Cocktailing San Francisco or how to spend an afternoon in San Francisco’s Mission area. Due to the power of social media, and Instagram, I’m lucky to have virtually met people in various parts of the world. On a recent trip to San Francisco, I reached out to one such Instagram friend, Vivian, “thetipsymuse”.
I asked her if she might be free to meet for a drink. Much to my surprise and delight, not only could Vivian meet, but she planned a fabulous afternoon in the Mission area of San Francisco.
Vivian is both an incredibly accomplished photographer (check out her photography page here) and a cocktailer extraordinaire. She came up with the game plan and I went along for the ride! Since I’ve created cocktail tours in Toronto (Part 1 and Part 2) and my friend Nicole took us on a cocktail tour of Athens, I thought I’d add San Francisco to my cocktail tour list!
First stop: Tartine Manufactory. One of the brightest corners of the Mission area, their bakery-turned-restaurant is full of great light and great cocktails.
A new menu by Julian Cox was being showcased. We picked the Mezze Margarita (for me) and the Granita Applebum (for Vivian). The colours and flavours in both these drinks are incredible. The granita could be scooped and eaten on its own or stirred into the drink to change the flavour. The Mezze Margarita was my favourite drink of the day!
A light lunch was in order and the kitchen did not disappoint. Food both pretty and tasty!
Next door is Heath Ceramics where ceramics boast a plethora of colours and textures. There is also a cooking and cocktail section.
Up to Four Barrel Coffee for a quick recharge at a place where fortunes are made – this coffee house serves as unofficial headquarters for many local tech startups.
Fuelled by caffeine, we headed to the next spot, ABV, which opens at 2pm. As we arrive early in the day, we get bar seats and speak to Jim the bartender and Tom the owner. Creative cocktails coming up. ABV is on the list of World’s Best 50 Bars (2016). We had the Tarragon Fix and the Sutro Swizzle.
The back bar is stocked and we play the “have you tried this” game with the array of bottles. Jim let us try the Genepri – which is reminiscent of Yellow Chartreuse. (Chartreuse Cellars also creates a version of this). The bar menu is posted on the wall (and yes The F@cking Burger with Spicy Chips is f@cking fab – Pete and I came back later to try the Anguilla, the Drifter and that burger)!
Off to Bon Voyage where we are joined by Pete. The bar is decorated like an African safari with statues and prints throughout the space. It’s bright and airy – you have to love a place with a disco ball!
Caryl whips up a Slingtini, Bananarac (a riff on the Sazerac with a slight hint of banana liqueur) and a Marbella for me. If you go, check out the “Collins” section of the menu for drinks named after “Joan”, “Bootsy”, “Phil” and “Edwyn”.
On the way to True Laurel, we take a short detour on Clarion Street (okay, more like an alley) and admire some of the street murals for which the Mission area is famous.
True Laurel is the same team that started Lazy Bear (post to come). True Laurel is one of those amazing bars that makes cocktails that are not only beautiful, but contain ingredients you’ve never heard of! Flora Aurora, Paloma Prieta and their very famous Mai O Mai are served and we also order some snacks.
Highly recommend is the Hen of the Woods mushrooms with the sour cream Allum dip. I am not kidding, I could have eaten 10 plates of this dish! We also tried the cheese and beef cheek fondue and the stuffed potato. The food at True Laurel is so good, it has received a 2 forks rating from the Michelin Guide – Comfort and Quality (Restaurant).
A cute little treat as Anthony the bar manager surprises us with mini “the Fungus Amongst Us” drinks. How cute are these cocktails that contain truffle vodka, candy cap mushrooms, oxidized wine, lemon and Pet-Nat 15 (a natural sparkling wine)? They are also delicious.
We say farewell to Vivian and head off to her last pick, the just-around-the-corner Trick Dog. In 2016, Trick Dog made the World’s Best 50 Bars list, and it continues to reside on the 2018 list. We loved the spot immediately as they carded us upon entry!
The tattoo-themed menu showcases a selection of drinks that are creative combinations. This was menu number 13, so Trick Dog decided to do a collaboration with the tattoo artists at Idle Hand Tattoo which matches 13 original tattoos with 13 original cocktails. (You know they take their menus seriously – Trick Dog won the Spirited Awards 2017 “World’s Best Cocktail Menu”. )
The bar was packed, but after some waiting, Pete managed to secure us the Mr. Lucky (made with Honey Nut Cheerios infused orgeat) and The Screaming Eagle.
We also managed to meet several interesting people while there, including Emma and Nick who let us know that one of the menu specialties is “The Trick Dog” – a hamburger in a hot dog-shaped bun. So famous is the Trick Dog that a version of this is offered at the Olympic Golf Club.
I will admit that we did go back to ABV for the burger and a cocktail – see ABV above – and just before calling it a night, we made one last stop at the hotel bar. The Fairmont Hotel is home to the Tonga Room. This famous institution was created in 1947 when the hotel repurposed its hotel swimming pool and turned it into a Tiki bar! Personally, I think it’s a better use of space!
A nightly band plays in the ship that floats out to the middle of the pool. Partygoers of all ages dance, sing and drink in a festive mood along with the band. (Just a warning, as much fun as you might be having, jumping in the pool results in a $500 fine!)
With a Hurry Cane and a Jet Pilot in hand, we drink, sing and dance with the crowd (but no swimming) as we wrap up our Cocktail Tour of San Francisco.
Many thanks to Vivian for pointing us in the right direction and guiding me through some of the many fabulous San Francisco bars. It was such a fun day and much appreciated! (And thank you for the portrait!)
If you go:
Vivian Cromwell Photography – www.viviancromwellphotography.com
Tartine Manufactory – 595 Alabama St. San Francisco CA 94110, www.tartinebakery.com. Open: Daily 8am – 10pm
Heath Ceramics – 2900 18th St. St. San Francisco CA 94110, www.heathceramics.com. Open: Sun – Wed 10am – 6pm; Thurs – Sat 10am – 7pm
Four Barrel Coffee – 375 Valencia St. San Francisco CA 94103, www.fourbarrelcoffee.com. Open: Daily 7am – 8pm
ABV – 3174 16th St. St. San Francisco CA 94103, www.abvsf.com. Bar open: daily 2pm – 2am
Bon Voyage – 584 Valencia St. San Francisco CA 94114, www.bonvoyagebar.com. Bar open: Mon-Fri 2pm – 2am; Sat & Sun 12 pm – 2am
True Laurel – 753 Alabama St. San Francisco CA 94110, www.truelaurelsf.com. Open: Daily 4pm – 2am
Trick Dog – 73010 20th St. San Francisco CA 94110, www.truelaurelsf.com. Open: Daily 3pm – 2am
The Tonga Room – The Fairmont Hotel 950 Mason St. San Francisco CA 94108 www.tongaroom.com Open: Sun/Wed/Thurs 5pm – 11:30; Fri – Sat 5pm – 12:30pm (closed Mon/Tues)
