Sacto gets its own cocktail week

We've been seeing more Sacramento bartenders down in San Francisco lately, as they've started a sub-chapter of SF's United States Bartenders' Guild. Erick Castro from Lounge ON20 & Chicago Fire sent me information on Sacto's first Midtown Cocktail Week this August. The website is here, and this is the schedule: August 5th-11th Tuesday, August 5^th: Cocktail Party Kickoff: Where: L Bar & Martin Miller’s Gin What: Appetizers and cocktails aimed towards local press, industry, city council, etc. Wednesday, August 6^th: The Cocktail Dinner Where: 1. Mason’s & Grey Goose 2. Ink & Diageo 3. Mulvaney’s & Brown Foreman 4. Bistro 33 & Corzo What: Full-course meals across midtown. Cocktails complimenting the dish will be sent out with each course of the meal. Cocktails to be prepared by each restaurant’s own mixologist. Thursday, August 7^th: Mixology Competition Where: Zocalo What: Bartender competition meant to highlight the use of fresh produce and high-quality spirits. Also on Thursday: Guest Bartender Night Where: 1. Zocalo & Partida 2. Kasbah & Skyy 3. LoungeON20 & Pacific Edge 4. GV Hurley & Ultimat Vodka What: Talented mixologists from all over US taking over various bars and bringing their own cocktail menus with them. Friday, August 8^th: The Magnificent Margarita Where: 1. Zocalo & Partida 2. Whiskey Wild & Don Julio 3. Azul & Corralejo 4. Centro & 1800 5. Ernesto’s & Patron What: Participating restaurants across town will all showcase their own seasonal/house margaritas. Twists on the classic will also be encouraged. Prices to vary by location. Saturday, August 9^th: Mysteries of Absinthe Seminar Where: LoungeON20 & Kubler Absinthe What: Seminar geared towards those interested in absinthe, yet possibly having a limited exposure to its flavor and history. Event to take place during early afternoon to avoid conflict, yet take advantage of, Second Saturday Art Walk. Monday, August 11^th: Closing Party Where: Whiskey Wild & Bulleit Bourbon What: Closeout party geared towards restaurant and bar industry.

The gallery of shakerface

I love the faces people make when they shake cocktails- everyone has their own style. My favorite shakerface of all time is that of Tony Abou-Ganim, who gnashes his teeth and make an orgasmic sound every time he's got a shaker in his hands. He makes it sound like he Just Can't Wait to get that drink in the glass. Last night I judged a 21 Below vodka competition at Cafe du Nord in San Francisco and recorded the shakerface of the contestants. Here are some of the best- click for larger images:

Bang a pong

I've lived in San Francisco more than a dozen years and have been to the beach here less times than that. That's why we need beach-themed events to simulate the warm climates of Southern California. This weekend, the Guardsmen host a fundraising beach party, with the proceeds going to help at-risk youth attend indoor and outdoor educational programs. And as someone who works at home and lives next to a playground, I encourage you to help get kids away from me and into these programs, as their screaming makes it hard to concentrate. You'll not only be helping kids, you'll be helping Camper. What's in it for you? An open bar, beer pong championships, and a barbecue. More details are here.

SF Events

A couple of things from my inbox: - Magnolia is serving $3 pints all day on Tuesdays, and each Wednesday the brewers will be there to hang out and answer questions from 6-9PM. - (from the True Sake newsletter): July, 2008 - Yoshi's Oakland Half Price Sake Mondays

Yoshi's Oakland is please to announce, due to popular demand, half price sake Mondays will be extended through the month of July! All bottles of sake, including the elegant Yuki No Bosha Akita "Komachi", will be half price for the entire month. Now is your chance to enjoy a bottle - or two- from our exlusive list. For a truly memorable experience, come by on Monday, July 21st, when Tamiko Ishidate from Joto Sake will be on hand as the Sake sommelier for the evening to answer all of your questions.

Cocktail radio

Update- Listen to the radio show here. --- Tomorrow (Tuesday) at 10AM California time, Dale Degroff, Ted Haigh (Dr. Cocktail), and H Ehrmann from Elixir will be on KQED radio, 88.5 FM, speaking about the "cocktail renaissance."

Level III opening + a cucumber recipe

Friday night I attended the opening party for Level III in the JW Marriott, which, it turns out, was also the 7X7 Magazine Best of SF issue party. It's hard to say what the place will look like when the party lights are off and the space returns to its normal hotel lobby look, but they did a terrific job of fixing it up for the event. They served three drinks from the menu: The Shanghaied, Portman Cosmafornian, and Cable Car No. 2. They were all batch-made drinks for the big party, so they weren't a good indication of how the drinks might taste when made on the spot- we'll just have to see about that going forward. The Portman Cosmafornian is basically a Cosmo with a sweet lime foam on top- without the foam the drink is nothing special but the sweet lime foam really works. The Cable Car No. 2 is full of tequila with a chili powder and cocoa rim. I really liked where it was headed, though I think I would swap chili powder with wasabi. (Mmm, wasabi.) I wasn't sold on the chocolate but I like chocolate less than the average person. The Shangaied with Square One cucumber vodka, Canton ginger liqueur, and lemongrass syrup had great flavors (though it came out too sweet in the batching) and the lemongrass bits kind of get stuck to your lips, but it's worth it. This could be a great drink for summer. It contains just three ingredients, and if you batch the lemongrass syrup (or buy it from Monin), would make a great party drink. And the Square One folks just gave me permission to print the recipe. At Level III we had this drink served on the rocks instead of in a cocktail glass as directed below. Shanghaied Created by H. Joseph Ehrmann, Mixologist and Brand Ambassador for Square One 2 ounces Square One Cucumber Vodka 1/2 ounce Canton Ginger Liqueur 1 ounce lemongrass syrup* 3 - 4 inch piece of lemongrass stalk for garnish Combine in a mixing glass with ice. Shake hard for 10 seconds and strain into a cocktail glass. *Lemongrass Syrup: Trim the stalk at the bottom and just past the heart of the stalk (4-5 inches). Save top half for garnish. Cut the heart lengthwise down the middle and with a mallet pound the lemongrass to break it up. Boil lemongrass in one cup of water for 2-3 minutes then add one cup of sugar slowly, stirring constantly to dissolve. Bring to a boil then simmer for 3-5 minutes until syrupy. Remove from heat and cool completely. Pour through a strainer and into a storage bottle. Refrigerate.

Gin + Dinner = Ginner

Orson in San Francisco is hosting a Gin and Stone pairing dinner on June 11 to celebrate fresh stone fruit. (Gin you can celebrate all year round.) I've seen dinner pairings with bourbon, rum, absinthe, and even vodka, but this is the first gin and food pairing I've noticed. Check out the menu here.

All about absinthe

Bourbon & Branch's Beverage Academy has a few spots open for tomorrow's absinthe class with Lance Winters. Lance makes St. George Spirit's Absinthe Vert, and is a fun speaker to boot. Backing him up is Todd Smith who will be making absinthe cocktails during the event. If you can't make it tomorrow, the next one is July 29th. The Beverage Academy has also started teaching Cocktails 101, also lead by Todd Smith, who will teach you how to get the most out of making drinks at home. Get tickets here.

Events in San Francisco

Here are a few San Francisco events clogging my inbox: May 22: 7 Leguas at Elixir's Cocktail Club. May 22: Mr. Smith's Whisky Club holds a tasting of Bowmore 12, Achentoshan 18, and Glen Garioch 3 Wood, with Guest Speaker David Stoop. May 24 and June 2: Uva Enoteca has begun hosting Introduction to Italian Wines classes. The first of the two dates is May 24. Join their mailing list for more info. June 4th: the Mechanics Institute Library (almost my favorite place in San Francisco except they don't serve drinks) is hosting a talk by Benjamin Wallace, author of The Billionaire’s Vinegar: The Mystery of the World’s Most Expensive Bottle of Wine.

Gin judging

Last night I helped judge the Hendrick's gin cocktail competition at Rye. Hendrick's likes to make things interesting in their events and marketing, so for this contest bartenders not only had to create a cocktail showcasing one of the botanicals in Hendrick's, they also had to recite a limerick to go along with it. The limericks were weighted heavily in the judging but luckily our top contenders were strong in both the poetic and taste categories. The winner of the contest was Sierra Zimei of the Seasons Bar at the Four Seasons with her Secret Garden cocktail consisting of grapefruit, cucumber, lime, and cilantro syrup with a healthy dose of gin mixed in. She won a round-trip air ticket anywhere in the States, which unfortunately she's not using to join us at Tales of the Cocktail but opting for a baseball game with her husband instead. I believe that marriage should not get in the way of cocktailing, but then again that may be a reason I'm still single. I'll ponder that over drinks later. After the contest, I went out to dinner with Julio Bermejo of Tommy's, Charlotte Voissey of Hendrick's, Rob Renteria of Martini House, Greg Lindgren of Rye, and some other friends of Julio. Joey and Eddie's (the former Moose's) has a short cocktail menu, from which I chose the Bronx Negroni, which is a regular Negroni with a touch of Averna. Very good.

