COCKTAILS

PROSPECT, SoMa – In the midst of 3.5 star reviews and consistent accolades, Prospect moves forward in its early opening months shining. My first take on it was strong and repeat visits only confirm. This place is the whole package (see Top Tastes for food, below for wine).

Enter more supreme cocktails from Brooke Arthur and crew. On the regular menu, complexity rolled over my taste buds with A Better Tomorrow ($11.50), Danny Louie’s recipe of Encanto Pisco, Gran Classico, Broadbent Malmsey Madeira, Regan’s Orange Bitters. Starting out sweet, lush and bitter, it unfolds with earthy nuttiness, an herbal, raisin-sweet finish. This cocktail exhibits ingenuity and classic principles. And I appreciate the film name.

Vicious Circle ($11) continues the cinematic and literary references – in taste it’s a light presentation of Old Overholt Rye, ideal on a hot day (which we’ve been having quite a few of recently), enlivened with Zirbenz stone pine liqueur, Drambuie, pineapple gum syrup and lemon.

SF Cocktail Week was appropriately celebrated here with two boozy beauties, particularly Jimmie Roosevelt ($12), a Charles Baker classic. Pierre Ferrand 1er Cru de Cognac is poured over an Angostura-soaked sugar cube and chunks of ice, mixed with green chartreuse, topped with a prosecco float. Similar to A Better Tomorrow, this cocktail develops with spicy, herbal tones, gaining sweetness as the sugar cube dissolves.

Expect refinement, as well as refreshment, in Prospect’s cocktails.

GRAPPA

I have visited Luce a number of times since its opening, pleased with Dominique Crenn’s food and with their Bar 888′s one-of-a-kind grappa selection. At a recent visit, assistant restaurant manager Kiet Le, selected a flight of Poli grappas for me, inspired by their Rustic Grappa Flight ($14), which I have also tried: S. Cristina Grappa di Lugana, Nardini Aquavite (aged, hot), Luxardo Euganea (harsh but pleasing), Le’s Poli choices were all smoother, more nuanced than the still enjoyable rustic three.

Out of the three, I was most wowed by Poli’s Moscato brandy, a traditional-style grappa in a long, graceful bottle inspired by a woman’s neck – even draped with a necklace. It’s a clean, clear eau de vie: aromatic, dry, yet floral and lush with whispers of vanilla.

Sarpa Riserva is another beauty, aged in Slovenian oak, golden, floral and redolent of juniper berry. Poli Miele Honey Liqueur was my least favorite due to its heavier sweetness, but it’s a fine intro to grappa for beginners who normally find it too harsh. It’s lightly cloudy to the eye, green and herbal to the taste, honey sweet.

BOURBON with Four Roses’ Jim Rutledge

Even as I find it a thrill to taste the best in any genre (spirit, wine, beer), my taste buds are most in love with American whiskey: bourbon and rye somehow comfort and please me like nothing else. So I jumped at the chance for an intimate lunch at Zero Zero with Four Roses distiller, Jim Rutledge. A romantic bourbon with a history and name based on a Southern belle’s response to the founder’s proposal of marriage in the late 1800′s, Four Roses is a crowd-pleaser with it’s classic yellow bourbon, ideal for cocktails (which was also the country’s #1 selling bourbon post-Prohibition).

All bourbons in their line are made with a mix of corn, rye and barley grains (read about their unusual process of 10 distinct recipes here). Their 90 proof Small Batch hits the nose with rye, vanilla and fruit, while it tastes of spice, brown sugar and a rich rye. This one is a smooth sipper that could convert those who think bourbon is too strong. My favorite is the Single Barrel, surprisingly smooth for a bracing 100 proof, yet subtle and restrained on the nose. I detected hints of vanilla, honey, even pine there, but to the taste it was spicy, with notes of cherry and maple.

VODKA with Borje Karlsson of Karlsson’s Gold

You may have heard my thoughts on vodka, usually my least favorite spirit. I have tasted Karlsson’s Gold Vodka before, appreciating it’s earthy potato complexity. I had a recent Burritt Room lunch with its master blender, Börje Karlsson, who was also behind Absolut years ago, a soft-spoken vodka craftsman.

Karlsson’s Gold is made from seven varieties of virgin potatoes grown on Cape Bjäre in Sweden on family farms. Unlike a lot of vodka companies who brag about how many times their vodka is distilled, which is actually no bragging point since it means (one of my main issues with vodka) all flavor has been distilled out of it, Karlsson’s appropriately distills their vodka once. As they discussed during lunch, if you use an expensive raw material like virgin potatoes instead of significantly cheaper wheat, why would you distill the flavor out?

