose motto, Credo Quia Absurdum,…

  • Bar Stars of SF

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    Camper English
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    The SF Chronicle's Bar Stars 2009 feature just came out, and the introduction to the winners is here. The 2009 Bar Stars are: Reza Esmali of Conduit Brooke Arthur of Range Marcovaldo Dionysos of Clock Bar Cate Whalen of Pizzaiolo Thad Vogler of Heaven's Dog I did the write-up of Thad Vogler. I think the…

  • Bay Area Distillers Messing with Agave

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    Camper English
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    Hey, it's double-bonus tequila Friday here at Alcademics! I just learned that my Chronicle story on Bay Area distillers and business owners making tequila here or in Mexico went live today. The print story should be out this Sunday, in the newly-merged Food & Wine sections. Read the story here. Highlights Julio Bermejo of Tommy's…

  • Drinking by Degree

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    Camper English
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    Check out my story in the February issue of San Francisco Magazine. It's about tasting clubs around the city where you earn prizes or a degree by working your way through the menu. I focus on the Tequila Passport program at Tres Agaves, but also mention programs at Tommy's Mexican Restaurant, Forbidden Island, and Barclay's…

  • Bar-Bary Coast

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    Camper English
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    Wolfgang Weber from the Spume blog and Wine & Spirits Magazine has started a Google map of "classic" (in one way or another) eateries and drinkeries along the Barbary Coast Trail in San Francisco. I've never walked the trail myself but now that he's turned it into a bar crawl I'm much more likely to…

  • Heaven’s Dog Preview

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    Camper English
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    On Monday I had the chance to check out Heaven's Dog, the new Charles Phan (Slanted Door) restaurant and bar opening on in San Francisco on Friday. On closer inspection, bar and restaurant would be a more adequate description of the place. There's a small noodle bar/kitchen on one side- almost an adjacent business connected…

  • New Bars and Old New Bars

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    Camper English
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    San Franciscans should immediately leave work and run screaming to their local newsbox to pick up this week's San Francisco Bay Guardian. Why? Because you'll find me waiting for you inside. In the Scene insert I have two stories. One of them is on some new recommended bottles of booze. The other is on new…