Bourbon, Branch, and Boudreau

Prepare yourselves. The wonderfully talented Jamie Boudreau will be guest bartending at Bourbon & Branch on May 28th and 29th in the library room, bringing along his own cocktail menu. Will make drinks with beer liqueur? Olive caviar? Blowtorch something? We shall see. Boudreau was until recently behind the bar at Vessel in Seattle, is the author of the blog SpiritsandCocktails.com, and is also a hell of a photographer. He makes many of his own ingredients, designs dozens of cocktails, and is a fine writer to boot. He does so many things so very well that you kind of want to kick him, but I do not recommend that officially. Instead, go read his website and visit him next week at B&B.

Robotic cocktails in SF

A cool robot bartender event I hadn't heard about.

Rum race

Next weekend's Bay to Breakers is San Francisco's famous naked race (as opposed to the naked marches, naked street fairs, and a generally high level of overall nakedness), though these days more people seem to be wearing costumes than nothing at all. Don't like exercise? Don't worry. This year, the Million Pirate March gives you an excuse to drink rum, wear an eyepatch, and be generally more piratey than on other days. Also, wearing an eyepatch doesn't imply you have to wear anything else.

Seriously

Did the Kentucky Derby really need an official tequila? Let's stay on-message here, people.

One one hand...

... it's a terrible thing that I'll be out of town for all but the last day of San Francisco Cocktail Week, because the schedule is looking absurdly great and I keep hearing about more special guests being added. On the other hand, with me out of town there will be a lot more cocktails available for everyone else to drink. Think of it as my gift to you.

WoW Report

Live from the Denver airport (kudos for the free wi-fi), my take on last night's Whiskies of the World in San Francisco:

• Eades "Double Malts" is a lame advertising term to describe the combination of two single malts, married in an additional cask. However, their Islay blend, made with Bowmore and Caol Ila and finished in a Zinfandel cask, is going in an interesting direction. I think I like it when people put a sweet and soft spin on a macho spirit, kind of like a drag queen with a beard.
• The new Ardmore single malt (previously it went mostly into the Teacher's blend) seemed to be a big hit at the event. I'm glad- I like the stuff. I had lunch with the brand ambassador Simon Brooking the previous day. He said that there are about 3,000 cases released this year (in the next couple of weeks), but should be five times that next year. It's the only fully peated Highland malt, with the peat smokey flavor profile of an Islay scotch, but there's something about the texture of the whisky that's most like the smoothness Glenlivet or Glenfiddich. The combination of lighter texture and heartier flavor I really enjoy.
• I tried Tuthilltown Spirits products for the first time. I was surprised to love their unaged corn whiskey (moonshine, basically). I didn't like the Baby Bourbon at all, but found their Single Malt to be tasty. And those little tiny bottles are just so cute. I'll take a dozen!
• But the big hit of the night was the High West Rendezvous Rye, a blend of a 6 year old and 17 year old rye that was destined to be blended into Canadian Whisky. The man behind the brand, David Perkins, saved it from its fate and married the two together. Perkins says that with the exception of Anchor's 100% rye, his product probably has the highest rye content on the market. And in a strange coincidence, Perkins is the future father-in-law of an old raver friend from the early 1990's I ran into at the event. Flashback!
• There were also a few vodkas, rums, eau-de-vie's, and absinthe at the event. I skipped most of them but tried some tequila.
• Querido Viejo had a deliciously sweet blanco that reminded me a little of Corralejo crossed with Don Julio. I didn't like their reposado at all- it was aged 9 months in new oak. The anejo, aged in Canadian whisky casks (and I think Canadian whisky casks are often used bourbon casks used again but I could be wrong) I also enjoyed. It's strange how so many tequila brands have blanco, repo, and anejo expressions, but they may not share the same barrel finish or flavor profile.
• Speaking of that, I also tried the Don Eduardo tequila. The blanco is triple distilled and thus doesn't taste like anything much. The reposado, on the other hand is only double distilled like usual, and is wonderfully strong in agave character and spiciness from aging in Oregon pine. The anejo, aged in used bourbon barrels, I thought was just okay. Go repo!

Phew! That's it. Now I'm thirsty again.

New at WoW

The annual Whiskies of the World is coming up March 28 and 29th in San Francisco. On Friday the 28th, they'll be holding $30 seminars and $ 60 courses (differentiated by the duration of each) at Le Meridien Hotel. The 2.5 hour courses include "Whisky Wizardry" by John Glaser of Compass Box for those into experimentation with blending, "Grain to Glass" that seems like a large overview of whiskies from around the world, and "A Walk in the Woods" with whisky master Steve Beal of Diageo, which is all about wood maturation. The 50-minute seminars are mostly brand-specific, with tasting lectures by MacKillop's Choice, Yamazaki, Bowmore, and Laphroaig, plus "The Great Whisky/Whiskey Debate" which is about American vs. Scotch whiskies. Information on courses and seminars is here. The big tasting this year returns to the San Francisco Belle, docked at Pier 3. Even though the boat is docked the whole time it can be a little wobbly until your sea legs catch up with your natural rocking motion from the alcohol. The tasting costs $99 and runs from 6PM-10PM. New this year, the Beverage Academy of Bourbon & Branch will host a booth at the event so you can stop by and learn about the programs. The open air top deck allows for a whisky and cigar pairing, and there are live whisky cooking demos from Angel Catering. The list of whisky brands attending is here (scroll down).

Celebrity guest bartending

Will celebrity bartenders be the next celebrity DJs, degrading the profession with unprofessionals? You could certainly do both at once, since being a celebrity DJ means having someone plug in your iPod, but I can't see Paris Hilton getting herself sticky. Via email friend Blair:

Danny Bonaduce, Celebrity Bartender Tomorrow, 5-8pm at The Intercontinental: 2151 Avenue of the Stars, Century City Los Angeles, CA For the first of their quarterly celeb nights, the Intercontinental's bringing out adorable Partridge runt Danny Bonaduce to mix up cocktails. Danny's favorite drink (a double vodka-cran) is 1/2-price; proceeds go to his favorite charity, which provides “assistance dogs” to the disabled (rehab veterans who still drink double vodka-crans?).

Gin winners

Last night I stopped into Rye's cocktail competition with this month's sponsor Bluecoat Gin. Certainly the most interesting cocktail of the evening was Jonny Raglin from Absinthe's green garlic drink- there's nothing like a cocktail that gives you stink breath. Raglin said it was made to go with food, like a big plate of french fries. French fries and gin? That's my kind of meal. I later found out that it was a garlic gastrique. And you know what that means, folks: He used the magic ingredient of 2008: Vinegar! The competition's winners were Joel Baker from Bourbon & Branch in third place, H. Ehrman from Elixir as runner-up, and Carlos Yturria from Grand Puh Bah and other places taking home the first prize. His drink was my favorite of the night also- along with some fresh juices, it had pepper in it and I'm a total sucker for that. Winning drinks from Rye's competition make it onto their drink menu, so stop in and try one.

SF Event: Cocktail week calendar

They've started to put together the schedule for San Francisco Cocktail Week. This year it will run May 13 - 19. Some of the events planned include an opening event at the Starlight Room with Tony Abou-Ganim, a guest bartender night at various bars around the city, several cocktail dinners with food and cocktail pairings, a "Save the Sazerac" event at Elixir, a booze and literature lecture at Hotel Rex, a farmer's market cocktails event at the Ferry Building, and a grand finale event at Absinthe. Wow. This is shaping up nicely. The SF Cocktail Week website isn't up to speed just yet, but stay tuned for more information.

Bar-swapping

Reminder to SF'ers make real live New York City bartender Phil of Death & Co. welcome at Alembic this week, and for New Yorkers to visit Thomas of the Alembic in your own backyard. I believe they're swapped until March 12th.

Abinthe in the Apple

Lance Winters of St. George Spirits will be giving a talk on absinthe at the Astor Center on March 12th. Details are here.

San Francisco wine events

Courtney at Hip Tastes has scheduled a slew of new wine events in the days and evenings, with themes like "blind tasting boot camp," "salty and sweet," and "Austrian odyssey." Check 'em out.

Cold Porter

Nice story about porters in the Chron today. Also, Celebrator Beer News is celebrating their 20th anniversary with a party on Sunday in Oakland.

SF Event: Strong Beer Month

February is Strong Beer Month once again, and both Magnolia and 21rst Amendment breweries will be putting a list of high-alcohol beers on their menu to help you celebrate. To kick off the party, brewers from both places (both nice guys) will be at the Toronado Thursday Jan 31 to say howdy. Stop by and have a high-octane beer.

SF Event: 80 beers

This Saturday in San Francisco a two-hour tasting event of 80 beers from around the world. The details are here. It sounds worth the money (if a bit short) at only 30 bucks, but the copy on the flier reads like it was translated from a third grade essay in another language:

This enjoyable event will be a Unique opportunity for you to discover New & Exotic beers while gauging stylistic differences against your own preferences. Serving the beers will be Beautiful servers/ambassadors dressed in Specially designed sexy costumes with an around the world theme making for a truly extraordinary experience.

Hopefully the event will be better than its description.