Using 18 lbs. of potatoes per bottle (!), they blend the varieties for greatest balance and consistency. Lest one think all potatoes are created equal, we had the opportunity to sip a variety of their vodkas in varying forms, from three made of the same potato but different vintages, to two different potatoes and vintages. The range of tastes is surprising: some sweet and creamy, others fiery and complex, like my favorite, 2004 Frieslander.

The final product encompasses a mix of the various vodkas we tasted, ideal served as “Black Gold”, or rather, on the rocks with their own black pepper freshly ground on top. On a hot day, it was refreshing, peppery, bracing, with notes of citrus. Once again, there are exceptions to every rule.

WINES

B3, Mission – Besides the food at my last B3 visit (see Top Tastes), I sipped Forlorn Hope’s new wine: 2008 Ost-Intirgen. Forlorn Hope is a favorite discovery through B3 – try any of their wines. This visit, I was taken with Fort Ross’ 2006 Pinotage’s gentle blackberry earthiness balanced with hints of black tea and vanilla. It improved with burgers. Another stand-out is two from Lee Family Farm in Lodi: a 2008 Rio Tinto (56% Touriga Francesa, 24% Alvarelhao, 13% Touriga Nacional, 7% Tinta Roriz grapes), which marries berries to nutmeg and cardamom with enough acidity to make it food-friendly. Their 2008 Grenache is Monterey-grown with jasmine and berries on the palate.

PROSPECT, SoMa -Wine director Amy Currens knows her wines. When it came to a recent meal at Prospect, her by-the-glass recommendations started off strong with an off-dry Egon Muller Scharzhof Estate 2008 Riesling ($11), reaching a higher pinnacle with 2006 Bruno Colin Charmois Saint-Aubin Chardonnay: bright acidity with the lushness of caramelized apple.

JAQK CELLARS – A brick building in the architectural richness of the Jackson Square area (between North Beach and the Financial District) is home to JAQK Cellars‘ lovely offices, complete with rooftop deck in the shadow of the Transamerica Building (you can host private wine and food tastings here with 8-12 people at a mere $25 per person). I was impressed with the down-to-earth staff and winemaker, Craig Maclean, of JAQK Cellars. As much as I like the striking, irreverent labeling of their bottles with a speakeasy gambler’s feel, it can give the impression of being gimmicky.

They brought it up first, saying restaurant owners and wine buyers often see them coming and turn the other way… until they taste the wines, which are selling out on many of the wine lists where they’re featured. They spoke frankly about California wines compared to old world, European styles, and the pressure to cater to Parker, which they refuse to do (though Maclean has won Parker accolades in the past, he sees right through the hype of awards and points).

These wines are California wines and thus bigger than many European wines with higher ABV, though not outrageous (hovering around 14% for some of the reds). Among the whites, 2008 Pearl Handle Chardonnay was the stand-out. Higher-priced at $36, it’s toasty oak, spiced pear and vanilla notes open up with surprising acidity as it aerates. Their 2008 Charmed Sauvignon Blanc ($19) grew on me with each consecutive taste, crisp with mineral citrus and vanilla. 2007 Napa Valley “High Roller” Cabernet ($67) is JAQK’s flagship wine, meant to age, rich with tannins, oak and acidity. Not commonly a Merlot drinker (there are some fine ones, of course), I’d almost go for the 2007 “Bone Dance” Merlot first, both for value ($25) and round, black cherry earthiness.

COCKTAILS & SPIRITS

ROSE PISTOLA, North Beach - Lovely bar manager Aurora Siegel maintains a fine cocktail menu at Rose Pistola that could be easy to miss in North Beach’s tourist bustle. Finely-wrought takes on classics like Rose’s Manhattan ($10 – Bulleit Bourbon, sweet vermouth, bitters, Amarena cherry juice, essence of orange) mingle with bright refreshers like The Q ($11 – Hendrick’s Gin, muddled cucumber, house-made ginger syrup, lemon juice, salted cucumber slice).

Bella Bolle ($10) is an ideal pre-dinner or warm night imbibement with Encanto Pisco, seasonal fruit (in my recent visit, strawberries), fresh lemon juice, house elderflower syrup, topped with a prosecco float. Siegel skillfully whipped up cocktails on the spot based on my friend’s request and I sampled her cocktail for next week’s SF Cocktail Week, utilizing Encanto Pisco with fall-like spices. Sit at the bar with appetizers or specials like steaming mussels or a dreamy flatbread covered in prosciutto, Mission figs, creamy stracchino cheese, drizzled in white truffle oil, and one feels transported to a European bar.

FAIR SPIRITS - It was exciting to witness the first certified fair-trade spirits released at a Burritt Room private party on 7/31. FAIR, a France-based company, has created a vodka, a Goji Berry Liqueur, and a coffee liqueur… all fair trade.

