Austin360.com – 6.25.11
On the road: San Francisco cocktails
By Emma Janzen
When I traveled to San Francisco earlier this year, my main goal was to find and consume cocktails. Surprised? I didn’t think so. The Bay Area helped ignite and has been pushing the boundaries of the cocktail revival for years now. Today, it remains one of the forerunners of the movement. While there for five days last February, I intended on soaking up as much of the drinking culture as possible.
Check out my travel story in Sunday’s print edition for a selection of my favorite haunts. Here are a few additional suggestions, as well as the promised recipe for the Buffalo Nickel from the North Beach bar 15 Romolo.
The Buffalo Nickel 1.5 oz Buffalo Trace .5 oz Root Liqueur .5 oz ginger syrup 1 dash each orange bitters, angostura bitters, coffee tincture Lightly shake or vigorously stir. Served on the rocks with fresh grated cinnamon and an orange peel. The Alembic
Oftentimes a bar can be defined by what it communicates both figuratively and literally to its patrons and, likewise, by what it leaves unspoken. Alembic, a hip but laid-back Haight district haunt, is a beautiful, dimly lit neighborhood bar with careful attention to design and a very specific ambiance, but it lets the cocktails speak for themselves.
Yes, there’s a detailed chalkboard list explaining what spirits rest on the back bar. Yes, the menu reads like a novel, explaining in cheeky detail which cocktails will “help you throw caution to the wind,” or “stare you in the face.”
But the bartenders don’t boast. They don’t lecture. They simply spin seemingly disparate spirits into golden libations, quietly and deftly, leaving the daunting task of finding the words to describe the gourmet drinking experience that follows up to you.
Go for: Second to none cocktails (both classic and modern, $9-11). Craft beer and wine also offered. The artisan food is heralded by many local publications, although I didn’t try anything on that particular visit. Sundays they do Savoy night, where patrons can choose to try any drink from the Savoy Cocktail book.
Try: The Promissory Note (pictured above). My boyfriend claims this is his favorite cocktail in the country to date. I ordered a Pisco Sour, which was also made with expertise, albeit not nearly as exciting as the Promissory Note. Needless to say, I helped myself to his cocktail when he excused himself to the men’s room.
Here’s the recipe: 1 oz. Domaine de Canton
.75 oz. Noilly Prat dry vermouth
.75 oz. Reposado tequila
1 teaspoon honey
8 drops Absinthe
Stir ingredients with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with grated cinnamon and a thin slice of radish.
Bourbon and Branch
Appropriately located in the Tenderloin neighborhood (known as the sketchy part of the city), this neo-speakeasy projects a detailed Prohibition-era aesthetic. The bar is unmarked, save for the “Anti-Saloon League” sign that hangs on the corner outside. A buzzer gets you in. You must make a reservation online to acquire a password for entrance.
Inside, soft ’20s music croons from hidden speakers, people speak in hushed tones, and bookshelves open to reveal secret rooms and escape-ways, just in case a Prohibition agent were to suddenly appear to break up the party. The theme is not merely a gimmick, though; the location operated as a real illegal speakeasy from 1921 to 1933.
The strict door policy and list of house rules (no cellphone use, no standing at the bar, no photography and “don’t even think of asking for a Cosmo”) may appear pretentious and over-the-top to many newcomers, but in reality, it helps authenticate the experience. It will never be rowdy and crowded like its sister bar, Rickhouse. It will be quiet, giving you the chance to talk to your bartender and learn a thing or two about what you’re drinking.
They also make some of the best cocktails in the entire country, so it’s worth the hassle, if you ask any cocktail geek worth his snuff.
Go for: A truly unique evening. There are only a small handful of neo-speakeasies in the country, and each one offers a different experience. The staffers are like encyclopedias, and the cocktails exceptional. A new adjacent bar recently opened — a speakeasy within a speakeasy — called The Wilson that would be worth checking out as well.
Try: Anything. Seriously. I enjoyed some contraband barrel aged Negroni that blew my socks off. Don’t be afraid to let the bartender choose your cocktail.
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