The drinkiest day of the new year

What is it about January 28th? In San Francisco, it's Absinthe's ten-year anniversary party, a Hands On Bay Area fundraiser at Bin 38, a Moet-Hennessy tasting, Rye's Mixing Competition with Navan, and 7x7 Magazine's Eat & Drink Awards. All events I'd like to attend. Unfortunately, I won't be here to hit any of them. I'll be on a plane coming back to SF after a visit to Asheville, NC. Bummer.

Shrub

Here's an event that you need to RSVP to attend. I'll be going to the industry version of it early in the day, as I'm starting to get real interested in rhum agricole.

CELEBRATE CARNAVAL WITH MARTINIQUE’S RHUM CLÉMENT CRÉOLE SHRUBB

A BARTENDER FAVORITE—LEARN HOW TO MAKE COCKTAILS FROM SOME OF SF’S FINEST

Who: 4^th generation Clément family rhum connoisseur, Benjamin Mélin Jones, Cantina Bar owner and mixologist extraordinaire, Duggan McDonnell and cocktail and beverage aficionado Jordan Mackay will lead a discussion about Rhum Clément and Créole Shrubb, a superb blend of white rum and aged rum infused with Créole spices and sun-bleached bitter orange peels. Learn about the history of A.O.C. Martinique Rhum Agricole, the tradition behind Créole Shrubb in Martinique and how to incorporate Shrubb into classic and contemporary cocktails and cuisine.

What: Enjoy complimentary Shrubb cocktails and festive nibbles followed by an open Q&A

Where: Cantina Bar

580 Sutter Street (cross Mason)

San Francisco, CA

Limited space--Please RSVP to (removed)

When: Monday, February 4, 2008

6:00-7:30 p.m.

Another Repeal Day party announcement: Forbidden Island

On December 5th, 1933, the 21st Amendment to the US was ratified by FDR, repealing the 18th Amendment, aka Prohibition, aka “Big Mistake”. We will be celebrating at FI in style: All the remaining November Cocktail Month Specials will be just $5 all night until they’re gone. That’s about 12 different drinks! I’ll have a list on hand that night.

Repeal Day Party in SF

CELEBRATE THE REPEAL OF PROHIBITION WITH BLUECOAT GIN AND ELIXIR

DECEMBER 5th

San Francisco , 1933 - On December 5, 1933, the 21st Amendment to the U.S Constitution is ratified, repealing Prohibition. Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1881-1945) ran for the presidency in 1932, partly on a platform of the repeal of Prohibition. The 21st Amendment was ratified by the State of California on July 25 ^th, 1933. On December 5, 1933, Utah was the 36th state to ratify the amendment. President Roosevelt immediately issued a repeal proclamation.

In those days, California was considered the farthest reaches of the United States and, as it was so far from the Federal Government, Prohibition was not as closely followed as in some other states. However, Elixir, then under the ownership of the man who built rebuilt the saloon after the 1906 fire, ran it under the business description of a "soft drink parlor". How "soft" the drinks are, we'll probably never know. But one thing is for sure: 74 years ago, on December 5^th, there was a damn big party at ELIXIR. And we're gonna do it again!

Please join us for

Bluecoat Gin Cocktails at Prohibition Era prices!

$5 Cocktails all night

9pm to close

Pisco book event

On Monday, December 3 at 7PM at Cantina there is a book release party the English language version of Wings of Cherubs, a novelization of the author's search for the recipe for the original Pisco Punch.

Book signing and release of Wings of Cherubs—A book that unravels the secrets of Pisco Punch, the magic and mysterious concoction of San Francisco, California, of the early 1900s. In an entertaining way, the narrative describes the saga of a protagonist obsessed with discovering the recipe of the secret beverage, long lost since the death of its creator en 1926. With the gift of being able to transport himself in time, he reveals little known historical anecdotes of San Francisco. The book climaxes presenting the recipe of the famous Pisco Punch for the benefit of all those who love history and Pisco brandy. (254 pgs., 147 photographs and illustrations; a 30 pgs. essay is included).

The author, Guillermo Toro-Lira will be reading from, selling, and signing copies of his book. (It's also available on Amazon.com here or directly from the author here.) I have a copy of the book but haven't read it yet. However, San Franciscans should take time to learn about this drink, as it was one of the most popular cocktails in the US in the gold rush era and invented here in SF. I plan to write a large feature on pisco and 'frisco in the new year, and hope this book will be a good resource. Oh, and if you haven't tried the pisco punch at Cantina you really must. It's an updated version but it's delicious.

Tiki bar crawl in San Francisco

By me, in today's SF Chronicle:

Next Thursday though Sunday is the seventh annual San Francisco Bay Area Tiki Crawl. That the event is spread out over four days and three geographic regions is an indicator that we have a heck of a lot of tiki bars in this part of the world. (Take that, Hawaii!) On South Bay Thursday, the hordes descend upon Smoke Tiki, the Palo Alto Trader Vic's and Martini Monkey in the San Jose airport (pending approval). Friday night, city tiki-hoppers stop by Trad'r Sam, the Tonga Room, Bamboo Hut and the San Francisco Trader Vic's. On Saturday, it's time to hit Trader Vic's in Emeryville, Forbidden Island in Alameda, and the Conga Lounge and Kona Club in Oakland. The tour ends on Sunday with a leisurely revisit of Forbidden Island. There is no bus between venues unlike past years, so drivers are encouraged to find safe carpool situations rather than anger the great gods of common sense. Specific times and addresses, as well as an e-mail information list can be found on TikiCrawl.com.

Magnolia Pub's Ten Year Anniversary

Magnolia Pub and Brewery in the Haight is celebrating their ten-year anniversary next week as they launch their annual Thunderpussy Barleywine for the holidays. They're doing a concert at the Great American Music Hall on Monday, and having themed food and beer all week at the pub. Here's the word on what's happening from owner Dave McLean:

The early part of the week is a nod to some of the things that influence us. Mon-Thurs are all 3-course menus (also available a la carte). Monday is an expansion of our ongoing New Orleans night, Tuesday a British gastropub theme, Wednesday the menu is Belgian-inspired, and Thursday is an extension of our fried chicken night with a southern theme. Then on Fri-Sun night we will be running the same 5-course tasting menu each night (not available a la carte, and the whole table must order), which will focus more on David's creativity and be an expression of what can done with the gastropub concept. We will feature our favorite local and sustainable producers throughout, of course. The actual anniversary is on 11/11 (sunday), so the Monday, 11/5 show at the Great American Music Hall is sort of the kickoff and then the week will progress with the menus and pairings and some beer releases like barrel-aged 10th anniversary ale and barrel-aged Belgian tripel and some vintage Old Thunderpussy Barleywine and Smokestack Lightning Imperial Stout. Plus whatever else we can find in the cellar.

Not Finnished Yet

Yesterday I went to Finnishing School, an event put on by Finlandia vodka lead by Dale De Groff and Tony Abou Ganim. They do this program around the country every now and then, but this was my first time attending. For those of us aware that fresh ingredients are important in cocktails it wasn't a huge awakening, but I did pick up a few tidbits of information- to keep a bunch of mint fresh, store it upside down in a bucket of cold water, canned lychees are easier to work with and not much worse tasting than fresh ones, and a "gummy" feeling in the mouth is an indicator of glycerin in your vodka. Speaking of picking up things and tasting glycerin, I picked up a prize for identifying the most vodkas in a blind taste test. I (and four other people) picked four out of six vodkas correctly. We knew what the brands were and had to match the tasting sample with the brand. I was really gunning to get them all, but didn't feel as bad when I learned that only six people in the entire history of the Finnishing School have ever identified them all. Next time... For me the creaminess of Absolut and the charcoal of Kettle One were easy stand-outs for my palate, it was clear they were pushing Finlandia as the sample that tasted the most like nothing, and I got the Grey Goose solely by the process of elimination. (I am ashamed to admit that I mixed up Skyy and Stoli, two brands I've probably had more of than the rest!) In any case, it was a fun event and every bit of confirmation that I'm not a complete phony helps drown out the voices of doubt. Also, so does the vodka.

Halloween drinks in SF

By me, in Friday's SF Chronicle:

A few bars and restaurants around San Francisco are putting extra effort into making your Halloween more spirited with cocktail specials.

Luna Park is serving the Dr. Moreau's Island, a rum punch poured into a bowl with dry ice for the fog machine effect. 694 Valencia St. (near 18th Street), S.F; (415) 553-8584, lunaparksf.com.

Another rum bar, Forbidden Island in Alameda, is serving two drinks without rum for the night: the Hawaiian Hemoglobin, a blood-red hibiscus liqueur and sparkling wine drink, and the Hellfire with mango, tamarind, Hangar One chipotle vodka, and cayenne pepper. 1304 Lincoln Ave. (at Sherman), Alameda; (510) 749-0332, forbiddenislandalameda.com.

At Rye, bartenders are conjuring up three cocktails for All Hallow's Eve: the Bela Mumosi (similar to a mimosa), the Karloff's Cauldron with pumpkin puree and ginger flavors, and the Bloody Scary, which is a riff on the Bloody Mary. 688 Geary St. (at Leavenworth), San Francisco; (415) 474-4448.

Teatro ZinZanni is performing a special macabre ball event with the drinks made with Blavod black vodka. Pier 29, Embarcadero at Battery Street; (415) 438-2668, zinzanni.org.