I am partial to the quinoa-based vodka and FAIR.Cafe Liqueur myself. I am likewise inspired by the years of work to certify ingredients used in these spirits, a truly pioneering effort. They have a rum and tequila in the works but there is little in the way of fair trade agave or sugar so the hurdles are many. Co-founder Alexandre Koiransky flew out from France for the release of FAIR in the US cities it’s currently available: NY, LA, Chicago and SF.

The night turned into a “crawl” at three superb bars, Cantina, Rickhouse, and Gitane, where bartenders invented their own  FAIR cocktail creations. There were highlights at each bar, not the least of which was the (intentionally) ridiculously named Cartoons Can Be Midgets at Burritt Room, boozy and bright with FAIR vodka, Cynar, chipotle tincture, and peach bitters, in a Chartreuse-rinsed glass, garnished with orange peel.

As  we were admonished that night, “We can now vote with our dollars at the bar…” by ordering fair trade.

9/13 HARLEM SHOT COMPETITION at Tasting Panel’s Tour -

Tasting Panel hosted a tasting of the Double Gold winners of 2010′s San Francisco World Spirits Competition and International Wine Competition at  Hotel Monaco Monday. Highlights included 2009 Germana Heritage Cachaca, Vizcaya VXOP Solera Rum, El Jimador Anejo Tequila, Jules Taylor’s 2009 Sauvignon Blanc, and Lynmar’s 2007 Russian River Chardonnay.

But the most fun portion of the afternoon was HARLEM’s shot competition where 11 SF bartenders concocted creative shots using HARLEM liqueur. Besides the two below, I also was taken with the spirituous balance of Brian MacGregor’s Shot of Courage (HARLEM, Yellow Chartreuse, Bols Genever, lemon) and Sierra Zimei’s (of Four Seasons’ Seasons Bar) bright Cherry Poppins (HARLEM, unsweetened cherry juice, homemade cinnamon/vanilla bitters, egg white).

The winning drinks were…

Judges choice: Carlo Splendorini from gitane’s SAN FRANCISCO LATE SUMMER NIGHT
1oz HARLEM
1/2 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz mission fig reduction
Muddled lemon thyme
Candied fig for garnish

Combine all ingredients excluding garnish into a shaker, muddle lemon thyme, shake for 5 seconds. Fine strain into chilled shot glass and garnish with candied mission figs.

Fan favorite: David Ruiz from Mr. Smith’s HARLEM MARMALADE
1oz HARLEM
3/4 oz lemon juice
1 bar spoon homemade triple citrus orange marmalade

Combine HARLEM, fresh lemon juice, jam and ice in shaker. Shake hard to break down jam. Double strain and pour into a shot glass.

COCKTAILS

SPOONBAR, Healdsburg - I wrote last issue about Spoonbar in Sonoma County. It’s up to you get out there… and fast… for some of the best cocktails in all of the Bay Area (no surprise) from Mr. Scott Beattie.

Ask for the full cocktail menu beyond the one you get when first seated. It’s a glory of new creations, featuring edible flowers and the herbal, produce-driven beauties Beattie has perfected since Cyrus days. There’s the added bonus of classics done with a Beattie sensibility. I get giddy at the site of three versions each of Old-Fashioneds, Negronis, Manhattans and Sazeracs, the holy foursome of cocktails.

I chose the Tempus Fugit Negroni ($8.50). How could I not? Made with Ransom’s impeccable Old Tom Gin, Dolin Rouge Vermouth, orange zest and Tempus Fugit‘s brilliant Gran Classico Bitter, it’s a musky, full revelation.

On the classics front, Beattie’s Dark ‘n Stormy trumps all others. There’s an Appleton Reserve version for $7.50 (or pitcher for five at $37.50). I had the Ron Zacapa Solera 23 (a rum I’ve long been a fan of) version for $9/$45. With fresh lime juice and Angostura bitters, Beattie adds drops of essential ginger oil for a pure, full taste. Locally grown sunflower leaves are a vivid garnish.

Going the creative Beattie route is equally thrilling. John Chapman ($10.5) is a taste of fall. When you mix St. George Whiskey and Pear Eau de Vie with lemon, apple, ginger and a Thai coconut foam, you get magic. Ditto, on the other side of the spectrum, with the Summery  Siddartha ($9.5). This one utilizes Hangar One Buddha’s Hand Citron Vodka with Beefeater Gin, St. Germain Elderflower, lemon, Thai coconut milk and lemon verbena. It’s silky, seductively bright and garden fresh.

Trust a drink from Beattie and try the spectrum. I am plotting a return…

BAR AGRICOLE, SoMa - I’ve been asked about my take on the new and long awaited hotspot from Thad Vogler. Though I tried three cocktails and bites at a pre-opening event for Bar Agricole, I did not walk away with enough of a stand-out yet to give you a proper report, though I’m sure one will be forthcoming.

I will say the space is strikingly unique, welcome in our city of understated dining rooms. It’s forward-thinking and fresh, from the photography behind the bar, to radiant light fixtures, to the awesome front garden and patio.

15 ROMOLO, North Beach - I’m always happy here… you hear me say it enough. The 15 Romolo guys do it again with two divergent cocktails. One is Spaghetti Western ($9), it’s cool name belying the crazy candy taste that happens when rye and Campari meld with sweet tomatoes (love the plump tomato garnish), lemon and a Pilsner float. The other, the spirituous bitter of Lo Scandinavo ($11) with North Shore aquavit, Gran Classico, Carpano Antica… a Scandinavian approach to a Negroni.

TAMARINDO ANTJOERIA’s MIEL BAR and REVIVAL BAR & KITCHEN, Oakland and Berkeley - And in the East Bay, Tamarindo Antojeria opened a tequila bar, Miel, in half of their restaurant, a chic, shining temple of all things tequila. Besides a fine selection of tequilas by the pour, cocktails like the Mezcalito ($12) highlight Del Maguey’s Creme de Mezcal with a little fresh orange and volcanic salt rim. They do a nice job on their margaritas and Paloma, too.

Revival Bar & Kitchen is a welcome cocktail stop in downtown Berkeley, even if the menu (food and drink) is similar to many you’ve seen in SF in recent years. They do classics, like Death in the Afternoon, Bourbon Crusta and Jalisco Sour, but also whip up specials of their bartender’s doing, fresh with the likes of lavender, lemon and egg white.

REZA ESMAILI’S ROSEBUD, served at SF CHEFS’ SPICE PARTY

This is a layered, aromatic aperitivo created by Reza for SF Chefs and one of my favorite drinks of the week. He was gracious enough to share the recipe…

Rosebud
1oz vodka
.5oz Hendrick’s gin
1oz Lillet Blanc
.5oz Aperol
3 drops rosewater
1 “Russia Rose” or mini, dry rose used for asian teas

-stir ingredients for approx 10 seconds
-strain into two sherry or port glasses
-garnish with rose
serves two

SPIRITS

MINISTRY OF RUM – Another year of Ministry of Rum, a fine rum tasting event put on by rum expert (and a downright great guy), Ed Hamilton (read about last year’s here).

Many of last year’s same vendors were there at Waterfront Hotel/Miss Pearl’s Jam House in Jack London Square. Bartending greats shook cocktails as we sipped through various rums.

Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva stands out with a caramelized, spiced nose and buttery spice and tobacco flavors. Cruzan’s smooth Single Barrel Rum is an easy after-dinner sip: a light but mature, pleasing rum at the right price (retails from $27-35 online).

Despite the greater aged 8 and 12 year El Dorado rums, I prefer the 5 year cask-aged version. It’s medium-bodied, lively and redolent of the tropics with toasted coconut and fruit notes.

Each time I’ve tasted them, I enjoy honey and dark chocolates notes in Santa Teresa 1796, aged in Solera oak barrels, and Flor de Cana’s rich, charred oak and dark caramel-tinged Centenario 18 year.

Black Tot Rum was the big hoopla of the afternoon, a 40-year rum doled out in dropper-sized tastes. From the little I could gather, it was nuanced though hardly revelatory, especially compared to whiskies of similar age. Though I find some younger rums more exciting, Black Tot was nonetheless an excellent slice of history and a worthy sip.

When it comes to rum, I can’t help but return to Zacapa rums as favorites, both the Centenario and the XO.

Here’s to next year, and thanks, Ed, for ever furthering our knowledge and showing us the scope of rum.

HEAVEN HILL – Heaven Hill has an enviable line-up including some of my favorite bourbons in existence. I jumped at a chance to stop in at 83 Proof on my way to judging a whisky contest to sip one of my top bourbons (another being Pappy Van Winkle 20 and 23 year): Parker’s Heritage.

I fell in love after first trying their anniversary edition at Whiskyfest. Tasting Parker’s 27 year again is fabulous every time. Sip their Golden Anniversary edition and you’ve died and gone to bourbon heaven.

I adore rye, and Rittenhouse 25-year Rye is surely a fine one, but I’m not sure I gained much more from the added years. When it comes to aged rye, my love still lies with Van Winkle Family Reserve 13-yr Rye, which is, tragically, very hard to come by.

ST. GEORGE’s AGUA LIBRE - Don’t even get me started on how much I love St. George Spirits. I’ve been a fan for years, from my rush to purchase their incomparable Absinthe Verte upon release, to the loss of my last bottle of Agua Azul Reposado until they make a tequila again in the future, I’ve been proud to have them in the Bay Area. Tours, release parties, any event at the distillery is memorable.

I won’t go into the joys and secrets of a private tour from distiller Dave Smith last week, replete with tastes, whiffs and ecstasies from bottles, test tubes and barrels of unreleased products. Experimentation is alive and well at St. George/Hangar One and it thrills me to witness it.