And whatever costume you're wearing this year, don't forget to cut a hole in the mask for the straw.

WhiskyFest listing

Okay, last post about WhiskyFest until I go there: Here is the mention of the event in Friday's SF Chronicle:

Lessons in whisky Malt Advocate magazine's WhiskyFest, which has been running annually for years in New York and Chicago, makes its debut in San Francisco on Tuesday. It's a one-stop whisk(e)y workshop, with lectures, tastings of more than 250 Scotch, Irish, Canadian, Japanese, and American whiskeys, and food to keep you from getting overwhelmed by it all. Some of the special guests and/or speakers this year are Jimmy Bedford, master distiller at Jack Daniel's, Fred Noe, Jim Beam's great grandson, and John Campbell, distillery manager at Laphroaig. New whiskeys available for tasting include Benromach Organic Scotch, additional Glenmorangie finishes, and the Buffalo Trace 2007 Antique Collection. The event runs from 6:30 to 10 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency, 5 Embarcadero Center, in San Francisco. Tickets cost $105; to register in advance and for information, call (800) 610-6258 or visit maltadvocate.com.

Pisco at Elixir

I just heard through the grapevine (read: just got the weekly email blast) that Diego Loret de Mola will be leading a Pisco tasting at Elixir in San Francisco on Thursday during their weekly Cocktail Club. I went to Diego's pisco presentation at Tales of the Cocktail this summer, and it was great. He had us all make our own pisco sours, though I doubt there is room for all that shaking at Elixir.

Where's the after-hours at?

I just got word that Swig and Bourbon & Branch will be holding discounted after-parties for WhiskyFest San Francisco Oct 23. You know, just in case you haven't had enough with the 200+ at the tasting.

Bourbon & Branch After Party

501 Jones St.

San Francisco,

415-673-1921

20% discount on all whiskies in our 150 bottle (mostly Bourbon) list. Just show your WhiskyFest ticket stub to receive the discount. The event would be held in the Library room and a secret password is required for entry at the front door. To get the password, send an email to RSVP to dahi (put at sign here) bourbonandbranch.com. Admittance will be limited. Try their new Buffalo Trace cask; they will also be making new whisky cocktails such as the Revolver (Bulleit, Tia Maria, Orange Bitters), Black Manhattan (Buffalo Trace, Averna, Cherry Coffee bitters), as well as classics such as Blood & Sand, Manhattan and Old Fashioned. Swig After Party

561 Geary St. (between Taylor and Jones)

San Francisco

415- 931-7292

20% discount on 175 (mostly Scotch) whisky list.

Islay and Oysters at Absinthe

I don't even eat seafood but this sounds like a great pairing. Islay single malts can take on much of the character of the sea due to the wind-swept island locations: salt, seaweed/iodine, and the smokiness I bet will work just great with how (I think I remember) oysters taste.

Thursday, October 11 6:00 pm, $50 per person

Join us in our Private Dining Room as we sample up 20 different Islay drams.

In addition, we'll consume countless oysters, celebrating an age-old Islay pairing. This event is our warm up for Malt Advocate's first annual Whisk(e)y Fest in San Francisco on October 23, at the Hyatt Regencey Hotel. To purchase tickets for Absinthe's 'Little Feis Ile', go here.

Good things come in small batches

By me, in today's SF Chronicle:

Oct. 13 is the first Independent Spirits Fest, a big tasting event focused on small producers. Unlike most single-topic spirits bonanzas, this one has a bit of everything: cachaca, single-malt Scotch, liqueurs, flavored vodka, eau de vie, bourbon and more. Most of the Bay Area-based distillers (Charbay, Anchor, St. George, Osocalis) will present so you can support the home teams or try something from farther afield. Spirits are available for ordering on site, allowing you to get a jump on your holiday shopping. For added entertainment, "Cocktails on the Fly" Internet cocktail show host Alberta Straub will be conducting live interviews with distillers onstage while also mixing drinks with their products. Tasting, food and music are included for $75, or for $88 you can get in and start tasting an hour early.

The W Hotel San Francisco, 6:30-10 p.m. Oct. 13th. Tickets available at CelticMalts.com.

Roshambo!

By me, in today's SF Chronicle:

While most wineries sponsor genteel sports like croquet and polo, Roshambo stages a battle of fists. At high noon this Saturday, the fifth annual RockPaperScissors Championship gets under way. Competitors, who must register in advance ($20 at roshambowinery.com), come dressed for battle in opponent-concentration-breaking costumes like blue wigs and wrestling gear. The winner of the event takes home $2,500, which buys a lot of wine and better outfits in which to defend the title in 2008. Tickets for spectators (spectating costumes also encouraged) go for $10 in advance or $15 at the door.

Noon-6 p.m., Flamingo Hotel, 2777 Fourth St., Santa Rosa; (707) 431-2051

WhiskyFest To-Do List

Amy Westlake from WhiskyFest (October 23 in SF, October 30 NY, Chicago April 4, 2008) sent me an email with the new bottlings available for tasting at the event this year. So take it as what's new in whisky or an ad for WhiskyFest. Whatevs-I wish every industry would list the new launches for each season.

Aberlour 16yr. Benromach Organic Bowmore 18 yr. Several new Bruichladdichs The New Buffalo Trace 2007 Antique Collection Compass Box Flaming Heart Deanston 30 year old New release of Evan Williams Single Barrel, not going into circulation until 2008 New Glenmorangie finishes Hazelburn Lagavulin and Oban Distillers edition New 2007 release of Old Forester Birthday bourbon Springbank 16 year Rum Cask

Note: How many more finishes can Glenmorangie do?

Schedule for the week

Monday: Lotus Vodka launch, Campari cocktail contest, Skyy vodka after-party, drinks for friend's birthday Tuesday: Gin lunch Wednesday: Tequila tasting Thursday: Wine book launch party Friday: Happy hour party No wonder I need the weekends to catch up on work.

A Toast to MJ this Sunday

The Beer Hunter website lists places to join in a toast to beer/whisky writer Michael Jackson and raise money for Parkinson's Disease this Sunday, September 30. In the SF Bay Area, you can join at the Bistro in Hayward, Rogue Ales Public House, and the Toronado.

We've got spirits fests, yes we do

Here is my comparative round-up in San Francisco Magazine of the three upcoming spirits festivals in San Francisco: the Independent Spirits Festival, Malt Advocate's WhiskyFest, and the Scotch Malt Whisky Society's Extravaganza. I just found out I'll be out of town for the Independent Spirits Festival, which is too bad because they'll have all sorts of weird stuff there. But hopefully I can still hit the other two.

Repo Man

Phew! I'm finally finishing up some intense weeks of writing assignments. I think I've been in touch with every cachaca brand on the market and crammed more obscure liquor history in my head than should actually fit (so if I forget who you are, it's because that place in my brain is filled with orgeat instead.) Last night I hit Rye for the mixing competition, where Partida Reposado was the base spirit to use- and they provided free tequila for the crowd too, which was nice. Johnny Raglin of Absinthe took home first place, with Ryan Fitzgerald (Brick, Bourbon & Branch) and Victoria D'Amato (Monaghans) picking up the second and third place prizes. Natalie, she of The Liquid Muse, was in town too in preparation for the Square One cocktail contest. H. Ehrmann of Elixir was busy pureeing watermelons and figs all day to make cocktails for the crowd. They said they've sold so many pre-sale tickets there are only 40 available at the door. Dang! But before all that I'm going to a tasting of the winners of the SF World Spirits Competition earlier this year. Hopefully between the two events I'll find time to hit the gym, as my cocktail gut continues to grow unmitigated.

Silence Dogood

I've been quiet on here lately, not only because I'm writing two big stories, but also because I've been cleaning up San Francisco in preparation for the Liquid Muse's visit. I've also been strengthening my vocal cords to heckle her and Duggan of Cantina, who will be judging Chow/Square One's cocktail competition on Tuesday, September 25th. Details on the competition are here, and you should probably buy a ticket so you can heckle me heckling them.

Over-Joyed

Last night I went to the Joy of Sake event for the second year in a row. Again it was well-organized, not-overcrowded, and I had a blast even though I went by myself. As everyone is sort of mushed in together trying the sakes, it's really easy to turn to people and remark on a sake, have a 20 second discussion, then keep moving in opposite directions. Kind of like speed dating for sake drinkers. I got there late- the event is two and a half hours long and you really do need the whole time to feel like you've accomplished much. (And take time out to eat and rehydrate.) So I got through a few of the Yamahais and decided they weren't tasting well with me, then I checked out most of the Daiginjos (that was a lot of work) and just a few of the Ginjos. I only made notes on my program when I really liked something, but this year overheard other people with a better system- they rated all the sakes on a 1-5 or other scale. That way I could see not only what I liked, but what I didn't. It seems kind of obvious, but I'm not master of that. Next year, I'll really have my act together.

Jackson memorial fundraiser/toast

Hey bar/restaurant/liquor store owners: this sounds like a good way to pay tribute to beer/whiskey writer Michael Jackson while raising some money to fight Parkinson's Disease. And if you're going to throw an event in the San Francisco Bay Area, let me know and I'll try to get you some press. (Pasted from On The House blog.)

Raise a Glass to Michael Jackson on September 30

If you stock at least one premium craft or imported beer in your inventory – and you know you really should by now – then you have Michael Jackson to thank for it. A true pioneer in the field of beer journalism, the British writer and author was instrumental in the development of the craft beer market, both in the United States and around the world, through his innumerable articles in publications like Esquire and Playboy and his multitude of beer books.

Sadly, Michael passed away at his home in London, England, on August 30, not long after he revealed to the world that he had been battling Parkinson Disease for a decade.

And so, on September 30, bar and restaurant owners across the United States and Canada are invited to help celebrate the great life and achievements of Michael Jackson by hosting a toast to his memory, and along the way raise some much-needed money for the battle against Parkinson Disease. The scheduled time for the toast is 9:00 pm EST, and the way you celebrate is entirely up to you.

Host a party and send a portion of the night’s takings to the National Parkinson Foundation. Contribute the revenue from a specially-designated “Michael’s Memory” keg. Or just pass the hat among your customers, staff and managers. But join in to make this a fitting tribute to the man who did more than anyone to promote the cause of good beer!

Details on how to participate and the official promotional poster are available at www.beerhunter.com. Go there now and add your operation’s name to the growing list of the establishments that will, for one very important night, join together to pay tribute to the memory of the one and only Beer Hunter, Michael Jackson!

Sake Soiree

By me, in today's SF Chronicle:

Thursday you have the opportunity to taste more than 300 sakes at San Francisco's Joy of Sake event, though we strongly suggest you don't try to get through them all.

The 6-8:30 p.m. event takes place at the Hilton Hotel, 333 O'Farrell St. The tasting hall is organized into sections that make gravitating toward your favorite sake categories easy. Our advice: bring a pen to make tasting notes on the program, drink plenty of water, and take a break to eat from any of the 14 restaurants serving food there as well - some of them like Hime and Poleng are relatively new.

Tickets cost $70 and are available online at joyofsake.com or by calling (888) 739-1007.

Speakeasy's hootenanny

By me, in today's SF Chronicle:

Help celebrate Speakeasy Ales and Lagers' 10-year anniversary Saturday with a "rousing, riveting, and spine-tingling blowout hullabaloo" party at the Bayview brewery. The free admission event features live music by Brittany Shane, Crosstops and other bands, a barbecue, and of course, beer. They'll be debuting White Lightning Wheat Beer on tap, made with wheat, oats, orange peel and spices, that you can try in the 10-year commemorative tasting glass. The family-friendly (but 21 to drink) event runs from 2 to 7 p.m. at 1195 Evans Ave. (at Keith), San Francisco; (415) 642-3371.

Mark your calendars

According to the signature on Ann Rogers' email, Tales of the Cocktail 2008 will take place July 16-20. So write it down on your vacation schedule next year, and see you then.

Distillers are the new rock stars

A blurb by me in today's San Francisco Chronicle:

Next big thing: Tequila bottle signings Camper English Friday, August 10, 2007

Further evidence that distillers are the new rock stars: Carlos Camarena, owner and third-generation master distiller of El Tesoro Tequila, will be in town next week to sign autographs. The distillery recently launched a limited edition 7-year-old El Tesoro Anniversario tequila in celebration of its 70th anniversary. Camarena will sign bottles of the product at the John Walker & Company liquor store (175 Sutter St., at Kearny, San Francisco; 415-986-2707) from 4 to 5 p.m. Wednesday. Bottles may be purchased at the store for about $185 or you can bring your own should you happen to have one sitting around. Then follow the tour to a Q&A session and discussion with Camarena about the history of El Tesoro from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at nearby Cantina (580 Sutter St., at Mason, San Francisco; 415-398-0195) the same day.

Getting Schooled by the Best

On Saturday I attended a couple of sessions of Mixology Weekend at the Ritz-Carlton in Half Moon Bay. Over the weekend courses were taught by Thad Vogler (Jardiniere), Todd Smith (Bourbon & Branch), Scott Beattie (Cyrus), Greg Lindgren (Rye), and David Nepove (Southern Wine & Spirits). I got a ride down with Erik from eGullet and we attended Scott Beattie's "Farm Fresh Cocktails" class. Unlike the others taught this weekend, Scott made all the drinks for us as we watched, smelled his fresh herbs, and helped defoliate mint and flowers to use as ingredients. His creations were amazing and complex and gorgeous to look at as well. So it turns out what everybody says about his drinks is absolutely true. And it saved me a trip to Cyrus where I can't afford the food anyway. And while Erik questioned, "Are these salads in a glass really cocktails?" my take-away was "Now I understand what you can really do with flavored vodka and rum." With all these different organic flavors in the glass he relies more on solid, simple spirits to provide the canvas for the drink. Afterward I stayed for Greg Lindgren's "Rye Cocktails" class, in which we got a little bit of rye history then made a ton of drinks ourselves following his instructions. Hands-on classes like these are really useful to people looking into making drinks at home- you can ask all the stupid questions you want, question whether you're using the right fruit or muddling it properly, and then taste the drink you made versus the one your classmates made to see how it comes out differently if you use more or less syrup or other ingredients. Overall it seems the students in the classes were really happy with what they learned, as was I. Initially I thought these courses were on the pricey side- $95 each- but I was wrong about that. Seven cocktails at Cyrus or Rye would cost nearly the price of the class alone. And learning from the best mixologists in San Francisco added great value. If they do this series again, I'd recommend them in a heartbeat. I'll let you know if they're on the schedule.

Cachaca tasting next week in San Francisco

(make sure to RSVP if you want to come) COME CELEBRATE BELEZA PURA and FRIENDS' CALIFORNIA DEBUT WEDNESDAY AUGUST 8TH at CANTINA TOP SHELF CACHAÇA TASTING Meet the U.S. authority on Cachaça, Olie Berlic who will lead us through a tasting journey of 4 handcrafted and award‐winning products that demonstrate the Best of Brazil. These special cachaças range in price from $28 ‐ $90 per bottle in retail stores. Olie, the first importer to take cachaças seriously, is a former NYC sommelier that researched cachaça for 3 years and tasted well over 800 cachaças before choosing three aged versions and creating his own unaged pure beauty called ‘Beleza Pura’ which captures the essence of fresh sugarcane. Over 85 articles have been written about him and his products, more non‐paid editorial press than any rum in the past decade. We are happy to be joining him for a passion driven celebration. 6 PM Welcome Cocktail 6:30‐7 PM Un‐aged Cachaça comparison tasting w/Beleza Pura Cachaça 7‐7:30 PM Aged Cachaça comparison tasting with Armazem Vieira, Rochinha & GRM 7:45‐8 PM The Caipirinha (Brazil’s classic National Cocktail) Demo Space is limited; please RSVP to events (PUT AT SIGN HERE) BelezaBrazil.com Cantina Bebidas ‐ is a Latin abode, an Art Salon, a Culinary Cocktail lounge featuring wines and spirits shaken and poured in nouveau ways. Cantina is a ‘fun‐chill stitch’ in the fabric of our community. We welcome you into our home; our music is a collage of Latin Soul, Funk, Salsa, Disco and Global Rhythms. We're open Monday through Saturday beginning at 5 pm. Cantina 580 Sutter Street, San Francisco, CA Please Visit Beleza Pura Online: www.BelezaPura.com

Tales of the Cocktail 2 - So far, sooooo good

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 a microbrewery chain. It was good until they brought the "pizza," which was like a salty Boboli bread with sweet pasta sauce and uncooked tomatoes on top. Yeah, not so great. So far I've attended seminars on:

• Cocktail history ("I didn't bring any ice tools because they're really sharp and really hard to get on airplanes" - David Wondrich),
• The history of the Napoleon House cocktail bar ("It's like a New Orleans day spa" - David Wondrich)
• Ice ("An honest ice cube became impossible to find."- Sasha Petraske, speaking about ice machines up until a few years ago)
• Rum (so much good information it's hard to put it down)
• Forgotten and lost cocktail ingredients (Much like the Imbibe article by Paul Clarke of the same name)
• Pisco (my favorite seminar so far- great info and great swag too.)

Pisco is the new gin. I'm just going to call it out. (Take note of the date.) And I've hung out with Paul Clarke, Tony Abou-Ganim, Jamie Boudreau, the Liquid Muse, Stephen Beaumont, Robert Hess, Ted Haigh, Beachbum Berry, and more other people than I can name. And tomorrow at the Cocktails and the Blogosphere event it should be an even more ridiculous clusterf**k. I'm in heaven.