In the meantime, there’s two brand new releases to enjoy. The first US rum agricole grown from US sugarcane, Agua Libre comes in two forms: dark, aged rum and white, unaged, both grassy and smooth. Also, the second batch of Firelit Coffee Liqueur was just released with dark chocolate notes from the Blue Bottle beans.

The Latest in Cocktails in NEW YORK CITY

My May New York adventures brought me to some of the city’s newer treasures I’ve been desiring to partake in… a couple of them literally just opened weeks before, others open about a year.

Brand new

CIENFUEGOS (upstairs through Carteles sandwich shop), East Village – Open barely a month when I visited, this intriguing new rum bar is through a Cuban sandwich shop just a couple doors down from Death & Co. (and same owners).

A rum-centric bar with punch bowls, varying sizes of cocktails and rum shots, what immediately converts here, after a walk through the humble sandwich shop and up a set of stairs, is the magical wonderland interior. I’m not a pink girl, in fact it is my most loathed color, only palatable when paired with something to give it heft, like black or brown. But here, pink entices, teases, even charms. There’s yellows, soft greens, white, a pastel profile I would normally hate, but here becomes a glowing explosion of color.

It plays like old world Havana meets Alice in Wonderland. You have fallen down a candyland rabbit hole and awaiting you are vibrantly fresh cocktails and bowls of rum punch, served in both the restaurant (will have to try next time) and bar area.

I adore their little cardboard-bound menu with old-fashioned drawings and a mix of classics, punches and modern creations. Initial intrigues? The Vesperone ($15) wowed by mixing Zacapa rum with rye whiskey, Green Chartreuse, agave nectar, blackberries and sage leaves. Musky and bright. Rosa Verde ($14) is a salad in a cocktail. I slurped down arugula leaves from a bright, pink glass of Flor de Cana rum, watermelon juice, celery bitters, lime, arugula-infused simple syrup and pink peppercorn.

LA BIBLIOTECA, East 40′s/Midtown East - Again, this just opened a couple weeks before I arrived in the basement of a new restaurant, Zengo. I’d go to Mayahuel (below) for the best tequila cocktails in NY and a hip, festive atmosphere, but La Bibilioteca offers tastings of over 400 tequilas, NY’s biggest selection yet, in an expansive underground lair.

La Bibilioteca is a tequila storage library (similar to, but larger than, SF’s Taverna Aventine) in a subterranean lounge where you are leisurely educated with tequila flights or your server’s suggested tastings. The night I visited, a tequila brand ambassador was giving a tasting, offering further opportunities to educate New Yorkers, who, it was apparent, have barely scratched the surface of the tequila world.

Thankfully, this place is attempting to narrow that gap. Servers are still in the process of beginning to try all they offer, so you may  want to do some research ahead of time and go ready to ask for tequilas you would like to taste (for example, I noticed the Del Maguey line sitting in one cabinet – a fine place to start for mezcals).

But it doesn’t have to be complicated. Their servers are friendly and willing to offer guidance, while the menu offers flights with varying themes. I appreciate the Barrel Aging Tasting ($16) theme, three tequilas aged in different barrels: Don Julio Reposado, the best of the three and one I’m already a fan of (bourbon barrel), Riazul Anejo, with vanilla and caramel notes (cognac barrel), and the interesting, but not necessarily winning, Asombroso Reposado (wine barrel). There’s Anejo flights (mine had Don Julio, Casa Noble, Patron), brand flights where you try reposados through extra anjeos of one particular brand, and so on.

I sipped palate-cleansing shots of their bright tomato sangrita, and best of all, their house Horchata Blanco using Jose Cuervo traditional. Creamy and lush.

Sink back into black couches lining the large room (with touches of red), order guacamole and chips, and get schooled on tequila, New York.

2009 Openings

RAINES LAW ROOM, Flatiron – Opened in early 2009, there is a whiff of pretension when one locates  an unmarked door and hipster doorman (a new guy on his first day). But there is no pretension within. In fact, this is now one of my favorite bars in NY.

The bartenders and staff are relaxed, knowledgeable, willing to explain stories and ingredients behind their recipes. Linger in the brick-walled, elegant main room, on black leather couches, cozy chairs next to the fireplace, pulling little wall buzzers  signaling you are ready to order. This is an elegant, Prohibition-era den evoking a wealthy but approachable friend’s living room.

Head back to The Kitchen where, under pressed tin ceiling and atop a marble butcher block countertop, mixologists concoct drinks as you interact with them.

Most enchanting is the back garden, where herbs used in their drinks are grown. On a warm May evening, candles flickered in Moroccan lamps, lounge chairs inviting me to recline and take in the night air. The garden was refreshingly empty on an early weekend night. An idyllic respite.