More malty goodness in San Francisco and shameless people to drink it

Yesterday I met with John Hansell (publisher/editor) and Amy Westlake (event director) of Malt Advocate Magazine and Whiskyfest. This year they're expanding Whiskyfest to San Francisco and are in town for a week of drinking and eating with local boozers in an effort to spread the word. (The event is October 23rd.) It occurred to me after our conversation that whiskey drinkers, for all the fluff and pomp and price points of whiskey culture, have very little shame. It's a lot of begging to get your hands on the good stuff, and then bragging about how low you sunk afterwards. Whiskey drinkers will smuggle contraband booze across borders and into parties, lie through their teeth to get a distillery sample not on the market, and brownnose brand reps to get at the bottle they just know is hidden under the table at the tasting event. If the whiskey world weren't mostly 50-year-old men we'd all be hookers. John brought a special treat- a 50-year old whisky sample. In his position, he gets access to the really, really good stuff. So he went to a tasting of a few 50+ year-old casks that were blended into a final product. At the end of the tasting, he collected all the leftover dregs of whisky and put them in a bottle. He kept this tiny bottle and probably smuggled it out of Scotland and put it in his secret hiding place for years. And just a taste from this bottle was his special treat for us. Shameless. And so very, very tasty. And all you wine drinkers out there- you know you'd do it too if you didn't have to worry about oxidation.

Summer camp- at a special discount

In today's Chronicle:

Summer camp for cocktail drinkers

The Ritz-Carlton in Half Moon Bay hosts a Mixology Weekend Aug. 3-5 as part of its "Inside the Kitchen" summer series. The hotel offer five 2-hour courses taught by some of the Bay Areas best bartenders -- Thad Vogler (Jardiniere), Todd Smith (Bourbon & Branch), Scott Beattie (Cyrus), Greg Lindgren (Rye), and David Nepove (Southern Wine & Spirits, pictured at right).

Each session tackles a different topic ranging from Farm-Fresh Cocktails to the Spirits of Latin America, and all classes include hands-on cocktail-mixing instruction for several drinks.

Students can attend courses a la carte for $95 per class, or buy them all for $460. That's not cheap, but each class is limited to 14 students and includes free bar tools. With the skills learned, you might consider it a savings plan to reduce your future bar tab. Book early to ensure a spot at www.insidethekitchen.net.

-- Camper English

BONUS: They've allowed me to offer a discount! Alcademics readers get $10 off any of the classes at Mixology Weekend- just enter "cheers" as the promo code when you sign up at www.insidethekitchen.net. I'll be there attending at least one of the events.

Finally, the food and vodka pairing you've all been waiting for

Slow Food Los Angeles presents a food and vodka pairing in Beverly Hills this July, followed by one in New York in September. This would be as ludicrous as food and designer water pairings, except the vodka is the Modern Spirits line that includes celery peppercorn and pear lavender flavors. That makes a bit more sense.

Tales of the Cocktail Roll Call

So many bloggers, bartenders, and other cocktailians are coming to Tales of the Cocktail that it's hard to keep track. I was going to start making a to-meet list, but then thought this would be useful for others also. I created a TOTC Attendee list so we can all see each other. Check it out here and email me with your info if you're coming to the event! Tales of the Cocktail Unofficial Attendee List Then link to the list from your own blog we'll all be on the same page. Web page, that is.

Party at the Hangar Distillery July 14th

I'm going.

St. George Spirits Summer Open House Take a spirited retreat this summer to a sunny island –one that won’t break the bank or use up vacation time- to St. George Spirits/ Hangar One Distillery on Saturday July 14th from 1pm-6pm in Alameda. The hangar doors will be open, spectacular spirits will be flowing, and the stills will be running, allowing a rare opportunity to get up close and personal with the distillation process. Music and hors d'oeuvres will be supplied throughout the day to keep everyone upright. Have a summer fling with the Aqua Perfecta Basil eau-de-vie available for the first time on July 14th. A rare and distinctive unaged brandy made from several varieties of basil, including Sweet and Thai, perfect for summer cocktails. Also showcased will be renowned local artisans June Taylor Jams and Recchiuti Confections who will be sampling their transcendent chocolate truffles and other goodies. Shuttle service will be provided between the West Oakland BART station and the Alameda Main Street ferry to and from the distillery on the legendary Mexican Bus from 1pm to 6pm. Flash your admission ticket to get on the bus. Tickets will be available in the distillery store and by phone starting Wednesday June 20th (with a $1.50 service charge per order) for $25. If event tickets are not sold out admission will be $30 at the door. St. George Spirits, artisan distillers of Hangar One Vodka, Aqua Perfecta eaux-de-vie and liqueurs, and St. George Single Malt Whiskey. Saturday, July 14th, 2007 from 1pm to 6pm St. George Spirits/Hangar One Distillery 2601 Monarch St, Alameda CA 94501 Map/directions available at: http://www.stgeorgespirits.com/pdf/stgeorge-directions.pdf Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 at the door. $1.50 service charge added to all phone orders. No phone orders taken after July 8th. This is a 21 and over event. Please bring your picture ID! For more information contact Lou Bustamante, Spirit Guide, 510.769.1601, tastingroom@stgeorgespirits.com St. George Spirits: : http://www.stgeorgespirits.com Michael Recchiuti Confections: http://www.recchiuticonfections.com June Taylor: http://www.junetaylorjams.com/ Mexican Bus: http://www.mexicanbus.com/ Alameda Ferry: http://www.eastbayferry.com/

Expired Link

Here's something small I wrote for Friday's SF Chronicle, so most of it has already happened.

Tips for tipplers on surviving Pride weekend

1. He who stays out too late on Pink Saturday won't wake up in time to do her makeup on Pride Sunday.

2. The Civic Center celebration is a perfect venue for food and drink pairing if you remember this simple advice: Beer in a plastic cup always goes with food on a stick.

3. Like parades but don't feel like marching? Grab an outdoor seat at Ti Couz or another restaurant on 16th Street and enjoy a cocktail as the Dyke March goes by sometime after 7 p.m. Saturday.

4. Appletini, way out. Pomegranate, in. Try a splash of pomegranate juice or liqueur in Champagne at your pre-Pride party brunch.

5. The Trans March is on Friday. Celebrate with beer before liquor or liquor before beer. It's all good.

6. Money spent on beer at Pride booths goes back into the community. So drink responsibly but tip wildly.

7. Especially if they're hot.

-- Camper English

Once in a Blue Moon...you get a cheap drink at Tres Agaves

If the alcoholic product you’re promoting doesn't have a built-in annual event associated with it like the Kentucky Derby or New Years Eve, you might consider pulling a Hallmark and inventing your own drinking holiday. And since we’re in San Francisco, why not make it a tie-in to the lunar cycle? Tres Agaves is promoting a one-day special coinciding with the blue moon May 31, during which they’ll be offering their Luna Azul cocktail (“valued at $18”) for the bargain price of seven bucks. I think one-day-only promoted cocktails are awesome, though I'm not sure why I think that. Anyway, here is the press release.

Tres Agaves To Celebrate Blue Moon With Rare Cocktail “Luna Azul” cocktail to be offered once in a blue moon

SAN FRANCISCO — May 22, 2007 — According to modern folklore, a Blue Moon is the second full moon in a calendar month. Usually months have only one full moon, but very rarely a second one sneaks in. In the spirit of this rare occasion comes a rare cocktail created by Tres Agaves Mexican Kitchen and Tequila Lounge, which sold more Tequila than any other single restaurant in the country in its first year of operation and will be offered only once in a blue moon – or Thursday, May 31st, 2007. Tres Agaves, winner of Sante Magazine’s highest award (Grand Award) for the best spirits program in the country (2006), has created the “Luna Azul,” or the Blue Moon cocktail. The Luna Azul is made with Penca Azul Tequila, which is named for the blue leaves of the agave plant. Penca Azul is very unique; only one batch is made per year, and all bottles are labeled with the year of production, making it a vintage-dated distilled spirit. It comes in a hand-blown glass bottle with a blue glass agave plant in the bottom of each bottle. The Luna Azul, valued at $18 will be sold at the house margarita price of only $7 for this special evening. Luna Azul - $7 ======= 1 1/2 oz. Penca Azul reposado 2 oz. blueberry nectar 1/2 oz. fresh lime juice 1/4 oz. agave nectar Located at 130 Townsend Street (at 2nd St.) San Francisco, CA 94107 (one block from AT&T Ball Park), Tres Agaves serves lunch, dinner and Tequila daily. Brunch service is offered on the weekends. Ample street parking is available on non-game days, as well as a convenient garage right around the next store. All major credit cards accepted, and walk-ins are always appreciated. For reservations, call 415.227.0500 or http://www.tresagaves.com

Week-end

Last night was the closing celebration for SF Cocktail Week. The party was held at Absinthe with booze and snacks for all. It was a delightful clusterfuck of San Francisco's finest bartenders and a lot of cocktail writers too. Around 8:30PM, people started asking, "Where are you going after this?" It hadn't occurred to me to go out afterwards, but Monday is industry night so the rest of the crowd was raring. Some people went for dinner, but more or less everyone ended up back at Elixir for the after-party. I stopped by my house to drop off my coat, and noticed that all the other bars were empty on this Monday night. But Elixir was banging. Inside it was all shots and drinks and loudness and celebration and then it was 2AM and last call and lost jackets and cell phones. What? I was on my way out the door several times but then got called back into the fray. Now it's Tuesday and I'm a little bit slow but not so hungover, and even though I didn't hit nearly as many bars for Cocktail Week as I had intended, last night's finale was a great end to a brand new tradition in San Francisco. So, what are we doing next year?

It's official: TOTC

I was granted my media credentials today and I'll be heading to Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans July 18-22. Hooray! Anyone else going? I'll be the dude too old to be wearing high-tops, running back to the hotel to eat Ramen Noodles in between sessions.

SF Cocktail Week Kickoff

Last night a group of bartenders escorted a group of journalists to several drinking venues in the city for a kick-off of San Francisco Cocktail Week. As each bar is doing one classic and one modern cocktail for the week, we had two drinks at each bar. Plus two bottles of tequila on the bus. Plus more drinks at the 209 Gin Distillery. That would have been about 12 drinks each if everyone had made it to the final bar. We started at Elixir, where the Corpse Reviver #2, a hangover helper, made for a nice start. We then had their Eldersour, which had a terrific dry finish that I really enjoy in a sour drink. Next up, we boarded the bus and headed to the 209 Distillery, where we had a tour of the place (and drinks). The distillery isn't open to the public so many of the writers saw it for the first time. The next stop was The Alembic, where we started with a mint julep (served out of real julep cups!) and then had the Vow of Silence, a wonderful drink with bourbon and benedictine. This is where we lost our first writer- Marcia of Tablehopper had to head home to finish her story that came out today. Next up was Cantina, where they've put up artwork since the last time I was there and the place looks even better. We had a Pisco Punch and were supposed to have a Marmalade Cooler but I don't think that's what was served (it was small and not a rocks drink). Whatever it was, it was my favorite drink of the night. We stayed there for quite a while (methinks the organizers were as drunk as the writers) and a bunch of people disappeared. I think we lost two people from the Chronicle, the SF Weekly peeps, the Examiner/CHOW.com writer, the 7x7 writer, and even the publicists for the event. Actually, if memory serves me right (and there's no reason to think it should), there were only three writers left for the last two bars. Luckily though, we kept picking up more bartenders along the way so we still had quite the crowd. At Rye, we had the Rye Manhattan that I always love at the venue, followed by The Dogpatch. The Dogpatch is a drink co-owner Greg Lindgren told me was built around Old Potrero Rye, but then Old Potrero ran out so they had to switch to another brand. Oops! At this point, people were plenty tipsy so we stumbled down to Bourbon & Branch for our last cocktails. We were supposed to arrive there at 10PM, but it turns out we were nearly three hours late. Oops! The drinks they were serving were the 1896 Martini and Todd's Smoked Olive Martini. I don't think I wound up having either drink (I had the smoked martini before, and that olive is tasty), which was smart for me because I was ever-so-slightly intoxicated. Only myself, the Zagat's editor, and a Guardian writer were left out of all the writers. Still, I have a feeling that the people who left two bars earlier will have a better overall memory of what happened that evening than those of us to stayed. Some of the bartenders were getting rowdy and starting to talk after-hours, but in a rare moment of good decision making I chose to take my drunk ass home. I encourage people to get out and try some of the 22 venues doing SF Cocktail Week. I guess I have 17 bars left to visit but after Monday night, I'm going to take Tuesday off.

SF Cocktail Week

Finally the website for San Francisco Cocktail Week is up and running. The week (May 14-21) is a way to encourage all of us to visit some of the best bars in the city (I didn't need encouragement, but maybe you did) and try their cocktails. Each participating venue will be serving up one classic cocktail and one new cocktail for the week. This is who is participating. Check the website to see what they're serving.

Absinthe Brasserie & Bar Alembic Bourbon & Branch Butterfly, San Francisco Cantina Citizen Cake Coco 500 Cortez Elixir Forbidden Island Garibaldis Jardinere Le Colonial Monaghan's Nopa Pesce Presidio Social Club Range Rye Slanted Door Solstice Tres Agaves

That's a lot of venues and a lot of geographic diversity to cover in just a week. Luckily, I've got a head start and have even had some of the new cocktails already. But there are a few venues I've never been to so I'm looking forward to checking them out. All in the line of duty, of course.

Neighborhood Tequila Guide to San Francisco

Sometimes on the Seis de Mayo our memories are not as clear as they should be. If you've misplaced your cell phone or wallet (or pants) somewhere in the night, you can try to retrace your steps to find them, but this isn't easy if you can't remember where those steps were. If you can't recall where you were drinking in San Francisco but do remember what you were drinking, this guide should help get you to the right neighborhood.

If you were drinking a	Then you were drinking in
Body shot off a stripper	North Beach
Mexican coffee	The Tenderloin
Patron shot with salt and lime	The Marina
Tequila sunrise	The Richmond
Partida anejo, neat	Downtown
Margarita by the pitcher	The Mission
Frozen margarita with a straw	The Castro

Beer Pong

As listed in today's Chronicle:

The Wrath of Pong

Saturday from noon to 4 p.m., Jillian's in San Francisco will host an "athletic drinking event" that will surely change the image of beer consumers as lazy frat boys standing around chugging brew out of big plastic cups. Instead, the brave warriors participating in the HeyLetsGo.com Beer Pong-A-Thon will stand around a table and throw pingpong balls into big plastic cups filled with beer, and then drink the beer. Four simultaneous games will be projected onto 50-foot flat-screen televisions, and winners get two tickets to Vegas to watch the World Series of Beer Pong -- which should add the necessary drama to the event. Given that the losing team drinks more than the winning one, the thrill of victory will be shared by all.

Jillian's, 101 Fourth St. (at Howard, inside the Metreon), San Francisco; (415) 369-6100. Spectators pay $15 at the door. To register, at $60 per team of two, go to www.heyletsgo.com/beerpong.

-- Camper English

Last minute event: Meet the brewers

NEXT MEET THE BREWERS: THURSDAY, 4/19 6-9 PM at THE CITY BEER STORE 1168 Folsom Street It's always nice to put faces to names, especially those that craft the beer you drink. Come down to The City Beer Store on 4/19 for the latest installment of this casual monthly series from the Guild. Raise a pint or two with local artisan brewers and learn more about San Francisco craft beer. http://www.sfbrewersguild.org

Tales of the Cocktail Recipes

In what will be a long, relentless buildup to the Tales of the Cocktail event in New Orleans this July (I'm probably going) they held a recipe contest to determine the official cocktail for the event. The winners were announced yesterday. All the winners of the event were bartenders from New Orleans, with the exception of Forbidden Island Alameda's Martin Cate, who tied for third place with a nicely simple recipe called the Crescent City Blossom. All the entrants were required to use Moet & Chandon White Star as an ingredient, so if you're looking for a new champagne cocktail, I recommend checking out the winners. Interesting to note that in Monday's Moet Rose cocktail competition in SF at least two of the entrants used the new St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur as does Martin's recipe, so I guess we can safely say it mixes well with champagne. A couple of the Tales of the Cocktail winners used Pama Pomegranate Liqueur, which also works well with bubbly.

Pink Delicious

Last night I was one of the judges at the Think Pink event at Harry Denton's Starlight Room. It was a cocktail competition to see which bartender could create the best drink using Moet & Chandon Rose champagne. Many of the usual suspects were mixing- bartenders from Range, Bourbon & Branch, Rye, and Tres Agaves, plus people from Circolo, Eastside West, and Le Colonial. They made champagne drinks using vodka, gin, fortified wines, tequila, and even scotch. They infused their own vodka, made their own simple syrups, and created wild rims and garnish. The bartenders showed great originality and range, and honestly all the drinks were excellent. In the end, the drink we chose as the winner had the worst name (Pink Cream Soda) but a truly original flavor. It was a tall rocks drink that did taste creamy, but started out with the taste of a muddled jalapeno that somehow didn't dominate the flavor. So congratulations to Todd Smith of Bourbon & Branch for winning the competition, and to all the bartenders who entered. The winning drink will go on the Starlight Room menu, and I hope to see some other of these drinks on cocktail menus around town.

Tequilapalooza!

I would have mentioned it in the article I wrote about the Tommy's Mexican tequila club had I known... Master's degree and higher members of the club (with at least one exception for me) get invites to private Tequilapalooza parties a couple of times a year. The one yesterday was a hoot because Tommy's seats only about 9 people at the bar, whereas a larger crowd can mingle together elsewhere. It's another bonus beyond bragging rights to "earning" your Master's at Tommy's. (More pictures here.)

WOW Report

This year's Whiskies of the World didn't seem as big or as good as last year's, with a smaller space and smaller selection (despite advertisements to the opposite), but I had fun anyway. I actually liked the set-up of one giant square ballroom with nothing much in the middle of the room, so you'd have to crowd in to get your samples of whisky, then you could step back into the middle of the room to enjoy it and talk with other people. (At most events it's either a long, snaking path of booths or else the middle of the room is cluttered with tables and chairs.) The minus of the set-up was that it was a pain to get to the whisky, so you could duck in and get one dram, but it was really hard to work your way through the selection of a distiller systematically. Thus I ended up having a lot less whisky than I'm used to at these events. There's no shame in that- I've sampled most everything in the room before and was only looking for the unique or new bottlings. I had the Balvenie 15-year single barrel, but they were out of the 21-year before I made it to their table. Damnit! I love me some Balvenie. My fun was hanging out with Marcia from Tablehopper (who is all about the bourbon), fellow booze writer Jordan Mackay, and bartenders Jimmy P., Jonny from Absinthe, Mr. Mojito David Nepove, Julio from Tommy's, Dominic of Bourbon & Branch and now Cantina, Duggan of Cantina, Erik from Slanted Door, and probably a few others that I forget. It will be interesting to see how this year's first Malt Advocate Whiskyfest in San Francisco stacks up to this event. Though I could easily attend several of these events each year, I'm not sure San Francisco is big enough for the both of them.