The menu runs the gamut from classics (Negronis, Old Cubans), to seasonal (utilizing herbs and produce), to signature house drinks (all $13). There’s even a “Fancy Cocktail” section with elaborate drinks from $16-23.

My visit included a boozy but smooth special of the day, Alice’s Evidence with Asyla scotch, lemon, lime, simple syrup with absinthe rinse, and a signature Harold & Maude: Johnnie Walker Black, Zacapa 23, lemon, rose & lavender syrup, aromatic bitters, shaken and served down. Beauties, all.

Their former doorman is a chocolatier and after expressing interest in his chocolates (listed in the menu; available by the box), our server brought us a couple to sample. Chocolate Meurens are creamy, Belgian-style truffles in flavors like Aztec (cinnamon, cloves, cayenne, anise, orange flower water) and Early Century (absinthe and Grand Marnier).

MAYAHUEL, East Village – Tequila doesn’t flow on the East Coast like it does in California. In fact, our bartender at Mayahuel talked about the difficulty accessing tequilas we are easily able to procure in Cali. But that’s where Mayahuel, from the crew behind Death & Co., steps in.

I’d been eager to visit since I first heard about it’s opening last Spring. The tequila selection is comprehensive with the likes of Del Maguey and Fortaleza stocking the shelves.  The mezcal selection is excellent, bartenders are informed and passionate about spreading the tequila gospel, and the space is a charming, half-underground Mexican bordello with shiny tiles, wrought iron, snug booths, and loads of citrus and herbs lining the bar. If this was in my ‘hood, I’d be a regular.

It made me reflect on the tequila bars we have at home, and though there is no tequila selection to match Tommy’s, I wish we also had a spot like this: tequila in an subterranean, cozy, hip space with top notch cocktails (SF’s Cantina has a superb tequila and South American spirits cocktail menu but the decor is not Mexican, which, gimmicky or not, I love about Mayahuel).

I didn’t eat here, but they have a fun menu of good-looking food. If you’re not sampling straight tequila, there are a slew of fine tequila cocktails. I particularly liked the balanced heat in Herb Alpert ($14 – love the musician’s moniker): El Jimador Blanco infused with jalapeno, mezcal, fresh oregano, lime, and enjoyed a layered Slynx ($13): reposado, bonded applejack, pear & whiskey barrel bitters with a mezcal rinse.

In the front seat of a 1961 Silver Cloud Rolls Royce

5/4 – PERNOD ABSINTHE CRAWL

So this one of those special media events it could get annoying to hear about if you couldn’t attend yourself, except that it was at three places I highly recommend in a rare Absinthe-themed crawl…

Pernod Absinthe, the original absinthe since 1805, hosted an intimate group of writers for an Absinthe Crawl at three worthy locations: the yet to open (scheduled for May 20) Comstock Saloon in North Beach for four classic cocktails, Fifth Floor for three-course dinner with cocktail pairings, ending the night at Smuggler’s Cove for yet three more cocktails… all featuring Pernod Absinthe.

Needless to say, I had to taste, leaving behind way more than I wanted to, as expert bartenders showcased Pernod Absinthe in classics (Jeff Hollinger and Jonny Raglin at Comstock, Martin Cate at Smuggler’s) and new creations (Steven Liles at Fifth Floor). Chef Jennie Lorenzo prepared some wonderful food for us at Fifth Floor.

The pinnacle? Being carted around town in a 1961 Silver Cloud Rolls Royce. Three white, one black, they were stunners, with a homey, old-car smell.

As the sky turned dusky blue after sunset, the magic view of San Francisco from behind the dash of the Silver Cloud is an image I will not soon forget. I felt Grace Kelly-ish, dressed up, seeing my city afresh via other time periods. Sheer magic. And an incredible way to experience this, or any, great city.

COCKTAILS

• Neyah does it again: when I asked for a cachaca drink at Nopa, he served Sagatiba Cachaca and Dimmi, with their own house Birch Beer Bitters. Birch beer and Dimmi’s herbal/floral/grappa notes melded into a beautifully unique coctail. While you’re there, try White Whiskey as it should be imbibed in a White Manhattan or Buck with your choice of small batch white whiskeys… my Manhattan featured an as of yet unreleased white whiskey from Leopold Bros. that reigned supreme in taste compared to other worthy versions.

• Victoria D’amato-Moran’s (of Cent’Anni Cocktails) drinks often taste like vacation, and none more so than a tropical imbibement she whipped up at a recent private spirits tasting event at Tres Agaves, as well as at Taste of the Nation. Called the Yucatan Punch, it consists of Chinaco Reposado, dreamy Kalani Coconut Liquor (a 100% natural coconut liqueur that puts other coconut liqueurs to shame), D’aristi Xtabentun (a rum/honey/anise liqueur) and pineapple.