Whisky Survivor

Another write-up by me in today's SF Chronicle:

7 whiskey survival tips

At the Whiskies of the World Expo tomorrow you can sample around 250 whiskies over 4 1/2 hours, which makes 56 drams per hour. This should leave plenty of time in between to:

1. Drink water.

2. Ask at the Compass Box table if they think their fancy wood barrels makes them better than you.

3. Try to get a plate of food from the buffet to a table without spilling.

4. Buy a kilt for your dog (yes, there is really a booth for that).

5. Show the Scottish fiddler troupe the techniques you picked up watching "Riverdance."

6. Go binge shopping at the K&L booth and have it shipped to you later, at which point you may recall how much you actually spent.

7. Keep asking, "Does this whiskey go better with Coke or Pepsi?"

For tickets, go to www.celticmalts.com or call (888) 748-2400.

Camper's Big Week

Today was the Wines of Portugal event, where there was the opportunity to taste up to 400 wines. As I know very little about all wine I just tried to sample some from each of the grape growing regions. Saturday is Whiskies of the World, where I'll be sampling up to 250 whiskies. Probably a few less than that. Sunday is an invite-only tequila event sponsored by Julio Bermejo of Tommy's Mexican, where the invite warns us to "bring a helmet." Luckily it's within walking distance of my house. Monday I'm helping to judge the Think Pink champagne cocktail competition at Harry Denton's Starlight Room, along with Marcia from Tablehopper, Jordan Mackay from 7X7 Magazine, and others. On Tuesday I'm going out drinking on a tour of San Francisco bars with a vodka company. Wednesday so far I have a night off. Thursday I'm hitting the opening for the new bar Etiquette. Friday I'm going to a lunch sponsored by Lillet. And in between, I'll try to get some work done. It's gonna be a bumpy ride!

Whiskies of Wonder

*update* I spoke with the event coordinator and she says that you can call the info line (888-748-2400) to try to get tickets at the last minute and that she'll have some available in SF. However, they'll be cash-only and jacked up in price. There are still a handful of tickets available over the phone currently. --- I'll be attending Whiskies of the World, the giant whisky tasting and education event on April 14th in San Francisco from 5:30 - 10PM at the Palace Hotel. Tickets are $115, but the question is, can you get them? On the Whiskies of the World website they say that there will be no tickets available at the event, but listening to the WhiskyCast podcast I heard the event organizer say that she was trying to have some available in San Francisco until the event starts (but not at the door). I've got an email in to the event organizer, and I'll let you know what I hear back. But since it's about a week from now and most people will have to get them in the mail, you had better order now if you're going. So by the way, is anyone else going? Oh P.S. If you haven't seen him before Woodiot Savant (I just made that up) John Glaser of Compass Box Whiskies will be speaking at Whiskies of the World, but you can also catch him (for free) at Elixir on April 12th. I don't know if he's speaking there or just hanging out (and pulling the raffle ticket for the free tix to Whiskies of the World), but this is a chance to see him. He's kind of a cult hero in the whisky world- as Steve Jobs is to the music industry, Glaser is to the whisky industry, rocking the establishment and making shiny new high-quality things.

Beer and Bites

Beer & Bites

March 24th

1 Fort Mason

The San Francisco Brewers Guild, in association with Slow Food San Francisco, invites your to Beer & Bites, an exploration of beer brewed in San Francisco and paired with local, artisanal food. This event will focus on tasting and pairing a wide array of San Francisco-brewed beers with some of Northern California's best artisan food, including Fatted Calf Charcuterie, Hog Island Oysters, Acme Bread, and more. The event will benefit Slow Food San Francisco and help to support the School Garden Project at Sanchez Elementary School and other programs. Tickets are $50 for unlimited tasting and are available here.

Goodbye, Boozy Tuesday

Today the Japanese Brewer's Association was in town. True Sake sponsored a tasting event, which was first open to reporters from 2-4PM, so that's when I went. I had some very good and some very mediocre sakes there. The event seemed geared towards restaurant buyers and trying to get them to carry some sakes. I was on my way out when I ran into W. Blake Gray, staff writer for the Chronicle. He also writes for the wine section, but I'd never met him in person. He seemed like a mature, put-together grown-up, which isn't that rare for wine people but is for newspaper writers. On my way out, I decided to procrastinate going home and finishing my story (on sake) by going into Marlena's. I wrote about the bar this winter having 700 Santas as decoration. Owner Garry McLain walked in carrying bags and bags of stuffed rabbits from Thrift Town, which are to be the next holiday decorations for the bar. I had two beers and by this time the sake had really hit me. Long story short: messy Camper. On my way home it was 5:30PM and I was hungry so I stopped into Little Star Pizza near my house. I ordered a beer that I did not need and ate a pizza that was delicious as always. Then I came home and slept for a couple of hours, not finishing my story, and surely making me stay up too late tonight when I need to get up early in the morning and finish my sake story and start my whisky wood story. It's gonna be rough.

Beer, Beer, Beer!

There are more Bay Area beer events in February than any other month it seems. Get out there and get your gut on. Strong Beer Month:

In February, Magnolia Pub and Brewery (1398 Haight St.; 415-864-7468) and 21st Amendment Brewery (563 Second St., 415-369-0900) in San Francisco team up to celebrate Strong Beer Month. Each venue will feature six house-brewed strong beers (ranging from about 8 to 10 percent alcohol by volume) on tap, including barley wines, double IPAs and imperial stouts. As an incentive to experiment, drinkers who sample all 12 brews and get a special punch card stamped by the end of the month will be rewarded with a commemorative glass. Additionally the venues will sell vintage strong brews from their cellars and offer beer and food pairings like barley wine with Colston Bassett Stilton cheese. To kick off the month, beer makers from both breweries will be bringing a couple of their kegs to the Toronado bar, 547 Haight St., on Wednesday. For more info, go to strongbeermonth.com.

The Toronado's Barleywine Festival Feb 17 - 24. Celebrator Beer Review's Beerapalooza 2007 includes the following:

February 10–18 - Beerapalooza, San Francisco Bay Area For information, see our Beerapalooza 2007 page here

February 10 - Hayward, California Double IPA festival at the Bistro. 510-886-8525

February 14 - San Francisco, California Beer and Cheese Tasting at Rogue Ales Public House. Phone 415-362-7880

February 16 - San Francisco, California Beer and Chocolate Dinner, Cathedral Hill Hotel. 415-776-8200, ext. 7785

February 18 - Berkeley, California CBN's 19th Anniv Party Brewer's Mardi-Gras at Trumer Brewery. More info here

Yo Ho Ho

I just got back from vacation (where I drank nothing of quality worth mentioning, though a lot in quantity), so I've got some catching up to do. Here's an event that looks awesome- anyone want to carpool (in your car) to Alameda on Feb 7th?

Forbidden Island is pleased to welcome you to… 

RUMFEST 2007!

Throughout February, Forbidden Island is celebrating the glory of rum
with a series of events, tastings, new products, and more.

To kick off the celebration, Forbidden Island is adding SEVENTEEN new
premium rums to our already world-class collection.  Explore the diverse
world of rum, and take advantage of the opportunity to sample rare &
exclusive spirits available nowhere else.  Sip them neat, on the rocks,
or prepared simply with fresh squeezed lime juice and our housemade pure
cane syrup.  Or take a trip around the world with a tasting flight.

Mark your calendar for these upcoming exciting rum-fueled events:

February 7th at 6:00pm: RUM 101 with Edward Hamilton.
Forbidden Island is pleased to welcome Edward Hamilton, internationally
known rum expert and the author of four books on rum.  Edward will be
giving an overview of the history, manufacture, and tasting of rum. 
Learn the difference between rums of different countries, how aging
affects the flavor and appearance of rum, and much more.  Admission to the
event is free, but we encourage you to buy tasting tickets in order to
have the great opportunity of sampling the rums Edward will be speaking
about.   Tasting tickets are available in advance or at the door for
$25, but supplies are limited, so hurry in.  Don’t miss this very
special event!

February 22nd, starting at 5:00pm: Don the Beachcomber 100th Birthday 
Party
Donn Beach: Man.  Myth.  Legend.  The inventor of the tiki bar.  Early
proponent of premium rum.  Creator of the Zombie.  And so much more. 
He would have been 100 years old on this day.  Come celebrate his legacy
with rare, classic Don the Beachcomber recipes and general merriment. 
Forbidden Island simply wouldn’t be here today without him.

February 25th at 2:00pm: Rum & Cigars
Spend a (hopefully) sunny afternoon on our patio with the two great
tastes that go great together: Rum and Cigars.  We’ll enjoy cigars
paired with premium sipping rums from Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, and
more.  Meet other rum and cigar lovers; see if you can taste the
similarities in cane and tobacco grown on the same soil.  Tickets ($35) will
be very limited for this event and will be available in advance only at
Forbidden Island.