SPIRITS

Stand-outs at a recent private spirits tasting at Tres Agaves:

• Blackbull scotch – newer to the market but 30 years aged, a sherry-like whisky, certainly not a favorite but intriguing
• Briottet – surprising, ripe, elegant Creme de Cassis (blackcurrant liqueur), Creme de Banane,  Creme de Mure (blackberry)
• D’Aristi Kalani Coconut Liqueur – 100% natural, fresh, un-toasted coconut – tastes like tropical vacation – may be the best I’ve had of its kind
• English Harbor Rum – toasty, burnt sugar, complex, even at merely 5 years
• Luxardo’s Anice – clean, light anise liqueur, not syrupy or cloying
• Ypioca Cachaca – satiny Brazilian cachaca, from Crystal to smokey Gold or clean Silver

WINES

4/22 – TOAST OF THE TOWN – It was a bit surreal having the entire War Memorial Opera House filled with wine and food, live jazz, and a smartly-dressed crowd. As these tasting events so often do, it grew overly packed once two pleasant VIP hours passed and the general public entered. In those early hours, I enjoyed a number of global sips.

A stand-out was Winemonger’s German Rieslings, particularly a snappy, mineral ’08 Neumayer Zwirch Gruner Veltliner and a fruity/floral ’07 Johann Donabaum Riesling Offenberg Smaragd.

French highlights: 2007 Louis Latour Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru is a full-bodied white, alternately dry, fruity and floral.  And on the more affordable end, Mouton Cadet’s 2008 Bordeaux Blanc is a smooth, citrusy Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc/Muscadet blend.

Schramsberg has long been a local favorite for their sparkling wines in particular: it was delightful to sip their 2001 Reserve Brut with cherry notes, and their ’06 J. Davies Cabernet Sauvignon, with Malbec, Merlot and Petit Verdot blended in.

A Cabernet Sauvignon highlight was Louis M. Martini’s velvety, rich 2005 Monte Rosso Vineyard Cab, available during the VIP tasting only.

4/29 – WINES OF CHILE - On a weekday afternoon, I visited a trade tasting held here and in Chicago. It was an education on the range in Chilean wines, which I certainly have been drinking more of in recent years. Similar to Portugal, which I wrote about last issue, the quality to affordability ratio is strong. Many wines I tried were $6-13 a bottle, ideal in these tight times. In tasting (and spitting) dozens, a few that rose to the forefront initially:

• Terra Andina – loved the whole line, from fruity, vanilla (with hint of smoke) Chardonnay, to berry, tobacco, tannin-rich ’08 Carmenere; Andina isn’t readily available but they just got distribution in So. Cal. K&L Wines so should make their way here soon
• Lapostolle – French owners (who also own Grand Marnier) but Chilean-grown; floral/citrus ’09 Casa Sauvignon Blanc may have been my favorite, but appreciated ’07 Cuvee Alexandre Chardonnay and ’08 Carmenere
•  ’06 Carmen Reserva Carmenere/Cabernet Sauvignon – berry, earth, hint of spice
• Aliwen ’09 Sauvignon Blanc – Affordable ($10 or less), crisp, Summery

Marcos Tello guest-bartends at Rickhouse, serving a "Pancho Sanchez"

COCKTAILS

• 15 Romolo really is one of the best bars in SF (drinks, atmosphere, staff). Mellow and soothing, I love to linger here with good friends. I’ve written about Track 42 ($12) before – but it bears repeating. If you want a nuanced, refreshing garden of a drink, this one is always a pleasant surprise: 42 Below Manuka Honey Vodka, basil, unfiltered apple juice, lemon and egg white for froth.

I adore the creamy smoothness of Amazona ($12): cachaca, coconut milk, ginger, lime, Angostura bitters, fresh nutmeg grated on top. Their Vieux Carre ($10) is about as fine a version of the Nola classic you’ll find… ditto their Pimm’s Cup. Finish with a Black Irish Flip ($10), a savory dessert of Jameson Irish whiskey with Picon Club, whole egg (yes, yolk, too), cacao nib tincture and Angostura  bitters.

• I missed Marcos Tello at The Edison when I was in LA a few weeks ago, but I got to try a couple of his creations at Rickhouse on 3/30 when he guest-bartended for the night. He made a nice, strong spirituous cocktail called Pancho Sanchez, but my favorite was a Dutch Kills recipe from NY, Infante: a mix of tequila, lime, orgeat and fresh-grated nutmeg. Nutty and refreshing simultaneously.

• Range is not only a favorite upscale neighborhood restaurant over the years, but some of the truly great, refined cocktails in SF  – it will be interesting to see if that stays true after Brooke Arthur moves on to helm the bar at the upcoming new restaurant from Boulevard. At Range, Evergreen welcomed Spring with gusto in the form of citrus and herbs: Plymouth Gin and St. Germain accompany fresh kumquats, sage, lemon. Go the tequila route with Malia: Pueblo Viejo blanco tequila, lime, egg white, cinnamon bitters and a winning quince/apple duo.

• The Alembic is one of the true joys in my new ‘hood when it comes to food and drink. How I wish Upper Haight would grow up and deepen its culinary offerings. Thankfully, Alembic is one block from me and one of the best in SF, especially during laid back “off” hours when Haight crowds aren’t making a place to sit impossible.

There have been recent wonders inherent when the bartenders get their hands on beets or galangal. Earthy, aromatic, balanced experimentation flow – it’s a pleasure to sample what they might come up with. See my April 21st Guardian FEAST article about a rosy beet cocktail made with beets, Rittenhouse Rye, dry vermouth, red wine vinegar, orange zest muddled with sugar, and a splash of sparkling wine.

• It’s easy: Nopa’s bar manager, Neyah White, is one of our city’s treasures and experts on superb cocktails, sherry (which he’ll be sharing in NY at a sherry class during May’s Manhattan Cocktail Classic – I’ll be covering the event), and a pioneer’s edge showcasing small batch, rare spirits long before everyone else in the artisan cocktail world catches on. Neyah and staff mix some unique beauties, including a range of white whiskey martinis on the current menu. If you’re lucky, kumquats will still be in house for a Kumquat Caipirinha ($9), which I just had last week. I’m a lifelong fan of the puckeringly tart citrus (which has been in many a cocktail lately), but Nopa’s kumquats are the best in memory, muddled and mixed with Boca Loca Cachaca, fresh lime, soda. Broken open, the citrus’ skin and flesh are sweet, sour, juicy, and I ate ever last one out of my glass. Stay tuned for Neyah’s Spring creations in coming weeks, including cocktails utilizing a Chinese rose blossom Rose wine.

SPIRITS

• On a recent rainy afternoon, after chowing down on some satisfying crispy tacos from Nick’s, The Renaissance Man and I had a craving for tequila and the place to be (always) is Tommy’s.  A happy mid-day respite included uber-hot salsa, chips, margaritas and a shot of the sadly now defunct 100% blue agave Reposado from Porfidio, listed under their discontinued Collector’s Items (page 197). Too bad. This beauty has a golden hue and caramel, toffee notes not commonly found in reposado.

• At a private scotch tasting held by Plumpjack, Impex Beverages and JVS Imports, I took an educational walk through 9 scotches from all parts of Scotland, from smoother to more peaty as we progressed. Already a fan of Scotland’s smallest distiller, Edradour, it was a delight to sip their just released Edradour Caledonia 12 year (bottled un-chillfiltered; 92 Proof): smooth, creamy with vanilla and spice notes. Another highlight was a rare 1991 Highland Park 17 year Signatory single malt with a balanced peat, whiffs of oceanside salt air, floral and earthy. I was able to try an as of yet unavailable Smokehead, but the smoke blast of this peatiest of scotches isn’t always my top choice (I like it but prefer a more balanced scotch).

I was especially privileged to meet a surprise special guest at this event, Anthony Wills, founder of Kilchoman, the first new distillery on the Scotch island of Islay in 124 years (ultra expensive and difficult to start a distillery there). Though yet to be released in the US, we tasted this already-in-demand single malt that continues to sell out, from the only Scottish distillery growing their own barley. At a young three years of age, it has the mature profile of a much older whisky. Wills stresses the point that quality isn’t always found because something is old, as early reviews of his whisky attest to. Side by side, next to 9 others, it held up to older whiskies and surpassed some with the peat Islay is famous for but also toffee, dark fruit and caramel creaminess.

WINES

One of the better deals on reds is Vidigal Douro (the same region port hails from), a smooth red that makes for good, everyday drinking at an easy $9.99 a bottle. I had a little fun with their ’08 “Shocking Green“, a perky Vinho Verde with tart fruit and floral notes. They’re both, along with a wide range of Portuguese wines, available from Portugal Wines.

Dao Sul’s light and breezy white, 2009 DOC Grilos, tasted of Summer. Adega makes zippy, effervescent Vinho Verde. Tasting four of their similar whites side by side, I preferred the 2009 Sec. Another nice choice? Aveleda‘s 2008 Alvarinho.

On first taste, my top whites at the event were both from Casa Santos Lima: ’09 Moscatel was creatively described by the pourer as “the Chanel No. 5 of whites”. I wouldn’t go that far but it is floral and bright. Their ’09 Sauvignon Blanc shocked with the juicy crunch of yellow pepper skins.

I like port: ideal for an after dinner sip and one of the first spirits I got into in my younger days.  Sandeman’s 30 year Tawny Port has a golden cherry hue and tastes of silken raisins, hazelnuts and vanilla. Krohn Porto 20 year is candy-like, smooth, with chocolate tones.